Cyprofloxacin

[Aitchic1]

Any comments or opinions on Cyprofloxacin?It’s the latest antibiotic of many I’m currently taking to try and improve so called’mild Bronchiectasis’.The way I feel breathless wise I’d hate to experience moderate or bad!I’m told by consultant X-rays aren’t that bad but any slight exertion has me really struggling to breath,no exaggeration.Cutting the grass yesterday turned into a major task,something I used to do with ease.Very frustrated at moment and I understand it’s a condition I have to manage but at 46yr old I feel twice my age.

[sassy59]

My husband Pete has COPD and sarcoidosis and uses ciprofloxacin when he has a chest infection. It helps a lot. Xxx

[Aitchic1 in reply to sassy59]

Thank you for your reply sassy

[Hidden]

Sad to say it gave me Tendonitis, so I'm no longer allowed to have it any more.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

I did notice that was a common symptom but only got a five day course so hopefully can stick with it.Thanks.

[Patsy164]

Hi Aitchic I found this article regarding ciprofloxacin on Bronchiectasis News Today have a read it’s interesting:

bronchiectasisnewstoday.com...

I am on it at present as I have an exacerbation and I am finding it ok on my third day of a 14 day course with steroids. The first time I took it was to combat pseudomonas and the dose was much higher which left me feeling a bit rough but I went for 6 months without an exacerbation which was a gift for me as I had been at odds with it for about 6 years. For me I am happy taking it was a bit worried as my first time was not pleasant but a lower dose is fine for me. I hope all this helps also they found that this is the only antibiotic I can have as they tested my sputum in the lab. About doing gardening and other chores you will find a balance of what you can and can’t do I find my body tells me if I can’t.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Patsy164]

Thank you for your helpful reply.

[Udagga]

I’ve taken it often for flare ups and never have any side effects. Not always effective but it’s my first line of defence.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Udagga]

Thanks for your reply

[Pjmf]

I took it after sputum test showed the bacteria were resistant tomost antibiotics. Haveto admit I felt poorly on it, but thenI had no more exacerbations for ages. Re breathlessness...I find gradually building up aerobic exercise helps...I’m always very breathless atfirst but then it improves. Exercise is key for me. Good luck.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Pjmf]

Thanks for your reply,I’m hoping it has the same effect with me so I can build up a bit fitness when less breathless

[Pjmf in reply to Aitchic1]

Good luck. We’re all different. I felt really ill just on doxycycline last time and worse on cipro. I still swim, bike, walk briskly and so on, though almost 70 I am quite fit. The physio attheBrompton told me to push it so I do...but I have to admit I feel lousy and depressed at times. Then I try to tell myself I’m lucky that it’s only bronchiectasis and nothing worse.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Pjmf]

Thanks for reply.Im hoping Ciprofloxacin will help get me back on track as recently I’ve been that breathless I began to wonder if there was something else underlying.Half way through the antibiotics,think i’m improving and hopefully get some light exercise going again.

[Gingerapple]

Hi there😊

I actually can't take any of these antibiotics of the 'floxacin' family due to breathlessness and hives and general feeling of unwell. I think they are not for everyone. I would go to your doctor and discuss it with him? Good luck in your health and feel better soon😊🤗

[Aitchic1 in reply to Gingerapple]

Thanks

[santisuk]

Ciprofloxacin is the antibiotic that a bronchX specialist would likely recommend as a first line of attack by tablet on a first diagnosis of psuedomonas (and then presumably for any exacerbation where pseudomonas was shown by sputum sample or just suspected, provided the first episode had successfully succumbed to pseudomonas).

Personally I would rather "save it up" for that purpose unless I was running out of options on non-pseudomonas infections. That said there are other drugs (eg inhaled colomystin) that would be good or better if cheap and easy ciprofloxacin doesn't work on pseudomonas 'cos you've already over-used it on 'ordinary' infections.

Note also that ciprofloxacin can be dodgy it you are susceptible to tendonitis (as referred to by another poster above) and you need to avoid the sun - not difficult in the UK but a bit tricky avoiding it altogether where I mostly live (Thailand)

You said "I only got a five day course". That sounds questionable to me. BTS Guidelines for Adults with Bronchiectasis state "In general, antibiotic courses for 14 days are standard ...... Shorter courses may suffice in patients with mild bronchiectasis." Your consultant thinks you have mild bronchiectasis, but I would still have thought that 10 days would be a minimum if he is casting around for an antibiotic that works and several have not worked before. Has she/he always recommended such a short course with previous antibis? I have mild bronch X (and I don't even get the breathlessness you are saddled with) and I find that antibis do not start to work for me within 5 days.

