Hi All
I suffer from bronchiectasis and now I'm conised with pseudomonas I've been put on nebulised colomycin
I was originally on Azithromycin 3 times per day so keep the chest infections at bay but with not much success
My question is are people on nebulised colomycin without the Azithromycin or do you eventually have to take both the colomycin and Azithromycin
I've just been put the colomycin for now
many thanks
Azithromycin is a good drug in that it keeps down inflammation which discourages infections by bacteria. Unfortunately it is not effective against pseudomonas when it decides to have a party. Colomycin is effective against pseudomonas and is inhaled to get into the bottom of the lungs. However, if the pseudomonas has been causing repeat bad exacerbations it should be knocked on the head with an IV antibiotic. Then the colomycin is used to keep the pseudomonas numbers down. The answer is yes you can have azithromycin and colomycin together as they serve different purposes. I had azith and nebbed ceftazidime for 5 years. I do hope that you have a bronch specialist because they are the only people who are knowlegable enough about this and can give the right drugs through the correct delivery systems in the high enough dose for sufficient time. GPs and general respiratory consultants do not have enough training or experience in bronch. Do find yourself a bronch specialist, usually at big teaching hospitals and insist on a referral. I hope that helped.
Thank you Littlepom
I've just recently finished 2 weeks of iv antibiotics (Pip/Tazobactam)
I've had a nightmare with seeing my respiratory consultant at my local hospital for many years as they don't seem to stay long and mine has been on long term sick
I have seen another respiratory specialist last week and now the ball seems to rolling so hopefully I'm now finally getting the help I need
Thank you again for your comments
It sounds as though everything is on course. Bronch is such a pest. We are all different and all react differently . Does seem as though you have someone who is on the case. Do let us know how you go.
Littlepom, I hope you don't mind my asking.....I've often wondered if when nebbing do you have to breathe very deeply to get the medication to the bottom of your lungs or does the modern nebulizer do the job? I'm hoping that you're still getting a little stronger each day & a bit of normality into your life. I know what you've been through must be utterly life changing in every way. 💐 ××
Homer12, very best wishes on getting the pseudomonas under control.
Hi peege. A good question. I find that when nebulising, it is good to clear as much as possible to give access for the ab. Then sit up straight, take slow steady deep breaths in and then breathe out normally. Taking abnormally deep breaths can make you dizzy. That is just my experience but I hope it helps
Ah thanks, it's not directly for myself just wondering for future reference (& past nightmares) . It seems glaringly obvious from questions on posts both here and the asthma forum that people aren't taught the basics of using even an inhaler properly. Another thing really. Years ago but this century - I was trained to adminiser medication for my work. It was a week long course with a pharmacist trainer & exam at the end. I know now it was woefully inadequate before letting me loose . There'd been no training on nebuliser, if only I knew then what I know now I'd have refused & insisted the one qualified nurse on duty did the two nebbing residents. I wake in a cold sweat sometimes, those years were so stressful...........70 residents needing their meds at 8am & 8pm was only part of my job. No wonder I burnt myself out.
Don't beat yourself up. My experience during 12 wks in hospital showed me that even ward nurses are not trained in nebuliser use. Especially in the meds which are used in them. They aren't cleaned either between sessions. I washed out my own neb and was constantly having to argue to have the saline with salbutamol. The ward round doctors, for reasons best known to themselves kept taking it off the computer which is the bible as far as they are concerned. The patient of course know nothing.
I understood Azithromycin was to be taken 1 tablet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to keep Pseudomonas at bay. Not 3 times a day! I should check with your Lung Consultant before you take any more.
I don't think that it is me that you should be telling that to but Homer 12 and yes you are right.
I've wrote that wrong ,I did mean 3 times per week,
Hi Homer l am also on nebulised Colomycin for colonised pseudomonas. I just take the colomycin and no other antibiotic at present. How do you find it? It leaves me more breathless than usual l saw my consultant last week and she said to try halving the dose and see how l get on. I am doing that and it seems to have helped. I am also experiencing bad fatigue and find myself dropping off to sleep at short intervals , when watching t. V.
Nebulised antibiotics can cause your lungs to object and make you breathless. Bronchospasm. I have nebulised all in the book and can no longer do it because of this reaction. My consultant is looking into getting the Trust to pay for a delivery system which is better for this. Cystics have had it for a long time but NICE denies it to us. Another disgrace.
Hi, the first time I was on just nebulised Colomycin. I was put on it whilst in hospital for two weeks of IV antibiotics. After a couple of years and three clear sputum samples showing no pseudamonas (I was told there would still be some lurking somewhere and would probably be back in the future), I was taken off of it.I did a few years where I was clear, but then it returned so I was put on Azithromycin and a higher dose of nebulised Colomycin. Again a couple years later, after three clear sputum samples, I had a trial of coming off of the Colomycin but staying on the Azithromycin. That was over two years ago and I have remained clear on sputum samples. I have three months a year off of Azithromycin as I have tinnitus.
Good luck, sounds like you have a better consultant this time. xx
hello Collienut
I was interested to read your experience with Bronchiectasis treatment as I am about to go into hospital for 2 weeks from next Tuesday for IV treatment for pseudomonas for the first time. I am not looking forward to it as it’s the first time for me and my Bronchiectasis treatment has always been managed at home by myself. I am concerned that this IV treatment may be the first of several to come as an inpatient. I’m glad to hear that your pseudomonas are now clear on the sputum samples. I am just worried now that I am always going to feel this tired and short of breath and will be an inpatient regularly and that the treatment may not be successful this time. I’m being pessimistic I know but I haven’t received much information on this except online.
