Tazocin

[Claudine]

Anybody had this IV antibiotic? Recent sputum test result reported my pseudomonas would only respond to IV antibios so just returned from hospital where I've had this 3 times a day for 5 days. Feel brighter and have more energy. Admit that I sort of ignored the symptoms, i.e. more coughing, more breathlessness, more tired because I put them all down to stress - widowed last year and in process of moving house. Glad it was caught though before it actually developed any further. I told the doc that I didn't feel ill but I did feel older! Follow-up appt. next month to decide plan going forward. He did mention this 3-times-a-week schedule for the winter months but will wait for results of sputum sample I left before discharge.

[Hidden]

Hi Claudine. I had Tazocin IV in Jan 2015 when I had an empyema and pneumonia. It worked fine at first so after 10 days in hospital went home and the nurses came to do it three times each day. Unfortunately It suddenly stopped working and so I had to go on to Meropenem which worked like drain buster! Good luck. I hope that the Taz has finished off your exacerbation.

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your input. See reply below also.

[Billiejean_2]

Hi Claudine, like Still standing, I've had IV Tazocin several times and it worked really well. But in September 2014, I had it for 14 days and it didn't work at all. Then changed to Meropenem which worked really well in November 2014. Had Meropenem again last November/December and it was a complete waste of time, so switched back to Tazocin again in April 2016 and this time it worked a treat. So obviously different bugs react to different antibiotics but overall, Tazocin is usually very effective. Glad it worked well for you but I hope you are still getting some treatment for the pseudomonas, as five days wouldn't be enough.

[Claudine in reply to Billiejean_2]

At the moment, nothing more has been mentioned other than waiting for the sputum results. I will have another one done at the surgery before I see Consultant again so that he has two results, 3 weeks apart, to work on. This may give some clues I don't know. Interesting that two of you have mentioned Meropenem so will write that down and mention to him next time. I hate the thought of having to wait in for nurses to come in 3 times a day - I would feel held hostage! Not good at doing nothing but sitting around. I even managed to escape from the hospital in between treatments to meet friends for coffee. The nurses there joked of my 'Costa crowd'. I am so grateful to have inherited my late husband's private medical insurance - it is so civilised. I saw the Consultant one day and was taken in the next day. Thanks for your input as well as Stillstanding63 (lovely ID by the way!).

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

I am hopeless in hospital. I feel locked in and controlled. At least I could go out from home between nurse visits. You and Billiejean may like to know that now, owing to a very pro active GP, my consultant in Bham and the hospital in Warwick ( who up to now have never had anything to do with me) have agreed that I can have my IVs from Warwick at home, under coordination with my QE con. I can also administer it myself at home after being setup at the ambulatory ward in Warwick. My con and a colleague of hers want to try giving my IV 3 times per year as a prophylactic to stop the bugs getting out of hand and giving me an exacerbation. They do this for cystics apparantly but it has always been given as a response to an exacerbation before for bronchs. Warwick were very keen to get started but I have put them off as I am very well at the moment and don't want drugs that I don't need. What is nice is from now on being able to ring Warwick directly, who will arrange and cooperate with Bham and I won't have to go all the way in and fight to get admitted as when I had the empyema.

My con wants to use gentamycin as well as meropenem but I don't like it as it is a vicious drug and you have to have blood tested whilst having it because of liver or kidney damage. There are also two other IV drugs which are given to cystics that they are very cagey about giving to us. They tell me that they are even more toxic than gentamycin. Hmm I think that it is more about NICE and money. I hope all of that made sense.

Just one other thing. Lab tests frequently come back showing that the pseudomonas is not resonding to ciproxen. In fact, it can be like this in the petrie dish but different in the body where it responds. I had this happen with my last two exacerbations and the cipro knocked it on the head( at least 14 days 750mg bd). I need to stop taking it because it has begun to affect the tendons in my heels.

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

Wow! You're well genned-up on the subject. I clearly have a lot to learn. Do know though that Gentamicin can also affect the hearing of course, as well as the liver and kidneys. It's a very ancient drug now. My consultant is not keen on it. Didn't know about tendon problems with Cipro though - I'll store that bit of info away.