Re the breathlessness - it doesn't seem right to me that you should be classified as mild if you have what you describe and I would interpret (as only an informed layman sufferer) as reasonably significant breathlessness. Should the consultant not be offering you a trial of a long acting bronchodilator (drugs that 'open up the airways') to give you a chance of breathing more cleanly and easily? BTS guidelines recommend such should be offered "for patients with symptoms of significant breathlessness". I started my program for treating what was ultimately diagnosed as bronchiectasis with both an inhaler ("Symbicort") containing a short term and intermediate lasting bronchodilator and doxyfiline tablets ("Puroxan" not available in some countries but there are others), a longer lasting bronchodilator. I think my pulmonologist in Thailand thought I might possibly have asthma, Papworth UK hospital said no - bronchX not asthma but allowed me to carry on with the bronchodilation drugs as I said I thought it helped me to breath more cleanly. After a couple of years of active cycle breathing and daily physical excercise I had no problem in dropping it out of my drug program but I did find it useful initially and no side effects for me.

Finally, BTS guidelines again: "Offer pulmonary rehabilitation to individuals who are functionally limited by shortness of breath (Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Dyspnoea Scale ≥ 1)." I have no idea how that scale is operated but may be worth asking the consultant if he has measured your breathlesness since I get the impression he is not on the same ballpark as you when it comes to breathing. Have you done a shuttle walk test and had the results talked through with you?

Postscript. Came back to edit/add that there's another posting today by Jivemonkey1 about breathlessness - has some content that may give useful alternative avenues

[Aitchic1 in reply to santisuk]

Thanks very much for taking the time with your in-depth reply.I do wonder sometimes if my respiratory consultant realises how much I struggle at times but just re-iterates what my x-ray results show.I’m having a CT scan tomorrow.Thanks again for your info.

[donut43]

Hi It has helped me a lot, and I try to have as much exercise as I can . there is the problem of tendonitis on a long term but on the whole OK

Dan

[Aitchic1 in reply to donut43]

Thanks Dan

[Hidden]

I won’t add much to santisuk’s excellent reply except the following. I have been at this game for 66 years and your consultant sounds as though they are a general respiratory consultant and not a bronch expert. It is unknown to prescribe only 5 days of any ab for bronch. 14 days minimum in a high dose.

You need to be clearing your chest scrupulously everyday. Otherwise, no matter what ab you take to combat the bacteria ( which should have been tested for,)the mucus will sit there and make you breathless because it is blocking the air from reaching right into your lungs. Have you seen a physio through your consultant to help you do this?

Your bronch is not being managed properly. It takes treatment from the bronch specialist plus a lot of daily self management to get it under your control.

General respiratory consultants do not have the extra training and experience in bronch that you need.

I suggest that you look on the internet for a bronch specialist in your area. They are usually at big teaching hospitals. Take the name to your GP and insist on a referral. This ad hoc use of short periods of antibiotics will do nothing to help you get on top of it. You need integrated treatment and support.

I’m afraid that we have to be very proactive in our own interests and vociferous in sourcing the right treatment.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

Hi,

Thank you for your advice.Both Santisuks and your replies very helpful.I may have misinterpreted a little-after getting sputum sample result from docs it was the GP that gave me a 5 day 2x500mg course of Ciprofloxacin.I did find this to be a rather short period from what I’ve read up on and have e-mailed my respiratory consultants secretary querying this.I understand self management is key but just recently the slightest exertion had me gasping so have been unable to do walking etc.I’ts been advised and actioned by consultant to trial a nebuliser to see if that improves matters.I do go with your theory of the basics that mucus build up is the root cause and I do have an acapella and breathing techniques.It just got to the stage I was so breathless and declining I began to wonder if it was something more sinister.I will look into a Bronchiectasis specialist and 100% agree the nicey nicey approach with GPs gets you nowhere.Thanks again.

[Hidden]

Just a thought that your breathlessness may be due to some condition which is running alongside the bronch. You shouldn't be so breathless with bronch unless you are really ill with an exacerbation. It took me 2 years and a collapse at my GP surgery to persuade my GP and my bronch specialist that I had a heart problem. I had developed dilated cardiomyopathy and AF and they had been telling me that I wasn't managing the bronch properly. See what I mean about acting in oyr own interests!

