Psuedomonas

[Katebeach]

I don't often post on here, but religiously read all your posts. I have had an exacerbation in early July and after 3 courses of doxycylone am no better. After a couple of sputum tests I have bee diagnosed with psuedomonas and prescribed ciprofloxacin. Has anyone else had experience of this bacteria and how long it takes to get rid of it.

[Patsy164]

Hi Katebeach I am the same as you and am on ciprofloxacin been told it’s the only antibiotic that can help me so take it for 2 weeks as prescribed. Since I have been taking it I have had less exacerbations and pseudomonas doesn’t seem to flare up as much so all good for me at the moment.

[Katebeach in reply to Patsy164]

Thank you Patsy that sounds fairly promising, I have only been prescribed a week on Cipro 250gm twice a day, then to get another sputum test and go back to GP. She did say she was being cautious to begin with!

[Patsy164 in reply to Katebeach]

That’s good the doctor is being cautious. I had a nasty bug in April and it took me ages to get over it. After a while you get to know when you are not right or beginning to feel unwell and give in a sputum for analysis and if it’s showing up take the antibiotics. I hope you can tolerate it. Let us know how you get on.

[Hidden in reply to Katebeach]

It is usually 750mg twice per day for 2 weeks.

[Katebeach in reply to Hidden]

Interesting, she is really treating me lightly!

[Hidden in reply to Katebeach]

Do you have copd or bronchiectasis. The dosage I gave you is the recommended in the guidelines for bronch. Anything less is a waste of time. You would need to read the guidelines for copd to find their recommended dose. Unfortunately most GPs are frightened to give these doses. They need a consultant to tell them to do it.

[Katebeach in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Littlepom, I have COPD. I sort of had a feeling that this was not normelly dealt with at GP level, she did talk about referring me to my consultant. I will definitely discuss things thoroughly with her at my next appointment on 27th Sept. I feel I have learnt a lot from you helpful people on here.

[Hidden in reply to Katebeach]

There are folks on here who are far more experienced and knowlegable about copd than me. I do read so many times that GPs try to handle it and refuse to refer to a consultant. As your is suggesting referring you and you have pseudo I suggest that you definitely take her up on it. Good luck.

[Kpacific in reply to Katebeach]

I have Bronchiectasis and Pseudo. With an exacerbation, I’m prescribed 750mg of Levaquin once per day for 21 days. It always helps. (Cipro irritates my stomach. Levaquin is a similar drug. )

[Hidden]

I have been colonised with it since 1986. No matter what anyone says it never goes away but lurks and from time to time has a party which needs antibiotic treatment of various sorts. The idea is to keep the numbers low enough to live a normal life with it and hopefully not to show up on a lab plate. Scrupulous lung emptying to get rid of the fluid which it breeds on. Cipro is the only truly effective oral antibiotic against it.

[Katebeach in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Littlepom, it is much as I feared. But glad to know I'm probably on the correct antibiotic. Early days but will need to see how it progresses.

[Hidden]

As LP says, you never get rid of Pseudomonas. I'm sorry it has decided to colonise your lungs. I always had to be admitted to hospital and have 2 weeks of IV antibiotics (although once I was taught how to self medicate) I can't take Cipro as it gives me Tendonitis. Now I take Azithromycin on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday which seems to keep things under control. Although I have a 2 week dose of Doxy should I feel it's waking up again.

[Katebeach in reply to Hidden]

Thanks poemsgalore, my GP did warn me about the tendonitis, so hoping it won't be a problem for me. I have the Doxy in my rescue pack, but she said in future I should take in a sputum specimen before starting the rescue as I may need to go straight onto the Cipro.

[RoadRunner44]

Apparently these wretched bugs hide, so dont always show up on analysis. The sad truth is once there, they stay there as so far no antibiotic kills them off for good. Until one is found we just have to self manage I'm afraid. Littleton said it all.

[Katebeach in reply to RoadRunner44]

Thanks Roadrunner, I suspected it was a hard one to get rid of and think it has been lurking for a long long time. Early days so see how I get on. Thanks to everyone who replied to me.

[Phil40]

Hi, my Ma is now prescribed ciproflaxin as doxycycline does not seem to have the same efficacy.

Also was warned about tendinitis but do not think that this has been an issue.

Hope you’re doing ok 👍

[Katebeach in reply to Phil40]

Thanks Phil, I'll let you know how I go and hope your Mum is doing better.

[Phil40]

Thanks but I am afraid she is not doing very well at the moment.

Saw the Community Matron this morning and Mum has lost weight which she cannot afford to. Looking very frail.

Basically just not doing well.

[Katebeach in reply to Phil40]

Oh bless her, I hope she starts to pick up soon. You stay in touch with us all on this page, it definitely helps!

[Genie11]

I was hospitalised last august with a chest infection , with pseudomonas, aspergillus and bronchiectasis exacerbation. I was 68 at the time and taking 10mg of prednisolone for RA which I have had for more than 40 years. I had a severe reaction to Cipro with tendonitis or tendinopathy from head to toe. I couldnt get out of bed, my GP said it couldnt be Cipro as that reaction would be too rare! It still affects me now though not as severely. I was prescribed 750 mg tablets and should have been precribed a smaller dose with being over 60, taking prednisolone and having RA. It seems to be ok for some people to take but I will never take it again. There are new regulations out now after many years of complaints. I did self inject TAZ for a fortnight which seemed to shift the Pseudomonas but it was back again in a later test. I can’t tolerate any of the other treatments so I think, as littlepom does, that it will always be there.

[Katebeach in reply to Genie11]

Thank you Genie11, I am learning so much from all you lovely people, which will help me to make my own health decisions.

[Genie11 in reply to Katebeach]

Yes its good to know as much as you can, its just we are all affected differently. I appreciate how difficult it is for our consultants, GP’s etc to make the right choice for us.