I know the 'locked-in and controlled' feeling very well! Sounds like you are being looked after very well. Long may it last eh?

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

yes gentamycin is a nasty old drug. This is why I am not keen and why I want to find out more about the IV which they give to cystics. knowledge is power.The more we find out and the more we share it the better it will be for us.

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

Hey, is 63 your age or the year you were born?!

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

63 is the age I was when I joined HU. I am 66 diagnosed in 1953. So I've been kicking this boggart's butt for a very long time. ( not to mention educating doctors, which is an ongoing project) xx

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

Also forgot to tell you that I am nebulising ceftazidime long term which seems to be keeping me well, Along with the fact that I have successfully avoided other people's germs for some months.

[Claudine in reply to Billiejean_2]

I think you may well be right re length of time! This last few days I have felt that it is rearing its ugly head again. More mucus and sometimes light brown or darker (blood) and more coughing again.

Will wait for my follow-up appt. on 8th Sept. to see what his reaction is. Such a shame because this time last week I was feeling quite positive.

[O2Trees]

I had it last year for double pneumonia, and what i later learned was the staph aureus bug. It soon turned the infection around. That's the only time Ive had it. Glad it's worked for you Claudine

[Hidden]

Hi Claudine. Glad you're feeling better. I've put a pseudo exacerbation down to "just not feeling very well" before now, too. Tazocin has worked well for me a couple of times. I don't think 5 days is enough though. Usually it would be at least 10 & often 14. I used to have Ceftazidime but developed an allergy to it. Then tried Meropenem but became allergic to that too. Blooming nuisance.

Are you on nebulised colomycin to control the pseudo?

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

Someone else made the comment about longer. Perhaps he thought 5 days would be enough because I hadn't actually developed a temperature as such so may have stopped it developing. No, not on nebulised colomycin - yet. Perhaps I have that delight to come!

See other replies. Thanks to all.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hanne,

Just wanted to say that I get a rash with cipro and Taz and Meropenem. The consultant gives me antihistamine to take at the same time and this has stopped it. I do worry what these drugs are doing to our other organs though.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I've asked RBH to try ceftazidime or meropenem again, such useful abx, but they refuse. The rash was pretty sudden & extensive but no breathing difficulties. They say research has shown if you have an allergy to a drug, it won't be as effective anyway. Hoping the same doesn't happen with Tazocin

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

yes research is a funny thing. I can only say from personal experience that these drugs work for me even if I react. Much better to have one that doesn't bring you out in a rash though. Funnily I IVd ceft in 1998 and didn't get a rash with thatm. Maybe nebulising it may help. docsreluctant to prescribe and can only be sourced from hospital pharmacy. I suspect because it is expensive and they often have manufacturing shortages.

[fcag2001]

I had two weeks of intravenous tazocin and it was magic. Cleared up A double pneumonia and a collapsed lung. But had to be in hospital for two weeks . This was nearly two years ago and I had no side effects but was told it is so strong that I would only get it if in hospital . I have ABPA but was blue lighted into hospital with the complications Agee years ago . Now doing much better TG . Good luck

[Sohara]

Hi fellow sufferers I too have been on the Cipro /IV roundabout. I keep trying to control my infections with other antibiotics as Cipro has such bad side affects, but I have finally faced up to the fact that no pill but Cipro 750 x 2 will clear up my infections ( I have pseudomonas too) and if I cannot tolerate Cipro any more then I have to have IV's....last time I went into hospital as an outpatient 3 times a day !!!! which is a nightmare even parking at my hospital. I 'think' next time they are going to allow me to do it at home Hooray

All other antibiotics work to stop the infection but it ALWAYS comes back within a month , as it hasn't been cleared up properly...this is why its Cipro or IV's for me now

I am awaiting a first appointment at The Brompton ( I believe it can take a year to get an app) where I am hoping they will start me on Colomycin or something I can neb.....although the Azithromycin I take 3 times a week do help, I think after all these years they are 'losing their effectiveness)

[Claudine]

This 'losing effectiveness' is the reason my GP is not keen on so-called prophylactic treatment. He says all it does it keep it under the surface and doesn't clear it. But I guess if the Consultant prescribes it, he will have to fall in line! I've had oral Cipro in the past but, yes, I feel pretty awful on it. I was feeling very pleased with myself that I hadn't had an infection for two years before this but if Cipro won't work then I seem to have reached a new level.

