Primrose123

[primrose123]

Has anyone been prescribed Itraconazole 100mg capsules 2 per day for asthma/ lung infection, if so, how long was the course for? and was there any improvement at the end of course? All answers greatly appreciated.. Thank you, Primrose123..x

[Hidden]

Hi Primrose. This is an anti fungal drug and usually given for aspergillosis in the lungs, not for standard asthma or lung infection. There are some people on the forum who have aspergillosis and may have it as a treatment. Hopefully they will see your post.

[primrose123 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your kind reply Littlepom,& yes just as you said a few people on the forum who have had aspergillosis have very kindly responded to me,so thanks again Littlepom for your sound advice... I hope all good & well with you & may God bless you always Primrose123...x

[HollyBoyd]

Sorry I can't help Primrose, but just wanted to wish you well and feeling better soon xxx😊

[primrose123 in reply to HollyBoyd]

Thank you HollBoyd for your kind reply, I hope all good & well with you too.. Take care. & Happy Easter to you..Primrose123...x

[HollyBoyd in reply to primrose123]

Wishing you a Happy Easter too xxx

[peege]

Did you not get a leaflet explaining that Itraconazole is an anti-fungal? It's very very important that you take the whole course you're given. I believe it could be a few weeks.When I was investigated for the lung fungal growth aspergillus I was told it can't be completely eradicated but must be controlled to prevent the growth of the fungus.

A more common fungal infection is Candida which can be in throat and upper airways and treated with nystatin (please anyone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm very tired and can't string my words together 🤪)..

I think it would be a good idea to contact your gp to check your diagnosis.

There's always the helpline under 'About' above where I think you'll also find info on aspergillus. The NHS also have pages on it. Good luck

[primrose123 in reply to peege]

Thank you peege for your most interesting and helpful reply,your sound advice has made me feel so much better.. I hope all good & well with you too..Take care,& Happy Easter to you..Primrose123..x

[Caspiana]

Hi Primrose. 🙂👋

Littlepom is correct. Itraconazole is for fungal infections. I have been on the liquid form of it for almost three years. It is a preventive medicine for me to protect my transplanted lung from fungus. How long you must be on it depends on what infection you have and how bad it is. The doctor should be able to give you a rough estimate. It has worked well for me as I have had no issues with fungal infections. The only drawback is that Itraconazole is hard on the kidneys. xx 🍀

[primrose123 in reply to Caspiana]

Lovely to hear from you Caspiana,& I am delighted that all is good & well with you..Many thanks for your kind & helpful advice it has as always very much appreciated A Very Happy Easter to you Caspiana..Primrose123..x

[Caspiana in reply to primrose123]

Thank you Primrose. Happy Easter to you too. xx 🐥

[Hidden]

With the caveat that I’m not remotely medically qualified. As others have said, itraconazole belongs to a group of drugs called azole antifungals, and essentially it acts like an antibiotic only killing fungus rather than bacteria. The most common fungus it’s used for is one called aspergillus, which is widespread in the environment and also creates the black mould you see in damp buildings, but there are other fungi that we know can infect the lungs if the conditions are right. How long a course is for will vary depending on what fungus is being treated (if known), whether someone is well or unwell with it, and what the underlying lung diagnosis is if there is one, but can often be anything between 2 and 12 weeks, or occasionally even longer. If it’s being used to treat persistent Candida, which is a common yeast infection, often associated with antibiotic use that can effect the throat, mouth, and genitals, (and can also sometimes be cultured from the lungs), then my understanding is that the course is more likely to be 2 weeks or less.

As with antibiotics, if there’s a fungus present that’s sensitive to the antifungal being given, and it’s the fungus that’s causing the patient increased symptoms or problems, then the patient should see an improvement with treatment just as they would with antibiotics for bacteria. Persistent wheeze and breathlessness that aren’t massively helped by inhalers are often associated with fungal exacerbations, particularly in patients that aren’t normally that wheezy or tight. This was the case with my daughter, although her infection didn’t respond well to itraconazole: she did have (and now chronically seems to have) a fungal infection, but ultimately needed a different antifungal to treat it. When she was put on the right drug, though, it made a huge difference: she’d been very, very unwell for almost 8 months, wheezing a lot, coughing up blood on a daily basis, and her fev1 down to 46%, but she almost fully recovered within the first 10 days of treatment. A fortnight after finishing a month long course, her fev1 was back up to 78%; all of these drugs work well if there is a fungus and it’s sensitive to them.

[primrose123 in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks for your most helpful & knowledgeable advice Charlie_G , you have certainly opened a field for me & made me feel so much better.. I am delighted that your daughter has made such a good recovery, as she had gone through so much..I wish you both good health & much much happiness for the future, & A Very Happy Easter to you both..Primrose123..x

[Mavary]

Hi primrose. I was prescribed Itraconazole for Aspergillosis. Itraconazole is an antifungal. I can remember how long the course was. I think it was a few weeks. Yes it improved after and I haven’t had another turn since.

[primrose123 in reply to Mavary]

Thank you so much Mavary, you have certainly made my day as I was quite worried about this fungal infection & also the medication, but I have to say that I am now on week 4 of the medication & I am starting to feel much better,so hopefully like you Mavary it will work well for me too..I wish you good health & much much happiness for the future Mavary,& A Very Happy Easter to you..Primrose123..x

[Bearsdown]

Hello primrose ,I was itraconazale for 7 months scared at first but to be honest I was fine,I took two twice a day so quite a lot,I had a blood test every month ,now on my ne ulizer twice a day and it's keeping me well,good luck.

[primrose123 in reply to Bearsdown]

Thank you so much Bearsdown for your most kind & inspirational reply, I too was quite concerned about starting on Intraconozole capsules as I had never heard of them before, plus the fact it was not explained to me that I had a fungal infection, I have had a few blood tests in the past few months but I always thought that they were related to my asthma, but however in saying all that Bearsdown I have to say that like yourself I feel quite a remarkable difference now that I have been on 1 /100mg capsules twice per day for a few weeks now, I dont know as yet how long I will be on them as I have another few weeks of the course to finish before I see my GP again, but so far so good.. I am delighted that all has worked out well for you too Bearsdown & hopefully good health will remain with you for a very long time to come... Thanks again Bearsdown for taking the time to reply to me, your kindness has been greatly appreciated...Take care, & A Very Happy Easter to you Bearsdown..Primrose123.x