I haven’t posted here before but I’ve found a lot of answers from everyone which I have been grateful for.
I have both RA and bronchiectasis and I’m really struggling with infections since I was found to have pseudomonas. I’ve had bronchiectasis for about 7-8 years and RA for 30 years. I have problems with ciprofloxacin and was given doxycycline for my latest infection after having felt poorly for a long time. After 2 weeks of it not shifting and coughing up dark sputum and having sats at around 90, I was put on intravenous antibiotics for 2 weeks. I was slowly starting to feel better but after I finished the course my oxygen started to fall again. I now have another infection, coughing a lot but the phlegm is almost normal colour. I am very tired and loosing my normal optimism and have started ciprofloxacin to see if I can tolerate it again so I won’t have to go into hospital again. ( which always make me feel more ill). My GP is in all this to see how it goes. I would be very grateful to hear if any of you have experienced anything similar with infections after infections. It’s a lonely road this one even with a wonderful loving husband by my side. Thanks for reading.
Written by
Fedtmule
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since 2004 and bronchiecstasis since 2012. Since about 2015 I’ve been taking an antibiotic as a prophylactic, Azithromycin. In that time I only had 1 chest infection. I had to change this to doxycycline in November last year because one of my RA drugs was changed and didn’t work with Azithromycin. Since then I had 3 chest infections and have just come out of hospital after 7 weeks with pneumonia. Needless to say I’m back on Azithromycin, and am waiting to start my third biologic.
I'd put a specimen in for testing.if it's normal colour may well be inflammation that often goes hand + hand with infection,and in my case,linger after, creating more mucous.if Yr still infected,talk to Yr respiratory consultant about extended antibiotic/ steroids.it is a hard+ lonely road.squeezes the life out of me.i hope u can rest+ recover,don't hesitate to talk to consultant/ Dr.u need help with this xxxx
Yes, please do speak to your consultant Fedtmule, pseudomonas is unfortunately a bacteria that is a coloniser. It's one you can't fully eradicate but it can be managed with the correct antibiotic to keep the levels down and manageable. Sometimes if levels become unmanageable it's intravenous abs in hospital. Several members manage their IVs at home. The important thing with your bronchiectasis is to expel the lung mucus with a daily regime taught by respiratory physiotherapists. Its so important to get rid of it otherwise it's a warm wet environment for bugs to have a party and multiply exponentially. I hope others with pseudomonas & particularly RA reply with advice on how they keep their immune systems fighting fit. Personally I have some autoimmune problem but not yet discussed it with GP however, I do take copious vitamins and minerals for immunity against bugs.
Do ring the helpline, 0300 222 5800 office hours.
Old posts by Cofdrop and Littlepom (now titled 'hidden') in 'Related Posts ' or via search bar are brilliant with their knowledge if you can discover them. Try putting Pseudomonas in the search bar . Very kind regards to you. P
Related Posts box to the right (or scroll down on a phone).
Yes do.lots of us have found that we have to be increasingly proactive in seeking out treatment & care we need - otherwise wise we r on the vicious treadmill of more infections,more lung damage.dont delay.even if it's ipnflammation,not infection,it needs to be dealt with to avoid damage. Also be aware that a " clear" result for infection,can at times be incorrect! It's just that the small sample portion tested didn't have infection.ive had this recently - local testing lab said clear- few days after took specimen to consultants appointment,as I knew it wasn't right( based on clear result triage nurse at drs refused more antibiotics).their result was such that ineed to take antibiotics for a month. Xxx
Sorry you're so poorly, but glad that you've started posting. You've had some good advice already here. RA and bronchiectasis seem to go together. (I've got them both, but my RA isn't too bad at the moment.) I went through the infection after infection thing 6 or 7 years ago until my useless surgery referred me to a consultant and I got some proper treatment It's very demoralising, isn't it. You feel as if you will never be well again. Pseudomonas make our problems harder to deal with, but I hope eventually your medics will get on top of the nasty little bugs. I'm surprised they have not tried a different antibiotic from doxycycline. It's good that you have a supportive husband-would he accompany you on very short walks? We are advised to keep active even when we don't feel like it. But very gently of course. Do keep in touch. Good luck.
Thank you Alberta 56, I’ve tried a lot of different antibiotics but I can’t tolerate cipro. It sounds like you’ve been through the mill as well with infections. I’m seeing my consultant next month so hopefully he will come up with a plan. I’ve just come back from hospital after 3 days of oxygen. 2 infections one after the other! Yes, it is very demoralising but I try to keep my spirit up or I feel even worse. Hard sometime though. I try to be as active as possible, walking when I can. Good to see the trees!
As far as I’m aware cipro is the only oral antibiotic that will touch pseudonymous. Doxy won’t help! If you can’t tolerate the cipro your alternative is iv. I’ve done these at home myself so ask about that. Are you on immune suppressants for your RA? If so you should have your immunoglobulin levels checked. My pseudomonas became resistant to cipro so I had two weeks of iv antibiotics, at home, and then went onto nebulised antibiotics to keep the numbers down. I also take co-trixamole 3 times a week. I’m immune compromised. I can recall just after being told my recurring infections were due to pseudomonas I felt like you do. I was coughing up white mucus. Fortunately I was in clinic at this time so they gave me more cipro and it eventually went away. Please dont lose your optimism but you will need to get your elbows out as you’re not getting the right treatment. I so hope you feel better soon I know how miserable it is to feel like that. Btw at least two weeks of antibiotics.
Thank you for all the good advice. It helps a lot knowing that I’m not the only one going through this nightmare. I will pursue this until I get the treatment I need. X
I used to have chest infections one after the other. (18 counted in 2017). Since the finding and eradicating black mould in the bathroom of our home in April 2018, I've had no chest infections. That is, apart from a 10 day stint in dock with pneumonia and pleurisy. Worth a look. Black Mould lurks wherever there is a water leak. So, roof, kitchen and bathroom. Ours was a leak in the bath drain.
I did. I had taken 2 courses of doxycycline and the infection had not cleared. I saw an advance practitioner nurse, who knew a lot about copd, as her husband also had it.
She prescribed steroids - 7 days of prednisolone 6 x 5mgs daily, plus double doxycycline - 4 tablets first day and two tablets the following 6 days.
I had multiple infections before the pseudomonas was identified. Then my GP said it didn't need treatment. He said, 'We only treat people with pseudomonas if it's giving them problems.' What do you call months of infections if not 'problems'?
Thankfully, I was due to see my resp consultant who put me on Ciprofloxacin which worked for me and I haven't looked back since.
Also, I have been taking prophylactic Azithromycin for just over a year and my general health has improved as well as my lung health.
I hope the Cipro works for you this time. I know I felt blooming rough when I kept having infection after infection and I had so much prednisolone that it took ages to wean off.
From recalling the posts and replies from Littlepom and cofdrop (which are still on the forum) it's essential to be under a consultant specialist in bronchiectasis if you can find and transfer to one because just respiratory cons don't know enough about it. Cofdrop also couldn't tolerate cipro so had an alternative (so there is at least one, I think it's mero...........something. And a friend is trialing Ceftazidime at Royal Brompton hospital (Littlepom has nebulised it for 12 years to keep her pseudomonas down). So there are two.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
4 months without a chest infection 
6 weeks on and still suffering with chest infections 
oxygen after chest infection
CPAP Machines and Chest Infections
