Antibiotics even when my sputum sample is clear

[Homer12]

Hi,I have asthma and bronchchietsis and always suffering with chest infections,Sometimes I have a sputum sample that’s shows up with a germ that’s needs special antibiotics to treat that germ,But sometimes the sputum sample shows up clear without a germ in it,My question is I still need antibiotics when the sample is clear and is this normal to still need them to clear up when the sample is clear but I feel really ill ?

[Hidden]

Be guided by what your doctor advises.

[Hidden]

Hi Homer, unfortunately, lab sputum tests are notoriously inaccurate, particularly in bronch it seems. So many times mine have come back clear when it is obvious that something is causing an exacerbation. Standard tests don't scan for everything that we get for one thing. If the antibiotics that your GP is giving you don't solve it I suggest that you call your consultant's secretary, explain the situation and ask for the consultant to advise your GP.

[Homer12 in reply to Hidden]

That’s what I’ve always thought,Thanks for insight in this matter

[Oshgosh]

The physio told us at pulmonary rehab that you can’t always rely on sputum changes to indicate if you’re ill.

I don’t really understand it. I see you have been put on Axothrycin . I hope this helps you . Apologies predictive text won’t let me type antibiotic name correctly.

My ILD consultants prescribed me Axithrycin3 times weekly and co tricamol 3 days. I haven’t had any infections for nearly 2 years now, . I hope things start to work for you.

[Homer12 in reply to Oshgosh]

That’s good,2 years without a infection,I hope I manage that,I might ask my consultant about co tricamol

[Sops in reply to Homer12]

I use azithromycin 250 three times a week and have felt much better.

Take care Sopsx

[Hidden]

Catching bacteria in sputum is, in my experience managing my daughter’s health, almost entirely down to luck. We know full well with her that there are certain bacteria permanently in her lungs, but even coughing up really rotten gunk there’s no guarantees they’ll find any in the sample, or they might only find one when there’s actually more than one bug at play. I’ve seen the child be coughing up green and the result come back negative numerous times, but you still treat it. Equally, because she has chronic pseudomonas (meaning it’s permanent), I’ve seen her send in a clear coloured, normal looking sample and get a positive result. The very best illustration for me of how hit and miss the whole thing is was when she was very unwell summer 2019. She was unwell in herself and had been for months, clearing loads of properly green sputum by the time tertiary finally had her in for yet more IVs, and a spontaneous sample coughed up on admission was positive for pseudomonas and steno. The following day, they took her to theatre, bronched her and retrieved washout samples from her lungs via lavage, and none of those samples grew anything at all.

Bottom line: just because sputum comes back negative for bacteria, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing growing. If you’re ill and you respond to antibiotics, it just means you didn’t catch it in that sample.

[Homer12 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks,I was thinking because my doctor (who knows me and my condition very well) Always gives me antibiotics, but I was thinking do you definitely not need them when the sample is clear,I always feel there is some kind of germ in all the infections so I’m happy I have a good doctor who always backs me up

[Oshgosh]

COTRIXAMOLE/SEPTRIN.

I have been u well with various viral things,but the infection markers have never indicated infection. Before I started on these 2 prophylactic antibiotics s,I had had 7 infections in a year.

I hope you get it sorted out.