virus

[shadow4me]

Has anyone had the virus going around its like having bronchitis ,I have severe COPD and although was for 2 weeks coughing up green and yellow phlegm and feeling really ill still was refused antibiotics ? Am slowly recovering but it was awful .I would of thought if you had a respiratory disease they would do a sputum test to be sure .Are other GP surgeries doing this now or is it just mine x

[Pam1952]

Hi. I've had it for 5 weeks now and am getting really fed up with it. Was sent for a chest x-ray on Monday "to make sure there's no pneumonia lurking down there "! (doctor's words), but no sputum test as yet. I live in South Yorkshire, and don't know if it's an area thing or not.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

Pam XXX

[O2Trees]

Did your doc listen to your chest Shadow4me? If s/he did do this and it was clear, then they would presumably be thinking it was likely to be an upper respiratory virus which wouldn't be helped by ABs. In this case, if you had been given ABs they would have been given to prevent a secondary infection.

If you are recovering, then perhaps it was the right call? There are many long lasting viruses around, and if you are recovering after two weeks, that seems pretty good compared to many, horrible as it must have been for you.

[CDPO16]

I had a similar problem 2 years ago, but, unlike you, was given 3 consecutive courses of antibiotics by a nurse practitioner. They had no effect at all and I eventually persauded her to send a sample for culture and sensitivity which came back clear of bacteria and viruses. The problem gradually cleared of it's own accord over quite a few months.

Culture and sensitivity tests seem to be a thing of the past which makes me wonder if that has contributed to all the bug resistant antibiotics we now have, but I do feel there is a case for them to be done more routinely again.

Hope you continue to feel better.

[Dillyjo in reply to CDPO16]

What does culture and sensitivity test mean , I have had four lots of ab and steroids since October, I gave a sputum sample for the first time ever, reply from test was to keep on taking the ab, which I did , but still not feeling great , x

[CDPO16 in reply to Dillyjo]

A culture and sensitivity test is where a sample (ie sputum) sent to a path lab is placed on a glass dish. If bacteria grow, the type of bacteria can be identified and then advice given on which antibiotics have an effect on it and which ones don't.

If the culture grown is a virus, then antibiotics are pointless.

If nothing grows, the sample is free from bacteria and viruses.

[Dillyjo in reply to CDPO16]

Thanks, x

[redted]

Yes I have had it, felt my breathing getting worse so rang 111 Dr told me to take my emergency meds, it took another 4 days but on the fifth day felt much better, it really is a nasty virus, if it goes to your chest and causes shortness of breath it is then classed as bacterial so they give anti biotics, they worked for me thank goodness.

[sassy59]

Feel better soon. Xxx

[Pantani]

I'm able to send a sputum sample in via the GP and I then ring the respiratory nurse at the hospital and they keep a look out for the results. They ring me with the result and is quicker than waiting a week to get the result from the GP.

[medow]

Virus first pitched up with me end of November went 10days later, only to revist just before xmas, on the mend now, I think, still get very tired and still got horrid cough, this virus takes the 'p' xxx

[scorpiolass]

Hi, I had this before Christmas & it settled at the Base of my right lung. Treated with Doxycycline and Prednisolone & this year it cleared it up. Once I had settled down GP also did a full blood count, to ensure inflammation had cleared. Sometimes with lower lung infections sputum tests apparently, don't always show up the bugs. I guess the sputum check would have been done , if inflamation signs had still been there. Still feel very tired & down though. X

[Hidden]

I've been unwell with it since before Christmas, had sputum test nothing was found still don't feel right was told it's a virus and I was just to rest and drink fluids and take paracetamol for the pain.