New here

[Subbuteo123]

Diagnosed with copd 2 yrs ago. Doing fine until recently, walking 3 mile a day plus exercises and general jobs aroind the place. Now have inflammed airways due to infection and can hardly walk!3 months now, how long does it go on for? Had carbocisteine, trimbow, steroid tabs, just cant seem to shift it. Anyone the same?

[leo60]

Hello! That's not good. Have you had antibiotics to clear the infection? Without those, nothing much will help. Must be especially awful for you when you have been so active. I would go straight back to my GP.

All the best, get it sorted for Christmas xx

[Subbuteo123 in reply to leo60]

Yes seen 8 gps and a nurse, had 5 courses of antibiotics and the same in steroids. Steroids worked but it came back when course finished. Gps just repeated script and now they say ive had enough steroids and put me on trimbow.Nowhere near as good.

I think if it isnt broken or bleeding its a medical mystery to them and they just follow a procedure. By triage you dont see the same doctor so they can bat you out the office knowing when you return you go to a different gp!

Not impressed. Dont think they should have interrupted the course insisting on only 5 days at a time.

If the mechanic treated their car the same they'd be up in arms. The irony is, unlike the mechanic, they only have two models to work on!

[leo60 in reply to Subbuteo123]

Oh dear! I suppose you have given sputum samples? I agree about not interrupting a course after just 5 days, I take a two week course of doxycycline if I have an infection!

Sorry, I don’t know what else to suggest, but hope you get something sorted soon xx

[jackdup in reply to Subbuteo123]

Steroids like Prednisone suppress the immune system leaving you vulnerable to infection. I believe they also affect the adrenal gland and if you take them longer than 5-7 days your adrenal gland starts to reduce the hormones in produces and then it becomes necessary to taper off the steroids gradually which means you would be taking steroids a lot longer than may be necessary and consequently run the risks that come from taking steroids. Of course I’m not a doctor but this is my understanding. You could ask your GP why they only give you a short course and explain that once you stop you have difficulty again.

[CDPO16]

I once took 3 months to get over a cold. It went to my chest and took several courses of antibiotics to clear it. Hope you are soon back to your 3 miles a day.

[Subbuteo123 in reply to CDPO16]

Several courses of antibiotics havent worked! Cant understand how they worked for you, antibiotics are for bacteria only, colds are a virus, wont work on virus.

[CDPO16 in reply to Subbuteo123]

I ended up with a persistent bacterial chest infection

[leo60]

Sorry to interrupt 😊 If a cold gets onto your chest it turns into a bacterial infection, hence the ABs working xx

[Subbuteo123 in reply to leo60]

Bit of confusion here. A virus cant "turn into" bacteria. You can get a bacterial infection AFTER the cold because the cold leaves you open to more infection. Your post implies the antibiotics cleared the cold, which they wouldnt have. Xx

[leo60 in reply to Subbuteo123]

So sorry, I thought that the phrase "gets onto your chest" meant that the build up of phlegm from the cold sitting in ones' chest (lung)has become infected ie: is now a bacterial infection, which of course the antibiotics would (should!) clear. Not so? I apologise xx

[sassy59 in reply to leo60]

Don’t apologise leo you’re right. If Pete’s picked up a virus (cold) it will always end with a chest infection which antibiotics help. He last had an infection in March after Covid. Xxx❤️

[soppysokes in reply to Subbuteo123]

not quite correct there! true its not the original virus per se - antibiotics dont help that but if / when the mucus/germ ridden stuff caused by the concurrent virus sinks in lungs/airways there it sits and bacteria forms from the muck- from the virus.

[Subbuteo123 in reply to soppysokes]

The bacterua is a secondary infection caused by the virus. That isnt the same as a virus "turning into bacteria!"

[jackdup in reply to Subbuteo123]

No offence but we are not doctors and only try to provide support based on our own experiences so your criticism of someone saying the virus turns into bacteria may not be medically correct but most non-medical people would not necessarily know that. if you have a viral infection in your lungs it can cause inflammation which traps moisture which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to grow so did the virus turn into bacteria? Maybe not directly but it may very well be the cause of the bacterial infection, so I think it is a bit of knit picking to criticize someone for saying the virus turned into a bacterial infection when perhaps it should have been phrased the virus caused a bacterial infection.

