Hi all!

[MoyB]

I've not had much time to look in on the Forum for the past couple of weeks, although I've tried to keep up to date as far as I can.

Unfortunately, I DO have time to look in today as I should be going to Pulmonary Rehab this afternoon but am stricken with what is probably just a cold - but I don't feel too good with it and definitely don't have the breath or the inclination to do the excercises today.

The RESP nurse in charge of PR has kindly phoned, following up my message about missing the group today, and she has promised to take my sputum sample back to the hospital with her if my husband can drop it off at the hall. She said she's on duty over the weekend so will follow it up too, and give me a call. Very kind, I thought and very much appreciated.

I'm feeling a bit frustrated as have been feeling SO good since I had my last antibiotics in May. But we all know a flare up is just around the corner, don't we? As I said, this is probably just a cold, or even due to hay fever which I get at this time of the year. LFT was negative this morning and I don't have a temp, but I feel really queasy and my 02 has dropped. Strangely, my PF was fine this morning. Usually that drops dramatically when I've got any kind of infection.

I'm probably just being a wimp, but am having an easy day anyway.

On another subject, has anyone tried out the heated throws? My friend said she's got one and it's brilliant as she snuggles up in that instead of putting her heating on. I've seen that you can put them on the bed as an electric over blanket too.

xx Moy

[sassy59]

Hoping you feel much better soon Moy. I don’t know anything about the heated throws but hope you can get all the information you need before maybe getting one.

Wishing you well. Xxxx❤️😘

[MoyB in reply to sassy59]

Hi, Sassy,

Thanks for your post. I don't feel any worse today but am certainly not quite right so I'm having another lazy day in the hope that the rest will help me to fight off whatever is trying to get into my system . I'm really not too bad but have the feeling of a mild viral infection - a bit trembly when I've been active for a few minutes, for example, and I feel a bit as though someone has hit me in the face, if you know what I mean. I don't think I'm in need of meds yet, but am keeping my fluid intake up in the hope of flushing away whatever it is.

With regard to the throw, I decided to bite the bullet and order one from Amazon. It's coming today (still got free Prime membership until Tuesday!), so I'll see what it's like. I am looking forward to being cosy!

We need new bedroom curtains too, and I've seen some on Dunelm that might fit ok. They are thermal and blackout so I think they'll be ideal. Just need to check the window size. Also, there's a thermal blind for £20 and I reckon if we have that plus the thermal curtains, we should be warm as toast. Our 60s built bungalow has a very wide window and the only place for the radiatior is below it, so we lose quite a lot of heat that way.

My husband often gets too warm in bed whereas I feel the cold terribly (last winter I was sleeping with a 10.5 duvet and 5 layers of blanket my side, plus another two layers on my feet! Oh, and socks a lot of the time, although I don't like wearing them as my toes prefer freedom! I've ordered the heated throw which you can use in a chair or in bed so I'm thinking if I'm still cold in bed, I can pop that on my side to warm up for a bit. 🤞

Hope you and Pete are keeping well,

xx Moy

[sassy59 in reply to MoyB]

Hello Moy,

Hoping you can enjoy your weekend and feel better. Hope you can flush any virus away. Good luck with the throw and curtains. Pete likes to keep warm but I get too hot so end up throwing covers off.

Carole xxx

[MoyB in reply to sassy59]

In the winter, my side of our bed reminds me of the Princess and the Pea story with all the blankets piled on it! We'll see what happens with all the changes. I expect my other half will be throwing open the windows! 🤣 xx Moy

[sassy59 in reply to MoyB]

👍😂😂😂

[Hidden]

Awww thats not good i hope you feel better soon ... i have an electric blanket on my couch right now as feeling my annual affects from flu jab I had yesterday...

Have always used electric blankets on chairs and couches around the house very economical im not a lover of central heating and this a way for me too keep warm if i need to 🥰

Stan loves them 💖

[MoyB in reply to Hidden]

When I had my first baby, my grandmother's advice was, 'Keep her feet warm and her head cool and you won't go far wrong.' Your comment about using the heated throws without the central heating reminded me of that and, like you, I prefer to breathe the slightly cooler air but I want my feet and legs to be properly warm.

My throw is due to be delivered today so I'm looking forward to trying it out. There were loads to choose from but this one had ok reviews and is washable, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm getting excited now every time I hear a car pull up outside as I think it's the Amazon man! Lol!

xx Moy

[Hidden in reply to MoyB]

Knock knock ....

Its like Christmas waiting on a delivery sometimes..

You get better soon and keep me posted on the snuggle blanket sounds lovley 💚

[MoyB in reply to Hidden]

👍❤️ Will do! xx Moy

[Hidden]

I have a heated throw. It is turquoise blue velvet type texture and very cosy.

[MoyB in reply to Hidden]

I decided to order one from Amazon and it's being delivered today. Can't wait! xx Moy

[Morrison10]

Hope not having flare up, but done well since May. I may have to consider heated throw, even with heating on low can go cold sitting Nebulising etc. Had telecon yesterday with my consultant, wants me to take one Azithromycin daily when not taking full course of other antibiotics. As she said I’ve had bad two years, hope this helps get rid of last few nasties still enjoying life in my lungs. Interesting, my surgery said last sputum two weeks ago ok, no further action needed, pseudomonas gone, but didn’t refer to all other nasties. Good luck, keep fighting, Jean x

[MoyB in reply to Morrison10]

My consultant said that some surgeries still need educating so that they understand that when a sputum sample comes back with 'normal flora' it doesn't mean there is not an infection, just that they didn't detect it. His advice is to have a F to F appointment with the GP who should be able to listen to your chest and tell from that if there is likely to be an infection, regardless of what the sputum sample shows up.

