Advice needed please! Do I start my rescue pack for bronchiectasis?

[Frustrated12]

Oh dear, after weeks of feeling like I have an airlock in my lower right lung, it now seems to have developed into something more serious. Cant bring much phlegm up by exercises and nebuliser. What does come up is clear but I am on sputum thinners. GP organised a chest X-ray for today but had to alter till next week as so cold (0 degrees) and with hospital air con, I felt it would only make things worse. The big decision now is whether I start the rescue pack of 10 days of doxycycline when I only finished a full course and a five day course some two weeks ago. I am a laryngectomee (neck breather) which makes everything worse, especially my vulnerability to cold air. My bronchiectasis is classified as mild. Any comments, personal experiences, appreciated.

[MELNEL]

Hi there 😀 I would give my GP a quick call to find out if it's better to start another round of antibiotics. If you have a rescue pack and feel the use of it, then take it. But also never wrong to have a quick chat with you doctor or a nurse. Hope you feel better soon again. Yes it's really cold, my asthma is not good when it's so cold. Stay safe and warm 🍀🍀🍀

[Frustrated12 in reply to MELNEL]

Thanks. that's very kind.

[Oshgosh]

Perhaps you need to speak to the GP.Maybe youneed a stronger antibiotic.

I’m hope you start to feel better soon.

[Frustrated12 in reply to Oshgosh]

Thank you. The only stronger one I can take is Co-amoxiclav. Will wait until tomorrow.

[Patk1 in reply to Frustrated12]

U must always have 14day course antibiotics with bronchiectasis

[Hidden]

Your symptoms do not sound those of a bronch exacerbation. This would usually involve an increase of coloured thick mucus. In your profile you say that you have copd and it could be a flare up of this. You need to speak with your doctor to pin this down.

[Frustrated12 in reply to Hidden]

thanks for that. I have actually got a headache now, plus backache and a feeling of generally unwell. See how I feel in the morning and thanks again for reply.

[Frustrated12 in reply to Frustrated12]

Mucus started to turn green! Lightish green plus discomfort in Lung. Using nebuliser but will also try and do some exercises. Not hitting the rescue pack yet. Why do these things always happen on a Friday? 🥴

[watergazer]

Oh gosh hope you’re feeling better soon. X

[B0xermad]

Get well soon, let's hope your doctor will help you get through this episode, as a fellow bronchiectasis sufferer it is always a fine line between taking rescue meds and when .

[Ergendl]

Hope you feel better soon.

[Frustrated12 in reply to Ergendl]

thank you.

[gingermusic]

I find with my Bronchiectasis that the colour of the phlegm hardly ever changes from a creamy colour which is not helpful. I have been told that if I suspect a flare up I am to send in a sputum sample for testing before starting any antibiotics so they can test for infection then if I am infected the antibiotic can be changed if necessary, but also the rescue pack for us Bronchiectasis sufferers should be a full two week course not 10 days Hope this helps

[Frustrated12 in reply to gingermusic]

yes. I will make sure it is 14 days.

[lesley53]

My bronchiectasis is mild and when I’m in that ‘brink’ if a flare up it’s more of how I feel - never get much phlegm up anyway - I would def spk to the GP but inevitably if you feel it’s going the wrong way then don’t wait for it to get worse - don’t delay - you know your own body . I have co- amoxiclav for 2 wks and it always clears my chest .

Hope you feel better soon .

[Frustrated12 in reply to lesley53]

Yes. I reckon co-amoxiclav is best but GP says Doxy and the consultant's registrar says Doxy as first line and he was the last person I saw - but the consultant, world famous, says co-amoxiclav. He says that because of the pseudonymous Doxy is not as effective when that is present. How beguiling can it get when medical people give out contradictory info - all meaning well of course. This is not a criticism.

[lesley53 in reply to Frustrated12]

In my area it seems that it’s the GP’s that go for Doxy but my consultant put me on co-amoxiclav and I was also given it for sinus issues .

Usually when you have pseudo present they prescribe cyprofloxacin I think .

Doxy doesn’t work for me - it’s not strong enough.

It’s says a lot when your world famous chap says co- amoxiclav doesn’t it .