[claracola]

As leo60 said above, have you done a sputum sample? Different bacteria call for different antibiotics. Hope you feel better soon🙂

[Subbuteo123 in reply to claracola]

Spitum was clear - no culture

[sassy59]

Things must be very frustrating for you and I would suggest you get a referral to a respiratory doctor at a hospital. I don’t know how any doctor can think five days on antibiotics/steroids would be any good to anyone. Good luck.

[garshe in reply to sassy59]

Gary picking up yet another course of antibiotics and steroids today. Already had one week Doxycycline and 3weeks Amoxicillin but still really ill Carole. Dont know what antibiotics I'll get today but this has gone on for months .fingers crossed this next lot will clear it. Even prescribed OraMorph very small dose 4 times daily to hopefully help with breathing..hope you and Pete are well sending hugs xxSheila 💕😘🙏🤞

[leo60 in reply to garshe]

Hope this lot slays the bugs and you are soon feeling better Sheila xx

[sassy59 in reply to garshe]

Sorry to hear you’re still poorly and hoping doctors can get to the bottom of things once and for all. Thinking of you dear Sheila and wishing you well.

Lots of love and healing hugs. Xxx🩷🤗💕🌹

[Alberta56 in reply to garshe]

Hope you're soon feel better. xxx 🧡🧡🧡💐💐💐Chris

[Ergendl in reply to garshe]

Hope you start to feel better soon, Sheila xx

[Patk1 in reply to garshe]

It's worth putting sample in Sheila.x

[garshe in reply to Patk1]

My Respiratory team have done all necessary tests thanks. There's so many different strains of viruses and infections going around this year . Gets worse every year since covid... Never had this when I was growing up Our immune system dealt with it by being protected once we caught like measles, etc. Even one vaccination was suffice then not like the 8th we are on with covid. .

The World has gone mad ,I'm on 5th lot of antibiotics for whatever infection this is. I have been prescribed OraMorph which I think is helping my breathing and seem to be controlling my panicking attacks.

I think when I came out of hospital in September the infection never went away properly.

Take care lots of love xx Sheila 🙏💕🤞👍

[Subbuteo123 in reply to sassy59]

5 days is the recommended period suggested by NICE. As i said these days they just follow procedure

[sassy59 in reply to Subbuteo123]

Pity common sense doesn’t prevail as five days is pretty useless. Joined up thinking needed.

Hope things improve for you soon.

[Subbuteo123 in reply to sassy59]

Joined up thinking, will it ever come back? 👍

[sassy59 in reply to Subbuteo123]

We live in hope 👍

[strongmouse in reply to Subbuteo123]

It sounds very frustrating for you. The general guidline is five days but for persistent infections they can prescribe for long. My husband has had cellutitis and had two weeks presecribed from the start. And I've had a short course and phoned up before it ends to say the infection is the same and had two weeks in total. Antibiotics should normally start making a difference after two days when they are going to be effective, for instance by bringing down a temperature. It sounds like you have on going inflammation or possibly some other lung changes. I suggest that you ask to see a GP face to face to have them listen to your chest and / or refer you to the respiratory department.

Hope you get to talk it over with a doctor properly. Stay warm and hope you're better soon.

[Mellywelly]

Welcome to the forum chook. Sounds like you need to go back to your doctor, obviously what they have given you hasn't worked at all. It's hard with copd and other breathing problems to find something that works when you have inflammation in the airways. Tell them to pull their fingers out and try you on something else. 😉👍

[Lutontown]

A chest infection needs the taking of the CORRECT antibiotic to knock it out. I presume you've had a sputum sample tested? Always keep a few sample pots in stock, and soon as you think you have an infection deliver a sputum sample to your surgery. They'll say, Has a doctor asked you to do this; just tell them that you know that you have a chest infection and you want the right antibiotic.

[Subbuteo123 in reply to Lutontown]

I had 3 different antibiotics and after a sputum test was, "clear, no culture", is was decided the infection had gone. What remains is the inflammation in the airways it caused.

[Lutontown in reply to Subbuteo123]

Caused by the antibiotics do you think? I've very often had oral thrush and elsewhere thrush, due to taking antibiotics. Then courses of anti-fungal medication; it's a merry-go-round, but not that merry. Also had oesophagitis after taking Doxycycline.