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

I do have Rheumatoid Arthritis which is what both RA and Bronch consultants say have caused Bronchiectasis but I still have in my mind there may be something else contributing to how breathless I’ve been recently.It’s rather frustrating as I get the impression my respiratory consultant thinks I’m exaggerating...

[Hidden in reply to Aitchic1]

There are a couple of lung conditions which are indicated alongside bronch when RA is present. I'm not going into details because I don't know enough about them but I definitely think that you should be nagging the medics to do the appropriate tests (xrays are not good enough) to rule them in or out. Only when you know what you are dealing with can you start managing it. I think that a good bronch consultant should be the first base. They are trained in all conditions with extra in bronch. I think that there are a few members on the site with RA alongside different lung conditions. Hopefully they will reply.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your interest,I’ve a CT scan tomorrow and i’ll look into a Bronchiectasis specialist in my area.

[Hidden]

Good luck. Do let us know how you go on.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

I will thanks

[Tinker26 in reply to Aitchic1]

Just been given Ciproflaxin also as I have mild bronchiectasis,been on doxycycline but bug in sputum showed again haemophilus influenzae so no trialling this medication.Upto now seems to be fine xx

[Aitchic1 in reply to Tinker26]

Good to hear,been on Ciprofloxacin 3 days now,not sure if anything has improved yet but so far so good side effect wise.

[Tinker26 in reply to Aitchic1]

The breathlessness May be adult onset asthma of which i was diagnosed at 50 ,this caused me lots of chest infections and was eventually diagnosed 2 years ago with bronchiectasis albeit mild ,don’t really know what mild is as I seem to get chest infections every 8-10 weeks due to this silly bug 🐜 ,don’t have breathlessness now ,now that asthma is being treated !

[Aitchic1]

I’m confused over ‘mild’ as well.If this is what mild does to my breathing I would hate to see myself have severe 😳.Fingers crossed the Ciprofloxacin aides my recovery and hope all goes well for you.

[Simplysharon]

My Dr. RX'd Cipro for 10 days. I have Bronchiectasis plus pseudomonas. It didn't work for the pseudo. Did you give them a sample to determine what bug you have? Or maybe your Dr. just thinks you have an infection..

[Aitchic1 in reply to Simplysharon]

Hi,

Handed a sample in,got phone call from GP saying some sort of pseudomonas was detected and prescribed Cyproflaxacin?

[Simplysharon in reply to Aitchic1]

Pseudo isn't just some sort. It can be deadly. Not saying this to scare anyone but read about for yourself. It is very difficult to treat. Ciprofloxacin doesn't work for most of us. Usually the next step is tobramycin.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Simplysharon]

Hmmm..why prescribe it.Im on my 4th day of it and to be honest don’t feel breathing has improved,maybe a bit less coughing.Got to keep my glass half full as opposed to half empty.Did the Tobramycin work for u?

[Hidden in reply to Aitchic1]

The dose should be 750mg twice per day for 14 days. Any less than that with bronch and you may as well be taking smarties. When will gps ever learn!

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

That’s exactly what I was thinking...contacted respiratory consultant for his advice and said course should be minimum 10 days...does makes you wonder.

[Hidden in reply to Aitchic1]

My relationship is with my con who tells my GP what to do. I keep 14 days cipro at home. I get my nebulised abs direct fom the hospital except for ventolin and salinewhich I neb once per day. Your GP should have a letter from yourcon stating what to do and you should have a copy. My GPs are very cooperstive with my con and admit that they know less about bronch than I do!

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

Every time I go to the docs there’s a different GP every time,it’s a joke.Do you find nebulisers help you as it looks like that’s my next step.What i’m finding frustrating is I keep getting told my xrays aren’t that bad,i’m sure they think i’m exaggerating when I tell them i’m out of breath constantly unless I basically sit still.I’m told it’s mucus plugging causing that?I don’t know what to think anymore.I had CT scan yesterday so i’ll see what comes of that.I live near Newcastle upon Tyne and have been told a Dr at the freeman hospital specialises in bronch,think i’ll try getting to see him,no doubt that’ll be a task in itself as well.As said previously I understand it’s self management but just feel they’re missing something.