Poo!

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

unfortunately, once you are colonised with pseudomonas you are colonised with it. It is just that the numbers can be reduced or kept down to levels where the lab tests don't pick it up. Also, you can be quite poorly with pseudo and lab tests don't pick it up. They are notoriously unreliable. So it's down to us to listen to our own bodies. The criteria which GPs have been told to use regarding the over use and resistance to antibiotics should not be applied to us. We need these massive doses to keep us alive. The antibiotic resistance which we encounter in our bodies is due to the bug itself becoming resistant due to over prescribing in the general 'well' population, not a resistance within ourselves. I am constantly balancing out treatment for exacerbations only against accepting IV prophylactic treatment. I have found that for me, nebulised abs and occasional cipro have kept me going since the 1980s..I have only had three sessions of IV during my lifetime but as I said, cipro is notorious for damaging tendons ( the ear thing is common to many drugs) so I am pleased that a system to give me IVs has been set up. I will be the one who decides when and what though. That is the important thing. All bronchs are different and although we can advise and support each other it comes down to our own gut feelings and knowledge of our bodies in the end. Sorry if you are sick of me banging on. I will stop now.

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

Your GP needs to read the British Thoracic Society guidelines for the treatment & management of bronch (all 64 pages.) Honestly some GPs do annoy me, they have so little knowledge of this condition. If you're colonised with pseudo, as you clearly are, all you CAN do is "keep it under the surface", to use his words. Nebulised colomycin works really well in many people, inc me, ask your consultant about it. Some people can't tolerate it but if you can it'll hugely reduce the number of exacerbations.

Are you not taking azithromycin prophylactically? This is standard therapy for bronchs now.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

The current BTS guidelines brit-thoracic.org.uk/docume...

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for this link. I've just refilled the printer! It'll be my bedtime reading tonight - providing I can stay awake!

[Claudine in reply to Hidden]

No, re prophylactic azithromycin. I was given a reserve pack on the basis that if I felt it was flaring up again, I could start on that until I saw the doc (say, over the weekend). Then the doc may change it to something else after seeing me. Originally he gave me Cipro as a reserve drug but I didn't need it for 2 years so it expired. I guess he may have thought it was rather an expensive drug to allow to expire.

I see the Consultant again in 4 weeks so am now armed with lots of info to present to him. It will be interesting to see what he decides and, of course, my GP will have to follow his advice! I am so grateful for the input from this forum because, as someone mentioned this morning, knowledge is power and it doesn't come naturally to me to play 'the little woman'! Now I'm widowed I feel rather on my own though.

Many thanks.

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

Good on you Claudine. There's also some useful info on the EMBARC website bronchiectasis.eu/ The Education section in particular

[Covenham]

Claudine hi - thank you very much for your Post, you've actually got me to sit down and type a reply to you, which in effect is also something I've been meaning to share with other Bronch sufferers on here for some time but life has been very busy for me lately.

I was admitted into hospital for 14 days for IV treatment (Tazocin & Ceftazidine - 3 times a day). I also had 2 nebulisers ( Pulmicort - twice a day & Salbutamol - 4 times a day); Omeprazole (2 times a day) and Prednisolone (once a day). I was also on my regular prescribed drugs: Carbocisteine (2 x twice a day & Mometasone - nasal inhaler - once a day). During this time I wasn't taking my Fostair, as usual.

I was discharged on 28th June and began a new drug regime of Promixin (twice a day) inhaled via the iNeb and I am feeling a whole heap better

The main thing I've noticed since returning home is that when I do my 'huffing' exercises now (only 3-4 times a week), there is no sputum to cough up! Long may that last - however, I'm keeping an open mind on this, as so many people on here have said 'nothing lasts forever' and I expect it may come back.

The reason for my somewhat dramatic in-patient treatment was due to having had recurring exacerbations and haemoptysis since the New Year - obviously, this couldn't continue. My consultant's theory was to clear out (as much as possible) and clean up my lungs over a 14-day in-patient stay. This would enable the new drug (Promixin) a have a huge boost effect on my condition and begin working advantageously.

