when to start emergency Pack

[angie26]

Hi does anyone else feel like me? when do you start to take antibiotics? the nurses will always ask what colour your sputum is!! well do I take them?? at the moment my sputum is cream touching on light brown, I'm taking Carbosistine to get the plhem up, when I asked should I stop this when I have no more sputum the answer was - why should you! so does this mean I should wait until my sputum is green and full blown infection ? I never seem to get definitive answers from anyone. HELP!

[2greys]

If you ask me, then any change in sputum colour, start your rescue pack.

Carbosistine? Keep taking them, I do not produce much sputum, just a little first thing in the morning, I tried to stop taking it. The result was that I produced a really thick jelly. Not wanting it to get stuck deep down building up and getting infected, I started to take it again.

This may help you:

blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...

[angie26 in reply to 2greys]

Thank you so much, I have just had 3 day antibiotic for urine infection, stopped these Tuesday, that won't interfere?

[2greys in reply to angie26]

No, that should not be a problem. If your symptoms persist then see your GP, which you should do anyway to get your rescue pack replaced.

[angie26 in reply to 2greys]

Thank you once again, you know I saw my consultant only yesterday, this was as a follow up, I gave him a sputum sample, he asked if I had had any flare ups this last year which I hadn't, I did explain that I do feel sob and he said he thought he might discharge me and hand me over to the nursing staff! I supose the thing is I always look well but he didn't sound my chest or do anything else. Sorry to go on, he's a nice chap but I can't help wondering about it. Without going into too much detail, I had TB 2014 I have COPD, psedomonos, and a recent bronch show that bacterium Avium had disappeared!!

[B0xermad in reply to 2greys]

Very true same here as soon as light green or different to your usual colour and keep on with carbocysteine meds and clearance techniques every day .kept me well for the last 2yrs doing this asap on sputum change

[Hidden in reply to 2greys]

Sorry for colourful sputum stories:

I think I’ll ask for an xray at the RBH tomorrow because the Consultant gave me a rescue pack of doxy last week but I thought, think I’m not that bad, you know coughing out and about, taking cough syrup, massaging with essential oils. no temperature..

so I asked him about sputum colour.

He said what colour is it? I said yellowish then he said ah if it is yellowish it is a sign of an infection if it usually white transparent

But if it is usually yellowish you have to wait till it gets thicker, like greenish..

So I’m basically coughing all year round do I want to take antibiotics all year round, not really. Then I thought of the xray because within 48 years you know it switches from a bronchitis to a pleurisy without me seeing coming.

So will see if he gives an xray tomorrow. Then I have to sort out all those pain killers as well. Not looking forward to it.

[corriena]

I agree with 2greys. You have to keep an eye on what is normal for you. As soon as it changes is when i would start my rescue meds. And again keep taking the carbosistine, your lungs dont stop making mucous so you have to keep clearing it.

[hypercat54]

As I understand it there is an infection if you feel otherwise well but your sputum has turned yellow or green. Ab's can only help chest infections. x

[O2Trees]

As told to me by my respiratory nurse:

If you have two of the following three things, then start your rescue pack -

1. Change in sputum colour

2. Increased amount of sputum

3. Feeling unwell.

I use this as an indicator but in the end it's getting to know your body that is most helpful. For me Carbocysteine is rubbish. I dont have a lot of sputum and I always have huge difficulty coughing up thin mucus which I get from the asthma during any exacerbation. The thick stuff is what I cough up easily so Carbocysteine just doesnt work since the whole point of it is to thin the stuff. A good GP or consultant will work with you around understanding what affects your body and how.

[BrianTaylor]

I always look for changes in phlegm colour, increased breathlessness and pains in my lung area - any of those would make me consider using my rescue pack 😊

[Shancock]

As soon as I start coughing and sputum becomes quite thick I would start abs, whatever the colour, even when I had pneumonia I only ever had creamy coloured phlegm anyway so I don't think you can always rely on the colour as it's different for everyone.

[watergazer]

Some great answers there for you angie26- I have the same problem - not knowing when to take meds- my new doctor told me off for starting my rescue pack and not seeing him first and was reluctant to prescribe another rescue pack - my former doctor who saw me through pneumonia would be fine about the meds as he saw how ill I can become.

[angie26 in reply to watergazer]

Yes I too have to be careful, Pneumonia and admitted to hospital more than once and sent home on IV antibiotics! so I can't understand why wait for a full blown infection? does not make sense, anyway I have started them!! thanks X

[Hidden in reply to angie26]

If you have time go for a sputum test first because then you’ll know the bacteria and type of antibiotics needed. If poorly Take them..brown is not good..

Love,

Fran xx

[Gary56]

The problem is, phlegm isn’t always present

[Hidden in reply to Gary56]

Yes I usually start this way, it is stuck in there, worst type of congestion, actually when I do take the antibiotics it loosens it up..

[shouty]

I have learned to go by how I feel, Got Haemophilis bug and when start feeling a bit feverish and sputum has stringy brown stuff straight on Rescue Meds

My Consultant says you know your own body better sometimes ( as well as, and sometimes in spite of Sputum samples results which can give false negatives) Also may get nasty taste in mouth and sore tongue which is an indication is time to take antibiotics