[Hidden in reply to Aitchic1]

Newcastle has a very good bronch department in one of its big teaching hospitals. They do a lot of trials and research. I am sure that you can find them on the internet. Get the name of the bronch expert and insist that you get a referral. I have noticed that there is a lot of misconception about nebulised antibiotics among people on this site. Nebulised antibiotics are used to keep the levels of bacteria ( usually pseudomonas) in the lungs down. They are not the front line treatment for an exacerbation and cannot be expected to be effective in that case. This would be the oral antibiotic indicated ( cipro, doxy etc) in the the right, high enough dose for 14 days or failing that 14 days of IV antibiotic, for pseudomonas usually tazocin or meropenem). These methods knock the bug on the head and then nebulised abs ( colomycin, tobramycin, ceftazidime) are used to keep levels down to a manageable level. Once pseudomonas is in there it lurks and even if numbers are too low to show on a plate they are still there. It is a case of being able to live with it.

As ai said before, if you do not have an active exacerbation and are clearing your lungs every day I am concerned that your breatlessness is not caused by the bronch alone. Hopefully the ct scan should give answers.

I do think that you should be in the care of someone with more expertise than you seem to be so far.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hidden]

Hi,

Thanks for your advice again,you’re very knowledgeable on the subject.Thats what i’m hoping for to be honest,for the nebuliser just to keep things at bay and help me manage,unless there is something else underlying.I see a respiratory nurse in a few weeks to discuss/trial nebuliser.The worry I have is it is now affecting my job where i’m in customers houses and it gets embarrassing being out of breath.I guess time will tell.Sorry,I haven’t really asked how you are doing and managing your condition?

[Hidden in reply to Aitchic1]

I don’t think that a nurse will be able to prescribe nebulised abs. Only ventolin or saline. You really need a good bronch specialist.

[Simplysharon]

U r right. I'm not thinking positive. Maybe it will work for u. Hope so! For me Tobi is a long term inhaled antibiotic. Maybe I'll b able to get off it in a year or so.

[Aitchic1 in reply to Simplysharon]

If i’m being honest I don’t know where I stand...all I know is a couple of year ago I could breath properly,now I struggle on slight exertion.Had a CT scan yesterday,fingers crossed with that.Confused by it all.

[RoadRunner44]

I have only just read your post. When I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis five years ago I was put on ciprofloxacin but was changed after two months to Colomycin which I inhale from a nebulizer. My consultant also requested my doctor to give me an open prescription for Amoxcillen. This is an emergency antibiotic I should take (as well as Colomycin) in case I pick up another infection.

How do you know that you have mild bronchiectasis? I ask as I don't know what stage I'm at. Did your consultant tell you or maybe your doctor?. I'd like to know.

[Aitchic1]

Hello I am posting on here as Craig but I am actually Craig’s partner. Craig unfortunately passed away on 28th April. He never got to see his consultant to discuss the results of his most recent ct scan. Or to see the bronch specialist at the Freeman.

Craig woke me early hours of good Friday morning with breathlessness, because he had been backwards and forwards to gp I suggested a trip to A and E as unfortunately it is sometimes a way of getting things sorted, however he quickly started to go into respiratory arrest and I called an ambulance, although conscious on arrival at hospital it was decided by critical care to put him into an induced coma as he was struggling and tired. Initial xrays were clear and they believed it was an exasperation of asthma.

Things did start to improve initially and sedation ect was reduced however Craig started to deteriorate and subsequent xrays, ct scan and microbiology results showed a fungal pneumonia, they were also worried about his heart from the pressure of pumping into sick lungs he then developed sepsis and his heart stopped early hours of 28th April. I have been reading all his posts on here to try to make sense of it all and it is like he said he was always led to believe everything was quite mild they would be guessing but maybe all the steroids he was prescribed recently weakened his immune system and his job as a gas engineer has exposed him to the fungus who knows.

I am totally lost as have been with him since I was 17 but would like to thank you all as you helped enormously with your knowledge and advice. I wish you all long healthy lives.

[Tinker26]

Unfortunately it caused tendonitis so unable to take this medication x

[Tinker26]

Oh I'm so sorry to add to this post , deepest condolences to you and yours xx

[Hacienda]

So Sorry to Read That your Partner Craig had passed so quickly. I can see how he was trying so hard to get all the Information he could for a Diagnosis he was waiting for after having his CT Scan. My Deepest Condolences to you & Your family. RIP Craig. Carolina XX

[Aitchic1 in reply to Hacienda]

Thank you all for your well wishes.

Just can’t believe it.

Instead of flowers donations were made to British lung foundation so hopefully will go some way to helping others.

Take care.