The other thing I had whilst in hospital was daily pulmonary exercise in the gym. The importance of exercise for Bronch sufferers had never been explained to me although, I knew it was very important but I was nervous to overdo it or do the wrong thing. I also have asthma and M.E.

In a nutshell, it was brilliant. The physiotherapist took me down to the gym every morning for 1/2 an hour and explained about my heart rate and my oxygen levels in my blood but most importantly for me, how far to 'push myself' - this was the scary part. However, I managed 20 mins on the treadmill (with an incline) at a good power walking pace!

I've now joined our local gym and I'm really enjoying the challenge and the social side of it all - I've been really reclusive since my diagnosis 4 1/2 years ago, which isn't like me at all.

I hope you feel well again very soon Claudine; I have to say the Tazocin worked for me. Take care and I hope you're enjoying some sunshine where you live

[Claudine in reply to Covenham]

Certainly enjoying the sunshine, although can't sit in it directly any more. More of an outdoor life suits me though (fresh air).

You've certainly been through an array of meds and treatments. Yes, I've always been convinced of the benefits of exercise. Even in hospital my morning march round the premises resulted in productive coughing afterwards. But it's difficult to do when you're so breathless and now I'm hoping to have the energy to do more.

I am in the process of moving (Sept. hopefully) and the position of my new place will enable me to walk into town and back, whereas I'm now in a country lane and relay on the car for everything. Next challenge is breathing in cold air in the winter months! Physio advised a 'silk' scarf in front of my mouth - why silk I have no idea.

Thank you for your contribution to my plight. It's interesting to share these experiences, and perhaps learn from them too. I've had an amazing response to my little post.

[Hidden in reply to Claudine]

Probably because silk has no loose fibres to inhale. Silk slips down a bit though. I wear one of these microfibre buffs in winter, I can recommend them buffwear.co.uk/buff-adult-h...

[Covenham in reply to Hidden]

Brilliant idea, thank you so much for putting that Buff Wear on this Site Hanne 62; I'm definitely buying one in time for next winter

[Claudine]

Of course! I've heard of these before in this site but completely forgotten about them. Thanks for the reminder.

[Sohara]

This thread has been of enormous help to me it's what I believe this forum is all about. Sharing experiences between people that have the same condition( as well as supporting others ) It hope us Bronch / pseudo sufferers can keep in touch re hospital visits & what our consultants say etc as this gives us the best information as I am finding out that we have to manage our own conditions for ourselves really. I am going to 'follow' you all if you don't mind

By the way Covenhan the Proximin drug you are on is VERY EXPENSIVE you are indeed lucky to have been prescribed it. It's also VERY good I am hoping to get it but with all the cuts it's unlikely

Let's keep in touch everyone

Love Sohara

[Billiejean_2 in reply to Sohara]

Hi Sohara, reading your reply here, I was naturally very curious too, about Promixin. I just googled it and it's described as Colistimethate Sodium, which is the active ingredient in Colomycin. Are they the same ? Surely there must be some difference. I'm going to post this as a query on the forum, just in case you don't see it or aren't online.

[Sohara in reply to Billiejean_2]

I have been told it's VERY expensive to not often prescribed by doctors it also needs an ineb new which has to be supplied by the company that makes them which makes it even more expensive so not likely we would get it it's allegedly better than Colomycin but I think as I haven't even been able to get Colomycin yet it's unlikely I will get promixon

I have my first Brompton appointment coming up in November where I am hoping to get the Colomycin. Will let you know how I get on

[Billiejean_2 in reply to Sohara]

Thanks Sohara. I hope the Bronpton will be able to get you on a regime that suits you. I just posted about Orimoxin and Hanne has already replied. Let's see what other answers we get.

[Claudine]

re your last para, I remember returning to my GP a few years ago after my first hospital stay following diagnosis. He had a report with the new drug regime for me. He sort of raised his eyebrows and muttered something about them being expensive drugs too. That's why it pays to see the Consultant for advice because GPs these days try to get away with the cheaper drugs I think. Surely that only results in increased visits to the GP.

Having Bronchiectasis then pseudomonas is a bit like going into hospital with one problem and coming out with another!