Infection update (fingers crossed): Still in hospital... - NRAS

NRAS

36,574 members45,179 posts

Infection update (fingers crossed)

wishbone profile image
53 Replies

Still in hospital and will be until at least monday, providing the antibiotics work that is(?) Spoke with consultant this morning who said we have a problem with antibiotic resistance. Apparently, my temp is still fluctuating and am taking two types of antibiotic to try and control it. One is cefalexin and the other a last- line antibiotic who's name I can't recall. Apparently, there's just two left after that....one is gentamycin, which they don't like using because it can damage the kidneys and the other, who's name I can't recall, I'm allergic to. As I'm prone to UTIs things don't look too good, do they.

I still don't have much of an appetite along with bouts of nausea and feel pretty grotty in general. On top of that my RA is flaring and being the eternal pessimist am feeling pretty gloomy.

Written by
wishbone profile image
wishbone
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
53 Replies
Mmrr profile image
Mmrr

Uch wishbone, I feel for you, as you say fingers crossed that the new antibiotics get a grip on things. Thinking of you.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Mmrr

Thanks Mm, the doctor with the consultant (who I didn't like) just returned to update me.....she said that they've contacted both rheumy and urology to try and find the best way of treating me. The doctor hopes to hear from rheumy sometime on monday and urology a day or two later.

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr in reply to wishbone

Hopefully something can be worked out for you. Do keep us updated.

Pippy25 profile image
Pippy25

Oh bless you wishbone, just wanted to say hope the new antibiotics work for you. It's of no consolation to your good self but my body is resisting/giving me effects with some brands of thyroxine medication at the moment so I empathise with you when you mention what few antibiotic choices you have. Sending you some supportive wishes and thinking of you. 🤞

Lolabridge profile image
Lolabridge

Poor you! I hope those antibiotics get to work quickly and you start to feel better soon. X

Gnarli profile image
Gnarli

What a steaming pile of nastiness! I hope the cefalexin plus the last line abs do the trick pdq. Hospital food is enough to make anyone nauseous, but - come on - give the chap a break.

sylvi profile image
sylvi

Oh my darling i am sending hugs fro a speedy recovery darling. xxxx

Deeb1764 profile image
Deeb1764

sending best wishes and a speedy recovery for the infection and glad you got seen and sorted as such. 🤗

nomoreheels profile image
nomoreheels

Poo. Not the best but know we're thinking of you. 🫶

Green230461 profile image
Green230461

sorry to hear you are still unwell. I have been given clarithromycin as I have a throat infection that won’t go away. Covid has messed up our bodies good and proper! Keep fighting on there. 🌺

sunnyweek profile image
sunnyweek

Only just seen you have an infection Wishbone, sending every good wish for a speedy recovery and the new antibiotic works very soon and you can go home.

springcross profile image
springcross

Just seen this wb, I'm sorry to hear about the abx, what an absolute nuisance. I'm sure they'll find a way to get over this so try not to worry - easier said than done I know! Just as well you're in there that's for sure. Hope the nausea disappears soon and you get your appetite back. xx

KittyJ profile image
KittyJ

oh wishbone this all sounds awful, I hope the antibiotics work and you’re out soon🤗

Oshgosh profile image
Oshgosh

xx

Neonkittie17 profile image
Neonkittie17

Hoping you turn the corner soon and feel better.SorryIcan’ttypeonherestillproperly.🙏🏻💗

Monkeysmum profile image
Monkeysmum

Thanks for updating us wishbone. Hope you are feeling a little brighter this morning and that the antibiotics are beginning to do their stuff. Big hug 🤗

Leics profile image
Leics

So sorry you’re still struggling wishbone but I will keep everything crossed for you that they manage to sort you out and get you back up and running again pretty damn quick. I’m certain the nausea is as a result of the antibiotics and maybe a bit of the infection sprinkled in. Do try and keep your stamina up by eating if you can. I’m sending you all my very best wishes that you start to feel better very soon. Keep us posted please.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Leics

Thanks Leics, I had the nausea before starting antibiotics.

