after a long spell recently (coming up to 6 weeks now) of chest infection and pneumonia causing havoc with my asthma and recurrent visits to costa, its seems this stubborn bugger is still not going anywhere.
seen out of hours gp yesterday for nebs and checkup as my temp is soaring so hgh i need a parachute to bring it back down agaain! and coughing up yuk stuff again (sorry!) along with pain... yet i only finished the course of antibiotics yesterday pm. only to be started on 6th + 7th course of antibtiotics in 6 weeks :S grrr!!!
i been on steroids everday since march last year and know they weaken our immunity, but this is rediculous!! what am i doing wrong?
just wondered how many courses have people been on in a year? its only march already, this brings my total to 8 now...
Nowhere near as severe as you (no admissions thus far), but I now a little of how you're feeling ....
Since mid December, i have had 3 lots of ABs (clarythromycin and 2 x ciprofloxacin) and 5+weeks of pred... and just been signed off work for another 2 weeks (have managed 6.5 weeks of work since mid December)...
I hadn't needed so many meds for at least 3 - 4 years (had got down from daily pred, theo, singulair and inhalers, nasal spray and others etc to just symbicort, singulair and nasal spray and cons had discharged me last summer...
Now back on the taking so many meds I rattle routine and waiting for a new referral to come through to clinic - but by the time it does, I shall probably be over this and feel like a complete fraud...
MY gp says I need a holiday somewhere hot.... like to see him prescribe that one
haha! wouldnt it be great to have a yearly prescription of HOLIDAY off the nhs.... yes please! wouldnt mind if i do!! got a holiday booked for june to rome. lets hope i can stay well enough for it...
i know i still be taking pred then, but i may just ask for antibiotics then anyways!!
as well as normal everyday asthma meds, taken augmentin, then clarythromycin with augmentin, then same again, then add in extra amoxil (which never works?!) for good measure, as well as more clarythro, tetracycline, and now new courses of augmentin and azithromycin for good measure and you have a perfect cocktail!!! yummy
By 7 year old niece recommended a holiday in the mountains to get some fresh air! That sounds lovely doesn't it.
Have they sent off samples to microbiology to see what they grow and which antibiotics the bacteria are sensitive to??
For some reason I don't get bacterial chest infections (touch wood)! I just seem to get every cold going around. When I have long courses of steroids I just tend to get fungal infections of the skin etc.
Hope you get rid of those nasty bacteria soon.
Bryony
I'm on number 9 for this year...
Well since August I've had 4 rounds. The thing is though I've found my GP tends to give me 7-10 days worth but I know that doesn't work. So this time she was terrific and gave me 10 days with a refill. So I've taken all 20 days and I can tell I'm better.
Two things...1) I tend to get sinus infections that are pretty stubborn that always go to my lungs. Grrr.
2) My asthma doc says to take the antibiotics until I feel 100% better, and then add 1 more week. So she will give me like a months prescription, but then tell me to follow that rule.
I find this works. If I take 10 days, often the bug is still there and will come back. So sorry you're still battling this round. I've been there before and I find it depressing when it seems never ending.
Seriously though, keep at your docs and figure out what works for you. Then next time you might have a head start so it doesn't get so crazy. At least that's what I keep hoping. I have a kind of asthma diary, and after each flare I will keep a record of what was done, if it worked, and what I think did help....and points to look out for earlier next time.
Bee
I, too, have had what feels like too many rounds of antibiotics - mercifully not all for chest infections (mine seem to be sinus/ear infections, mostly). For the 2nd time in recent months, I couldn't see my own GP last week, so another one in the practice gave me a 'normal' dose of Amoxycillin: it never works and I have to go back for something more potent after a few days.
I feel it is a waste of GPs' time/resources: if only I were able to say 1.""Let me see my own GP because she actually knows what works for me"" and 2. ""No, don't give me Amoxycillin because it never works,"" then I'd have taken up half the number of GP appointment slots, would have missed fewer days off work and used up less of the NHS's drug budget.
This time, my own GP gave me a week of Erythromycin to take on top of the remains of the Amoxycillin so I've had a double dose - and the accompanying upset tummy that inevitably follows.
I hope you're all better soon - and I love the idea of a holiday on prescription!
Sounds like you're having a tough time.
I've been on at least three lots of different antibs for mainly sinusitis, still no better. Sending off sample (have a lot post nasal drip sputum so no problem with that) to see what it's sensitive/responsive to. It may mean a 4-6 week course and ENT referral. On second course of prednisolone too (G.P. reluctant to prescribe it, first had 30mg for 7 days and now 40mg for 10 days?) & high to max dose inhalers though.
Not on daily steroids or had hospital admissions/A&E visits yet, touch wood.
thanks for all your replies guys
been on long term daily pred since march last year....
i never respond to amoxicillin, i tried explaining this to doctors when i was in costa, but just dismissed, me, hence why i got worse :S normally i get given augmentin for 7-14 days, with clarythromycin and this does the trick, but this time certainly not!
they did sputum cultures and it grew nasty bacterial pneumonia bug hence why needed so many courses of antibiotics and they then changed them again last nite in camidoc, so am hoping that this will be it!! yet another course of augmentin - no change there, and also azithromycin, which my body has never had the lucky opportunity of meeting before
if it works then at least i know for future ref, i need to have augmentin for 7-14 days with either clarythro or azithromycin cover maybe thn i wont suffer as long
the idea of keeping it in my asthma diary sounds like a good plan though Bee thanks!
x x x
Hey...no problem :). I hope this new antibiotics works like a charm!
Bee
well the latest 2 lots seem to be working... high temp resolved and yukky green stuff gone, just white stuff now!
coughing like crazy though and along with that the pain
positively one course completely, one to go...
x
yet another infection = new lot of antibtiotics, lost count of how many now 9 is it in just over 6 weeks ? will this ever end ? will i ever feel normal even just for a lil while ?
overnight stay at luxury costa del nhs....
x
Its a visious circle. Antibs steroids infection and antibs etc. Messed my imune system up and on them alot with MD and chest infections.just finishd last lot.Love glynis xxx
next course now.. doxycycline...
x x x
Hi sweetie, hope they help you. At the mo I am on Doxycycline one a day & 3 a day of Amoxicillin : (
S.Mama
yeah with u on that! hope they work for us both hun. fingers crossed, hey?! still on the augmentin, they finish them on tuesday, doxycycline finish next weekend...
x
xx
x
Finish mine Tues too hun! I am hoping I will feel alot better by then! Take care, thinking of you & so sorry you have had such a rough time. PM me anytime you want to talk.
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hence why needed so many courses of antibiotics and they then changed them again last nite in camidoc, so am hoping that this will be it!! yet another course of augmentin - no change there, and also azithromycin, which my body has never had the lucky opportunity of meeting before 
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