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Lung infection not getting better, can anyone help please?

dirose profile image
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!2 days out of hospital following severe lung infection, a COPD exabertionan they said. It was not better, so GP prescribed amoxicillin, nearly finished the course now, and still feel awful and have fever and chills, pain in the back, a lot of breathlessness that I didn't have before the origional infection. What should I do? GP didn't even look at me or examine my chest?

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dirose
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Need To Go Hospital ... Amoxicillin Didn't Work On Mine Only Thing That Got Rid Of Mine Was Perso Something Cant Remember Name But They Are Steroids .... Sounds Like Pneumonia But Am No Expert Need To Go Hospital

canalchris profile image
canalchris

I used to be prescribed Amoxycillin every time I had an exacerbation . Between me and the doctor we realized that they do not work very well on me, I was having to take 2, sometimes 3 courses back to back. several different types work for me now ,the best being Co amoxyclav. Your doc does not sound too concerned so I would get a second opinion at your surgery ask for an urgent home visit, or If you are really concerned get someone to take you to A+E. Don't hang around, I was once told by an experienced chest doctor the things involving breathing can very quickly go from mid to wild. best of luck

connor profile image
connor

Go to A and E, call a a friend, a neighbour or someone in your family to take you or an ambulance if you feel too unwell to travel by car. When you are unwell don't leave it too late to get checked over. Any doubt give the docs a shout. Good luck.

I have had the same problems for quite a while then I was sent to see an immunologist (sorry if the spelling is wrong) he looked at all the medication which I was taking, gave me a thorough MOT check and put me on Azhromycin which is a long term antibiotic which I take three days a week Mon/Wed & Fri. I have now been on this for three months. No infections, still have my cough , still on oxygen 24 x 7, but it is a great relief not to have any more infections. This might help not only you but other members as well. My immune system has been rock bottom for a few year and so far this winter I have kept clear of infections. Good luck.

Bootsie13 profile image
Bootsie13 in reply to

Yeh I have been taking. This for 2 years, still get infections,but not every 6 weeks,so they must be helping me,even though I struggle with every day life

hufferpuffer profile image
hufferpuffer

Definately see another doctor the one you saw should have listened to your chest.Last time I had a chest infection I was prescribed amoxycillin+preds and had to go back at the end of the course and then they gave me another course which finaly got rid of it. So if your not happy go back and tell them so,its their job to look after you and they get well paid believe me! Hope you feel better soon! :) xx

moneal profile image
moneal

Been there, done that. Now I know what an idiot I was, I like you put up with the infection for far too long, in fact it ended in a blue light trip to hospital.

These bugs are getting smarter and the only way to know what kills them is to send a sample of sputum to the lab. The doctor or the hospitals are the only ones who can do that, so you must talk to one or the other.

They have swopped me to an antibiotic call co-amoxiclav which has an added ingredient to beat the bugs defence system.

Get some help, and good luck

dall05 profile image
dall05

Take no chances, get to A&E where they will certainly listen to your chest and probably do a chest Xray. Your GP sounds as good as a chocolate fire guard so ditch him and get another. Any Infection needs treating as quickly as possible. Insist on a sputum sample being sent off to the lab as they will find the correct antibiotic if needed. The longer you leave it the more damage is being done, get it sorted now! dirose. believe me I have learned the hard way.

Get to A and E or ring NHS Direct or get to a walk-in clinic. You need a different antibiotic and the infection is damaging your lungs so more delay = more damage. Good luck. xx

whit profile image
whit

i was in hospital new years eve for 4days and still feel breathless ,i took a course of co-amoxiclav after sputum check, it certainly helped, but my doc says it could take quite afew weeks to get back to where i was

dirose profile image
dirose in reply to whit

this is quite encouraging, thank yoiu- It sounds similar to my experience, and hopefully then, we are in with a chance of getting better eventually. Do you have COPD, like me?

I agree with all the other advise - if you feel up to it go to A & E and ask for help. I know that when my husband has had severe infections it can take a while to clear up and he has sometimes had to have four or five courses of antibiotics and steroids. But as you are feeling no better I think you should get a taxi if you can or ask a friend to take you to hospital. Good Luck TAD xx

Katlover profile image
Katlover

My first thought on reading your blog when you said your SOB was getting worse was that if your Dr is not addressing this or you feel it is being dismissed is to get to A & E to get it checked out.

I would say if you are still feeling so unwell and the SOB is a worsening problem, at the very least you need to get another Dr to look at you and give you a full examination and not just assume it is you just still not being better after your last exacerbation

Either way, I hope you are sorted soon

Kat

xxx

dirose profile image
dirose in reply to Katlover

Thank you so much for this

kimmy59 profile image
kimmy59

I agree with everyone else go to hospital.

Hope you feel better soon. xxx

Definately go to hosp. i had same problem recently, should have gone earlier than i did, but now hopefully will recover.AM on prednisolone and antibiotics,for a couple of weeks. If your doctor not thorough Change them!. They are there to help us in every way they can, and should do all necessary tests. There are decent doctors out there, its just finding the right one.Best of luck, dont neglect your health.

dirose profile image
dirose in reply to

Thank you for this

Do a sputum test, our GP never, ever asked for one so we got some pots from reception and some papers, filled them out ourselves and gave them back to the GP's receptionist with a note saying, please do this test. When it came back the results showed that the antibiotics he was on were totally useless, so the doctor changed them to the ones the hospital said would work and then he was fine. So now, we have got a bag full of sputum pots and forms and when he gets an infection, we send them in, await the results and if the infection has changed, the GP gives him the correct antibiotics. We told the hospital specialist what we were doing and he said it was a good idea as no-one can treat an infection if they do not know what the infection is. I asked for a letter to take home with me stating what he had said and gave it to the GP as confirmation of what we were doing.

He has not been in hospital since last August whereas he used to be in every four weeks with pneumonia because of the wrong antibiotics being issued by the GP's because no sputum tests were being done.

We now tell the doctor what we want as we know the illness better than he does and he has agreed with us that he is only a GP (general medicine), i.e. Jack of all Trades and Master of none. We told our GP that we wanted paracetamol on our repeat prescription as you can only get 2 boxes of 16 at a time, and I cannot get out to different shops to stock up on them, because my husband has to take them twice a day. The GP said, just tell the chemist to add 200 to your prescription and tell them I told them to do it.

We now have an understanding, they come to our house for visits so we no longer have to go there and things are a great deal better than they ever were.

Bootsie13 profile image
Bootsie13 in reply to

Yeh this is good,this is what I do when I have any infection,but the antibiotics that I have now r called Doxycycline, plus the 3 times a week, Mon, wed, Fri ones all the time, steroids every day X2, except when I have an infection, it could rise to between 6 to 8 a day until you finished your antibiotics, may need to double up on the antibiotics, or take 3 to 4 course s.but it's best to have your pots at home,drop them to your G P reception for testing when you think you have an infection,I have done this in the past many times,once it came back ok ,but I knew it was wrong,so put in another straight away, a few days later it came back with infection,so if you think this,then always do another

qbjb profile image
qbjb

That's appalling - my doctor told me ages ago that Amoxycillin is no longer prescribed for these infections and it's surprising the hospital didn't give you the right prescription to take home.

I have emergency prednisolone (10 days) and 14 days supply of Clarie XL (Clarifhromycin) - these work.

It is our lives these people are playing with - you should never have been allowed to get into such a bad state. I'm absolutely hopping mad on your behalf.

Jude

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