Thank you for any reassurance.
Stillmovin
Many Trusts have a cooperation where patients can do their IV at home. As this is your first one they probably want to see how it goes. Do ask your consultant about doing it at home. It is so much better than.enduring the hospital inpatient experience just to have a nurse do what you could yourself. And of course, cheaper for the NHS
Thanks Littlepom, I did say can I do this at home and the consultant and nurse both advised I’m best to go into hospital. They didn’t say anything about future treatments but I’m now getting the feeling from reading here that this bug can’t really be got rid of and a future of IV treatment is what is ahead. Let’s hope that’s not the case. I’ll try to be optimistic.
If it is pseudomonas it lurks, even after showing negative on tests. Maybe when they have knocked it on the head they can put you on nebulised antibiotic to keep the numbers down. Also one of the best ways to keep it down is to be absolutely scrupulous in emptying your lungs to rob the bug of the environment it likes to breed in. Do keep pushing about doing it at home. Sometimes they think that we are too stupid to do it and sometimes they are too lazy to get it set up. It is easier for them to put it in the hands of the ward nurses.
Yes I get what you mean. I’ll see how I get on in hospital and then decide if I’m ok to do future treatments at home. I read that pseudo likes moist environments such as showers. Does this apply with nebulisers I’m wondering! It does sound very stubborn indeed.
The nebuliser has meds and other substances in it which fight the pseudo. It actually hates salt which is why I nebulise 0.9% saline. They told me not to go to hot steamy countries but I am not to be stopped so have been all over and it has made no difference. I do avoid spas. My doc calls them pseudomonas soup !
Hello, I appreciate your wealth of education in bronchiectasis treatment. I’m in the states and follow a couple of sites here. I neb twice daily with 7% saline after my albuterol. Their advice is to boil my reusable nebulizer equipment for 10 minutes after use as this also kills MAC. I’m looking into getting a 0.2 micron filter for shower head which is supposed to prevent penetration of these bacteria while showering. The other site recommended boiled your reusable equipment weekly. Airway clearance after treatments. Just curious if you have heard of caring for your equipment in this manner.
I rinse my nebuliser parts after use and a couple of times each week I wash them with soapy water and soak in a dissolved steralizer tablet, such as are used for babies' bottles. For bronchiectasis 7% saline seems very strong. I have only ever used 0.9%. I tried 3% and 5% but it didn't help any more with loosening the mucus and made me breathless. We are all different so if 9% helps you that's good.
I started with 3 % then gradually 7% as both were quite irritating initially. I didn’t know they made 9% though. One of sites is Lung matters “ on Facebook. The other is Mayo Clinic Connect. A lot of information comes from National Jewish Health which has specialties in Bronchiectasis and MAC. From what I’ve read , recommendation are evidence based. They can differ in information from both groups so it’s a matter of individual choice. Thanks for follow up.
I find 7% effective at helping to loosen the mucous.its much stronger than 0.9% normal saline and its the stronger osmosis which makes it so effective.i also use salbutamol via neb and rinse then sterilise parts in a tub using soluble sterilising tablets( from boots).I also sterilise other equipment incl tubing,aerobika,spacers.its quick,easy + effective x
Thanks I’ve never heard of a sterilizing tablet but would be interested in reading information about them.. Is there supportive literature/evidence that this tablet destroys multi drug resistant bacteria such as pseudomonas and MAC which contaminants our equipment after use? I only use the AerobiKa with reusable cups and mouth pieces. I soak them with dawn and some vinegar for about 15 minutes and swish and rinse them. Since our water, soil etc all contain bacteria especially MAC and pseudomonas, I do follow one protocol of boiling this equipment for 10 minutes and air dry. Seems like a lot of work but I got use to it. Again, I would really like to follow up on this sterilization tablet. Thanks for your time.
It's 0.9% much weaker and gentle.
Hi stillmovinI've been admitted twice for IV antibiotics, first time was 12 years ago when I was so short of breath I couldn't even do the spirometry test. I was very scared as I hated hospitals and thought I would now be admitted regularly in the future but it did the job and I stayed well and could whizz around again.
The second time was 7 years ago and this was only because I broke my leg and needed surgery resulting in three months non weight bearing, my lung function dropped so much in this time my consultant wanted me in to get me tuned up.
I've stayed well in the last 7 years, just the normal ups and downs although I do tired more easily, but then I'm also a lady of a certain age and getting the full effects of it!
So there is hope, hospitals no longer scare me. It actually feels like my holiday home - no cooking, cleaning, laundry or muddy dogs😂
I’ve nebulised colomycin for six years. I had three infections within six months so my doc gave me the choice between co-trimoxazole or Azithromycin. I chose the co-trimoxazole as the azithromycin upset my stomach. In the past I’ve been on both three times a week and other times neither of them. It’s trial and error to see what works for you and which bugs you are picking up. Good luck I hope you’ve knocked those infections into touch now.
New to inhaled colomycin.. Anyone had a rash ?& Advice please on best nebuliser? 
Just to introduce myself
What do you take?
Meds causing tendon inflammation 