Leics profile image
Leics in reply to wishbone

oh sorry to hear that. Wishing you a good recovery and a plan from rheumy and urology going forward to keep you from flaring and being susceptible to UTI’s. Will keep it all crossed for you.

junik53 profile image
junik53 in reply to wishbone

Sorry to hear you are so unwell.Have they given you anything for the nausea? It was the only thing that helped me when I had sepsis a few years ago. I was in hospital in France and the food was awful ,my husband used to bring me buttered French bread and boiled eggs it was all I had to eat for about 3 weeks lol. I do hope the antibiotics work for you soon and things turn around for you, sending big hugs and a prayer or two. X

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to junik53

Thanks junik, I haven't been sick, just waves of nausea which are getting fewer in number. I'm eating small amounts so appetite is a little better

Ruth12345 profile image
Ruth12345

Flippin heck wishbone. Nothing to say except thinking of you and hoping you are more comfortable this morning.

Speedy recovery. 🌻

janmary profile image
janmary

sounds grim - hope you feel better soon. Stay positive as much as you can

skinclinic profile image
skinclinic

Hi Wishbone . I do hope that this lot of antibiotics gets you sorted . No joke being stuck in limbo with these symptoms

Plumcrumble profile image
Plumcrumble

Hope the antibiotics work soon for you. I found out last week I'm allergic to nitrofurantoin slow release antibiotics which I was taking for a uti, I didn't know antibiotics could be such a problem, sending best wishes 💕

wishbone profile image
wishbone

Thanks for the best wishes everyone. Better news this morning.... my temp fluctuations look as if they are beginning to level off and there's a chance I can go home tommorow depending on temp readings and today's blood results. That said, the cosultant thinks it will more likely be on tuesday if everything is ok.

Very busy here in assessment. I'm currently sitting in the corridor due to a seriously ill patient being placed in the room that holds 6 beds at a push. Not the most comfortable place to be but it is what it is. Hope to get back to my bed his evening....fingers xxxx. Gave up wearing a mask, absolutely pointless with the numbers of unmasked staff and patients milling around.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply to wishbone

Great news about your temp beginning to settle wb and hopefully they'll be good enough, along with blood results, for you to go home within next day or two. Hope you get back to your bed soon but I would still wear a mask!

madme1 profile image
madme1

Come on wishbone, let's make a positive wish to feel better together. I'm on antibiotics the same as you, having been on at least 3 lots a few weeks previously. I had a really testing time over the New Year, my Sat's had dropped to 86, so I was told to go to A & E. So there was hubby and I, 7.15pm New Year's Eve till 4pm New Year's Day Sat on my scooter him on a chair, coughing and watching the watery, weak sun come up through the a & e window. Like you I'm prone to utis as well, which I know can make you feel like someone has turned all the lights off, and you don't know where to turn. But every time my husband held my hand it made me feel like we are still here, still breathing albeit with the odd wheeze and cough along the way and I'm still fighting that Tazmanian devil who is sat on my chest determined to draw every last breath out of me!😡🤬 So just like hundreds of others on here, and just like my husband did, we can virtually hold hands to get each other through.🤞

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to madme1

Sorry to hear that madme, nice way to celebrate the new year. How do you feel now?

madme1 profile image
madme1 in reply to wishbone

I'm getting there thanks, still coughing sore throat etc, but hanging on.

I'm glad you're getting seen and just hope you feel better soon. We'll all be thinking on you. The only way is up now.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

Oh wishbone, I really feel for you. Fingers crossed that the antibiotics you are on now work and that your rheumy and urologist can work together to get you sorted out - and out of hospital too, sounds like you really do need a break from it all.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thanks Fruitandnut, been told that there's no chance of going home tomorrow and have had my doseage of the intravenous antibiotic increased.

lindyloo2018 profile image
lindyloo2018

Hi, I have used cefalexin, but also the broader antibiotic cefuroxime. for UTI I have found that nitrofurantoin always worked, so did doxycycline

make sure you are drinking loads of water spaced out through the day to flush the bugs out.

1/2pint water every hour or 2 may help to flush it out.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to lindyloo2018

Nitrofurentoin did work for a while, but never really cleared any infection with most returning within a couple of weeks of ending a coarse. Similar thing goes for all of the common antibiotics a GP can prescribe and any others I've been prescribed in the past. Hence I'm down to using last-line antibiotics.

ks1966 profile image
ks1966

I hope you get well soon. What RA are you on? If you don’t mind me asking

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to ks1966

Rinvoq, if you are asking about meds.

ks1966 profile image
ks1966 in reply to wishbone

yea I am. Thanks. Is it any good. I’m on Rituximab and want to change my meds

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to ks1966

Can't say I've been happy with it , it was okish but not as good as Baricitininb, which is another JAK Inhibitor that I used for over 3 infection free years. I stoped taking it because it was losing effect. I've been on Rinvoq for around 8 months and have no plans extending that.

ks1966 profile image
ks1966

Best of luck

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to ks1966

Thanks

Hollyhock123 profile image
Hollyhock123

Gosh, sounds pretty tough. I sincerely hope those antibiotics are working for you and you get home soon. Take care

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Hollyhock123

Thank you.