[Uresider]

I have similar history to you. I was diagnosed three years ago. A complete shock since I had not smoked for 55 years and been a middle and long distance runner and walker from age 11, I will be 82 at the end of this month. I suffered for 6 months coughing up huge amounts of mucus every night and lost 20 lbs in weight, nearly all muscle since I was always skinny. I was eventually prescribed prednisolone 5mg for 5 days. It worked like a charm, After taking the first dose I woke up full of energy and cut down a large conifer edge, which I would not have contemplated the day before. It did not last and returned to nightmare nights 11 days after my last dose. I was then prescribed an increased dose of 7mg for 7 days. Again I was asymptomatic within 24 hours. This time I did not relapse and have been asymptomatic for the last 30 months. Like you I walk everyday at least three miles and do an aerobic session every afternoon. Your message has come as a warning to me not to get smug the wretched bugs can get you anytime. I can only suggest you exercise as much as you can but not risk injury, stick to a healthy diet and pester your doctor to identify the infection and find a steroid/antibiotic that works. It is a difficult job for them. At the peak of my infection X-ray, CT scan and sputum tests were clear, my problem area is the bronchi.

Good luck and thanks for the warning

[Subbuteo123 in reply to Uresider]

Sounds similar to me. Prednisolone worked great but after 3 attempts it came back each time. Theyre reluctant to keep prescribing steroids, panicking over the osteoporosis risk! Im now trying trimbow but think smarties might be better! 😁Ive had xray - clear. Sputum - clear. Blood tests - clear. My problem area is also the bronchi. Its a wait and see i think.

[Alberta56 in reply to Subbuteo123]

Some bugs do not show very readily in sputum tests. The culture needs to be kept growing for longer than the standard time to reveal the nasties.

[Lutontown]

In 2014, I had a chest infection which lasted from the end of March into November. It was a bug called Staphylloccus Aureus, and was hardly touched by oral antibiotics. I was seen by a consultant at the hospital, had a CT scan which showed I now had bi-basal bronchiectasis. I was put on a intravenous AB course which sorted it. I believe that long stint with that bug caused the bronchiectasis. I blame my surgery, as "my" doctor (do you remember when we had our allocated doctor), was away having a hip operation, another doctor was leaving, and another doctor did not believe in giving out antibiotics. One week after getting that SA bug knocked out, I had another bug, sorted by an oral AB. Anyway, insist on being looked after, as bacterial infections can do permanent damage.

[AsthmaandLung Administrator]

Hi and welcome to the forum, some great advice from our members, but if you have any further questions and would like to chat to our Clinical Team, give us a call on 0300 222 5800 Mon - Fri 9.15-5pm

asthmaandlung.org.uk/helpline

Take care

Helpline Team

[JJ_7]

I was the same, walking 2 to 3 miles then came the pneumonia. My emergency pack of anti biotics did not work so I was admitted to hospital. I am much better now after antibiotics and steroids. Good luck Subbuteo ! xxx

[Germantara]

Hi I have copd and I'm on trimbow I get alot upper airways problems it takes for ever to shift what the answers are couldn't to tell ya but I get great advice and suggestions from all the good help from peaple on the forum

[Sepsis2022]

Hi, you have already received lots of advice. I have COPD (8 tears) and have suffered flare ups. Treated similar to yourself. Not always required antibiotics. Depen ds on whether it is viral or bacterial. A sputum sample should have been taken at the onset by your GP. Recently I had a severe flare up and ended up in the CCU in a coma for three weeks. Fortunately they found the right antibiotics and I had to have significant oxygen therapy. Up to this point bearing in mind this was my second time in CCU within a year. First occasion was unlucky. Caught Type A flu! Up until recently I had been looked after by my GP. Thankfully this has now changed. I am now cared for by the Respiratory department at the hospital. Lots of further tests have been arranged. I am also under the care of the local community respiratory team. If I have any problems I go to them first for advice. I would recommend that you discuss your care with your GP and ask to be referred to the Chest Clinic and the community team. Hope this helps.

[Patk1]

Id get an appointment and tell them how u are, then what u need.if the infections gone, and it's inflammation perhaps an extended course of steroids .Do u have salbutamol,to dilate Airways?i use more whn airways r inflamed. perhaps speak to aluk nurses

0300 222 5800