A couple of weeks ago I mentioned having a pseudomonas infection, being immunosuppressed and my Gp suspecting bronchiectasis. I'm still waiting for tests but I had hoped the infection had gone. A few days over Xmas I seemed to cough less and then it came back. Dr gave me amoxl which I didn't expect to work and off went another specimen . This result was worse than the first , +++ instead of ++ and there was staph aureus as well. Microbiology instructed my Gp to prescribe ciprofloxacin again only higher strength of 750mgs. I am hoping this will finally knock it on the head as I am fed up of antibiotics and I feel like I need my own chair at the Doctors. I'm interested in knowing does anyone else have problems getting rid of pseudomonas aeruginosa , or is it just me ??
Still coughing !!: A couple of weeks... - Lung Conditions C...
Still coughing !!
once pseudomonas is in there it lurks, even if not showing big enough numbers to cause trouble. I have lived with it since 1986. Cipro is the only oral antibiotic which will tackle it. I take 750mg bd for 2 weeks. You need a proper diagnosis because the drug treatment for bronch is very different to other conditions such as copd. Only bronch specialists know what they are doing with it. Please get pro active and find a bronch specialist then insist on being referred. Seeing a general respiratory consultant will not be good enough
I'm waiting to have the tests done at the Gp and if there is the slightest hint of any problems I will insist on seeing the necessary consultants. I am well used to being my own advocate when it comes to health as these days you have to be otherwise you will wait forever. The Gp i have been seeing is aware of me having had whooping cough as a child and all the severe infections I have had over the years and the fact that I have RA and Vasculitis which I believe makes it more likely I could have lung problems. I was hoping that the pseudomonas would go, but, maybe not.
Just remember that the GP cannot diagnose bronchiectasis. They will need to send you to be diagnosed by a bronch specialist by ct scanUnfortunately pseudo doesn't go. Sometimes the numbers are too low to show up but they are lurking waiting to have a party. I do hope that you get a proper diagnosis so that you can manage it properly.
Thanks, I was hoping it would go, but I suspected as much. I mentioned to the Gp that I was aware a CT was needed in order to diagnose bronchiectasis, but first they want lung function tests. I will persist in a referral as I am sick of coughing- literally.😁
They should not give you Ciprofloxacin or any Fluroquinolone antibiotics until EVERY OTHER OPTION has been tried especially as you already have RA and vasculitis these drug nearly killed me and have left me in chronic pain and disabled.They quote the adverse reactions are rare this is not true as only 1 to 10% of adverse reactions ever get recorded. I would choose death before putting one of them in my body. They destroyed my gut to the point I can’t digest food I’m now 41 kg and still dropping and the nerve damage is unbearable.
If you do take them make sure you get regular autoimmune screen bloods done. And tell them if you do have a reaction you want antioxidant treatment immediately.
Hi Swizzy could I ask how you go about finding a bronchiectasis specialist? I am under a respiratory team at my hospital for eospinillic asthma which I take biologics for and they did diagnose my bronchiectasis, but I don't believe that they are bronc specialists. I was unhappy with my last consultant appointment. I feel I want a second opinion but feel anxious about appearing awkward by asking to go elsewhere.
Having asthma and bronch together is very complex. It sounds as though you have a good asthma team but as you say, they do not necessarily have expertise in managing bronch. Look at the website of the hospital that you are with and also your nearest big teaching hospital for a bronch specialist. Take the name to your GP and insist on a referral. Quite often these teams cooperate at the same hospital but unless you insist that you want the help of bronch specialists, nobody will suggest it because they are mostly interested in their own specialism.
Hi Swizzy I'm at Royal Preston which is a teaching hospital and they have been brilliant. However I wasn't happy after my my last consultant visit. I want an HRCT scan to see if it gives more information about my decline this year and the consultant said I didn't need one. It's been over 2 years since my last CT. There were some other things too and I left feeling upset. My husband didn't get it at all but I didn't feel she reassured me with my questions. Since reading your reply I've been looking and found the North West Lung centre in Manchester so I'm considering whether to ask my GP if I can ask for a second opinion there?
Thank you for your advice I really appreciate it.
You seem to be with a good centre. The problem with bronch is that so many things can affect it day to day. Having more ct scans doesn't necessarily show what is making you feel worse. I think that you need to try to get ypur consultant to talk to you about your worries regarding the changes. I am off to pin mine down today because I am suddenly choked at night. They did find another bug eventually. If you are really unhapy with your consultant ask to move to the other hospital.As both are specialist teams I don't think that treating it as a second opinion will go down well.
This is a worry and I really don't want to appear ungrateful. I got a call today from chest physio who wants me to come in next week so I will ask her some of my questions, she's very good. I also had a chat with one of the nurses on here and she was brilliant. It all helps. I hope you got some answers today and can get to the bottom of it. As you say, so many things to consider that could be causing problems. I hope you were reassured after your appointment.
I have had my consultant for 20 yrs and before that the man who trained her. She is joint head of the British thoracic society. So I trust her which I think is very important to us. She has put me on an ab for this different bug which has turned up which is unusual because I usually have to have cipro for pseudomonas. She wants me to go back on azithromycin which I took ftom 2007 to 2012 when it stopped working. So I am going to give it a go.I hope when you have a longer talk to someone you will get a management strategy that you feel ok with. Bronch is very complex, it chamges all the time and we are all different so in some ways it is like chasing the dragon for patients and specialists.
I hope you get the answers you need soon. It's hard having to push for what we need especially when life can feel such hard work as it is when you're not well.
Pseudomonas is extremely hard to detect. I had chest infections for nearly a year. Often hospitalised as, like you, I’m immune suppressed. Pseudomonas didn’t show up at all. During that time I had a bronchoscope which also didn’t grow anything. Eventually it was grown when I had an operation on my sinuses. At the time of the operation I had an infection but wanted the op to go ahead as I always had an infection. As Swizzy says cipro is the only oral antibiotic for it. Mine became resistant to cipro so it was iv antibiotics and then nebulised ones to keep the numbers down.
I've been on this second course of ciprofloxacin 750mgs for3 days now and as yet I don't feel any better. I suspect my infection is beginning to become resistant to it. We shall see.
I used to take it for four weeks at a time. It would clear it up and would be back in 2/3 weeks. Good luck.
I was just expecting another 1 week course. I didn't realise it might take so long.😱
I've had it before. It was difficult to find/grow from sputum specimens & I kept feeling ill for about 6 months before a bronchoscopy was done which confirmed pseudomonas a. Ciprofloxacin (the only oral antibiotic in the list of treatment) was not effective for me. I had to havd an intravenous drip, which had to be replaced everyday (as a supply is only for 1 day) for 2weeks+. And thank God that cleared the infection.Yes, do see a specialist. All the best!
Thankyou I will insist.
Staph aureus can be nasty - it took 3-4 mths to shift mine last spring+ longer to recover
What is 'Pseudomonas' ?.
It's a gram- negative bacteria found in water and soil. The problem with this bacteria is it's very difficult to treat as it's resistant to most antibiotics. The only oral one is the one I'm on ciprofloxacin, all the others are IV.
I'm seeing the nurse next week for the start of some tests although I have to wait for a few weeks after an infection before tests can be done ,otherwise it may affect the results.
colomycin nebulising difficulties
Still feeling poorly 
Coughing
Carbocisteine & Pseudonymous 
Confused.com
