Help please, I have had bronchical asthma for about twenty years , no real problems controlled by inhalers. Until about 3 years ago after losing about 2 stone in weight and having various hospital tests it was decided to send me to a chest specialist. I was diagnosed with emphysema,that was following a ct scan. Last year I had a number of chest infections some cleared up quickly other took a lot longer. In October I started with an infection, started antibiotics and steroids, it would clear up leave me with a slight cough,then a few days later start all over again. I was very ill one night and my husband called an ambulance, i was only kept in for about 6 hours sent home with more steroids and antibiotics. My doctor phoned the next day to say the hospital wanted me to have a scan as my chest x ray was not looking to good. Between October and December I had in total 5 different courses of antibiotics and steroids. Middle of December I started yet another infection which took hold in a few hours I waited until the morning to phone my doctor who on seeing me got me admitted straight away to hospital. Whilst in hospital I was told that in January 2014 a sputum sample that I had done and had been told was normal was in fact Pseudomonas. They apologised, I was put on intravenous ciprofloxacin.nebulised ventolin and oxygen. I came home 6 days later. The community respiratory nurses have been to see me, I used a nebuliser at home for 4 weeks, the physio has also been out twice. Since back home, after a sputum test it was found that I had another infection Haemophilus, so another 2 weeks of tablets. The past week I have felt a lot better still getting tired though. I am due to see my new Consultant on the 9th of Feb ( the one that treated me in hospital) and have been told by the nurses that before that I must do another sputum test so that the consultant will have an up to date result. All this week because my breathing has improved so much I am hardly bringing up any sputum, when I do it is not green anymore it is clear. Can anyone tell me does this mean that the Psuedomaonas has now gone. Sorry I should have said earlier whilst in hospital I had a scan which showed pneumonia, progressive copd and bronchiectasis.
COPD: Help please, I have had... - Lung Conditions C...
COPD
Sounds like you need regular antibiotics given your infection rate am sory to lung nacrosis can cause infections at such a rate
Am sure Pseudomonas is found on all our skin so be hard to avoide that
Being on regular antibiotics is not great but some times needs must
Ad talk to your doctor about infection rate and going on regular antibiotics wile you still have some lung left
Thank you for your advise
Thank you Flibberti, your reply helped me a lot, as i was in the same boat last year, and i'm sure it will have helped Clematis, who i wish well. Love Kin Xx
Thank you for your good wishes.
I was told by GP receptionist I had a slight infection but in fact had pneumonia and got an ear bending for not coming in to GP. I did not take it lying down and got an apology from the GP who said he will have words?
On the 6th Nov when I went to A&E and had the chest x ray, the result showed that I had either a small pneumonia or a chest infection. The hospital did not tell me that they just said i had an infection, but asked my GP to arrange a CT scan. I was still waiting for that when I was admitted by my GP on the 11th Dec. My own doctor had been trying me with various antibiotics and steroids but each time it cleared up it would start again a few days later.
Thank you for responding flibberti and for your advice.
helenann12 Thank you for the information, which I found very interesting. I am going to see my
Consultant in Feb and will run it past her before starting to take anything new. It all sounds very positive. I hope your wife continues to make progress.
clematis5932 . sorry you have had a rough time. pseudomonas causes pneumonia and attacks people with weak lungs. It's a tenacious bug and may stay dormant when antibiotics are given. I'm glad that you had the intravenous Ciprofloxacin. This is the drug that deals best with Ps. I hope you will have better times. but they will watch for the pseudomonas. You must have a close watch on yourself too.
Ask your consultant, to give you some sputum pots, so you can test yourself if you feel worse. Speed is of the essence. Try to get some Ciproflocacin in advance too as a starter pack (But tkae teh sputum test before starting the mes as it can be difficult for the bug to be uncovered once you start the meds) I hope your new consultant will take charge of the drugs, Take charge of yourself as well by being vigilant
1. if you start feeling tired and not hungry.
2. If you start getting cold.
Coughing? especially in the morning; send for a sputum test AND ask your pulmonary nurse to teach you how to cough up efficiently.
Do some breathing exercises like these ones: (look at the woman in blue!)
Hope you get help and get better soon, Mic
Thank you for this information. From what you have said I seem to have been given the right advice. I was given three little pots for the sputum sample together with bags and labels , I have only been able to do one so far as I was told that while on antibiotics not to do them but wait two weeks. I am supposed to try one on the 2nd of Feb so that they will have the results when I next go to see the consultant on the 8th. The physio came to visit me at home to show me the breathing exercises.
Your welcome Flibberti, that's what i love about this site, have learned more on here than from any professional body. I think its makes you realise you are not alone, and until i stumbled across this site i thought i was! Xx
Hi, I hope someone can give me an opinion....In the past 2 years I had two more stents put in with 2 angios, 2 prostate surgeries, a triple A surgery, from the triple A a psuedo aneurism grew in my thigh which was removed and two days later they had to go back in because my lymph nodes where leaking. I was then put on a pump for 6 weeks to let the huge opening close (I have hardening of the arteries so the opening was about 6 inches). I also have COPD (emphysema from years of smoking), fibrosis in my lungs which they feel probably is from years of working with asbestos, but no biopsy was done to confirm that's what the fibrosis is. I have diabetes as well (what a mess I am). Recently I have been experiencing severe tiredness, a general feeling of just feeling sick. About six weeks ago I got Shingles...but with diabetes it just took forever for it to calm down. I also took a fall and broke a rib and fractured three more. I use oxygen at home and try to use a portable oxygen machine when I go out to the store. I do have a puffer the pulmonary doc gave me...but I have to admit I don't always use it and also nebulizer treatments which I also am not consistent in using (so sick of all the meds). I have been dealing a long time with the heart and lung issues but this recent tiredness and general feeling of sick is new and no one seems to be giving me a diagnosis. There are days I just can't get myself out of bed until three or four in the afternoon which I'm sure is not helping the diabetes with no food. Though I have not been diagnosed with it...I'm sure I'm depressed.....who wouldn't be with all of this going on. Has anyone else had an issue with the tiredness and feeling of being sick? I truly don't now who to go see...what kind of doctor! I have been in and out of hospitals at least four times this year already with no specific diagnosis. Of course everyone wants to blame it on my lungs. If anyone has any ideas I would greatly appreciate it!
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