[shouty]

Hi there I'm mild bronchectasis like you but I recently needed 2 courses of 14 days AB's in quick succession as I'd had Covid so don't worry just loke others have said it has to be 2 week course for us Bronchs

[Frustrated12 in reply to shouty]

Hi shouty, can you tell me what were your symptoms of Covid and how you handled it. I have some symptoms that are now worrying and I think they may well be Covid and bronchiectasis together which is quite frightening.

[shouty in reply to Frustrated12]

Oh sorry to hear that. I was lucky that during the 1st few days after diagnosed it was mild but I did go to to develop nasty chest infections. My heart rate was high up to 120 bpm with night sweats. Went straight onto antibiotics. My sputum was very thick & creamy not green but I was colonized with Haemophilis Influenza 4 yrs ago & it tends to rear it's ugly head again when rundown. Added to this I was already immumo suppressed due to high dose steroids which am on due to kidney problems I was in hospital for prior to Christmas. If you are at all concerned please get help asap. It is very hard to differentiate between exacerbation and/Or infection or Covid for us Bronchies. I did have a nasty cough with 2nd round of infection and pulled muscles which was incredibly painful and actually heard a popping noise on left side. Had to contact GP as I was worried I'd cracked a rib. Dr was going to organise Chest X-ray but it was Fri and we agreed try pain killers 1st and if struggling over weekend to call 111. Even if had cracked rib there is no real extra treatment except rest & painkillers.

I am on Doxy 3 x weekly normally over winter then Co Amoxiclav is in rescue pack or Clarithromycin if The CoAm. upsets my stomach which really seems to depend on which brand is dispensed.

I'm sorry I didnt see you post earlier and hope you are ok this morning. As I said I was lucky that during the 2weeks of self isolating the symptoms didn't seem too bad but it was only later these infections knocked me for six. I think that I would always say if in fact start ABs regardless it can't do any harm. Do you havea

O2 sats monitor at home? My neice got one from Amazon for me for £19 as she was so worried. I was showing anything from 90-96 % during the day.

Sorry this is a bit rambling but the pain killers give me "Brain fog " in the morning

Sending good wishes & am happy to chat anytime

Hattie ( Shouty)

[Frustrated12 in reply to shouty]

Big thank you again. I am monitoring the situation carefully. So far got discomfort in chest and right lung but overall don't feel to bad. Oximeter shows blood saturation level of between 92-95 and is normally 98. Its unfortunate that the two diseases have similar symptoms, at first anyway. I suspect Covid because I was feeling really unwell six days after visiting eye hospital with contact with many people including the public and taxi where windows would not open! . As my only trip out it is unlikely my Bronchiectasis would have taken so long to trigger off whereas it fits into the pattern of Covid. where symptoms most likely on day 6/7. Still crossing fingers for best outcome.

[shouty in reply to Frustrated12]

Yep contact with anyone is a minefield. I knew i was going to get it as lady in hosp. bed opposite coughed all night till was moved to side ward. Drs told me 10 mins before I was discharged I was positive 😕

[Frustrated12 in reply to shouty]

One last thing Shouty. When you were diagnosed positive for Covid, had you had any of the vaccines?

[Frustrated12 in reply to Frustrated12]

Hattie, can I ask if you had the vaccine before being tested positive for the virus?

[shouty in reply to Frustrated12]

No, hoping to have it in next couple of weeks now chest infection nearly all gone

[Frustrated12 in reply to shouty]

Thank for that. Hope you keep as well as possible in these unreal circumstances. I still cannot get my head round that one year ago two people were being treated for Covid in a hospital in Newcastle. And today, well over a 100,000 are dead. In one sense it makes a nonsense of all the worries I thought I had. Everyone I speak to knows someone who has had Covid or died from it. If I get through this ok, I think I'm going to be very choosy what I worry about in future. Lots of good wishes to everyone on this most compassionate site.

[Patk1 in reply to Frustrated12]

Its worth going for covid test

[Frustrated12 in reply to Patk1]

definitely. Thanks.

[Alberta56]

Can you find out how long will it be before the result of a sputum test comes back? In my area last year it was over a week, made worse when the first test proved negative. That's a long, long time to wait if you've got bronch.

[Frustrated12 in reply to Alberta56]

I have only just put my sputum test in and not received an answer but only two days. From memory it takes at least a week, especially if they are testing for pseudonymous. Sorry can't be much more help.