This conversation went on following my telling him that I'd been under par for months but as nothing had shown up, I was just told to take prednisolone. Eventually, I insisted on being seen and was told I had a chest infection. I then started Amoxycillin, followed two weeks later by Doxycycline. Two weeks later, with no improvement, I persuaded the doc that my best chance of shifting it was Clarythromycin as that's the antibiotic used least often and the others hadn't worked. He agreed and, thankfully, two weeks later I felt better and remained so until this week. When I related this to the consultant he agreed that some other little b****r was having a party in my lungs and the Clarythromycin was the thing that did the trick.

He's now looking at Azithromycin as a possibilty for me to take three times a week ad infinitum as it's from the same stable as Clarythromycin. We spoke about it a few years ago, but my vertigo was such an issue then that he was reluctant to prescribe it due to vertigo being a possible side effect - he didn't want to make things worse. Now, my vertigo has settled and is no longer a major issue, but he's a bit concerned about my irregular heartbeat and wants to check with cardiology before putting me on it. We'll see what happens. If I can't have that, it'll be Doxycycline from November to April as usual.

I hope the azithromycin does the trick for you. It's miserable when you know there's something having fun in your lungs at your expense.

xx Moy

[peege]

Ha, I was looking at heated throws on Amazon just now as reccomended by PaulineHM on earlier post. She says thoroughly rates hers. The one I have my eye on is shocking pink but I couldn't see if it's battery or plugged into mains. £45. Sounds a good idea for the in-between weather before winter sets in.

I do hope you're not getting a full blown flare up Moy & hope you feel better soon. P ×

[MoyB in reply to peege]

I don't feel anyworse today, thanks, so hopefully it's just some mild virus that's decided to have a go! It hasn't come out as a cold, l don't have a temperature and my PF is fine. Also, my 02 is better than yesterday. But when I move about I get a trembly sensation which is usually the sign of a virus infection with me. Also, I'm a bit breathless on exertion and my chest sounded like an orchestra this morning, although that's sounding clear again now, thanks to a fair bit of huffing etc.

I'm looking forward to receiving my throw some time today, thanks to Amazon Prime (still got free trial until Tuesday!).

xx Moy

[Ergendl]

Thanks for your last tip. The heated throw seems a great idea.

[Izb1]

Hope the sputum sample identifies the bug you have and you get treated quickly, its a shame when you have had a good run. I looked at the heated throws and wondered if I should get one, they seem to range from £50-70 but if they keep you warm its worth it. Hope you feel better soon x

[MoyB in reply to Izb1]

I've got one arriving today. I'll let you know how I get on with it.

xx Moy

[MoyB]

I decided to order one from Amazon and it's coming today. I'll let you know what I think of it.

Xx Moy

[Mooka]

I can’t help with the throws just wanted to wish you better soon. 🤗

[MoyB in reply to Mooka]

Thank you. I'm no worse today - think it's something mild and hopefully it will go with a bit of R & R ( and a bit of chocolate, maybe!) xx Moy

[HollyBoyd]

Hi MoyB. Sorry to hear you have been feeling under the weather, hopefully you will get the necessary antibiotic once specimen result comes back. I see you have had many different antibiotics but you never mentioned cipro, are you allergic to it? The reason i ask is that I can't take cipro so have to have IV antibiotics, a real pest. I have been fighting pseudomonas but it always gets the better of me !!!

Hope your heated throw arrives today and it's all you hoped for xxx 😊

[MoyB in reply to HollyBoyd]

I was treated with ciprofloxacin last December /January as I had pseudomonas. It seemed to do the trick for the pseudo but I still had something else lurking that the clarithromycin seemed to work on and get rid of.

The only antibiotic I've had a problem with so far is Cefaclor which gave me really bad sickness and diarrhoea, I fainted on the loo, fell off and banged my face on the floor. I had a wonderful black eye and had to go to hospital for a CT scan as I'm on blood thinners!! The Cefaclor was blamed and so I can't have it anymore.

It was fun while it lasted - NOT!

Xx Moy

[HollyBoyd in reply to MoyB]

Thanks for your reply MoyB, it's good that you know cipro hits the pseudo!! Never had Cefaclor as oral tablets but had IV Ceftazidine with no side affects, but not sure if it killed off the pseudo?? xxx

[MoyB in reply to HollyBoyd]

I suppose you'll need a sputum test to show if it has gone, but then, the pseudomonas hides deep down, I understand, and has a tendency to stay around even after treatment, although within manageable numbers. I think it's only a problem when it gets out of hand.

It was my first run in with the pseudomonas - time will tell whether it's really gone or if it's just waiting to pounce sometime in the future. It was the Cipro that sorted it out for me. The Cefaclor was for another infection some time ago.

xx Moy

[HollyBoyd in reply to MoyB]

You are right about the pseudo hanging around, definitely colonised over last 4 years and have had 4 lots of IV antibiotics. I just wish I could take Cipro. I have a specimen away at moment so we will see what the GP suggests if positive with pseudo. Hope you keep free Moy, best of luck. Carol xxx

[Morrison10]

Good to hear that you’re almost nasties free! Have you ever had Septrin Forte, it’s old antibiotic that was nearly discontinued years ago because some people had bad side effects. However I take it regularly alternating with Ciproxin 750 when necessary. Best regards, Jean x