Biofreak profile image
Biofreak

Hope you are feeling a bit better wishy. Just wanted to mention since you said you were having gentamycin that when my brother got an infection after a bowel operation he wasn't responding to any antibiotics and the doctor said we are going to give you gentamycin,..... the "king" of antibiotics .

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Biofreak

Thanks Biofreak, that's good to know if ever they need to use it. I'm getting different messages from different consultants....yesterday's said that if the current antibiotic I'm on , along with gentamycin, doesn't work then there's no more I can do for you! 😮 However, when I asked this morning's consultant the current situation regarding antibiotics, he said although I have a number of resistant bugs in my stomach and whioh microbiology are having difficulty identyfying, they still have more tricks up their sleeve and he seemed confident they could sort me out. Think it best to just keep my fingers crossed and wait and see what happens.............

Also asked this morning's consultant why, when first admitted, that my kidneys were scanned and not my bladder when it's my bladder that's the problem. He said that they'd scanned both, but when I insisted it was only my bladder he disappeared for a minute or two and returned to repeat that it was both bladder and kidneys were scanned. Now I know very well that was not the case as I asked the radiologists when they were doing it. Sort of losing my faith the NHS.

Biofreak profile image
Biofreak in reply to wishbone

I won't go into it now wishy but my faith in the NHS has taken a real nose dive in the last 2 years. From my personal experience over that time I've witnessed some very good care and very poor care in equal measure. The care provided isn't consistent depending on which hospital you attend. I'm not blaming the doctors and nurses because I think they are so tired of it all that they are losing their enthusiasm and passion for the job. Definitely overworked and overwhelmed and that leads to poor care. Unfortunately, for the patient, it doesn't inspire confidence. That's not to say I don't support the NHS because I do. What we are experiencing now is the result of years of underfunding and lack of appreciation in real terms by successive governments.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Biofreak

I won't go into my issues either, mainly to do with Urology. Wholeheartedly agree that years of underfunding has been the main problem.

Green230461 profile image
Green230461

How are you doing today?

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to Green230461

Feeling better thanks, my temp is still a problem and stubbornly remains in the 70's, albeit the low 70's, rather than the high ones when first admitted.

Hi, I had the same problem, with eating I found that very small food such as rice puddings in individual pots, glasses of milk when thirsty, jelly, trifle and no meat helped with the sickness. Then it was very slow for the anti-biotics (IV) to kick in after trials of differing anti-biotics. It takes a long time and continuing anti-biotics at home to finally start to feel a lot better. I hope this helps you.

wishbone profile image
wishbone in reply to jeremy76charnwood

Thanks for that. Nausea seems to have gone I'm glad to say. Think I was on antibiotics for 6 weeks or more when I had a serious infection a few years ago.

Summerrain14 profile image
Summerrain14

Hi Wishbone, I am so sorry your awful infection has led to you being in hospital and I really do hope that the antibiotics get on top of this infection. I too hope that both your urology team and rheumatology team work with you and together. I have chronic UTI’s which often led to kidney infections and put me in hospital. I am under urology and nephrology too now as the kidney infections have damaged my kidneys. I have mostly bladder infusions from urology to try and limit the infections but have at least one a month still. Sadly my rheumatology, and urology team haven’t and don’t work together and my nephrology team has managed to get the teams to work together. My urology team are lovely in all fairness and happy to work alongside all my other medical teams but my rheumatology team is not so keen to do so. I am now just waiting for my biologic to be changed. I always find that after an infection I end up in a bad flare. I am having this at the moment and my steroids have been increased to try and a settle this flare up. Thinking of you x

wishbone profile image
wishbone

Hi Summer, I'm sorry to hear about the problem with infections that you've been having. I was happier wth the response I had from rheumy rather than urology when I tried to get their heads together about this sort of thing a few years ago.

Anyway, the latest from the doctors this morning is that I will be unlikely to go home until at least thursday, probably longer. I've started wearing a mask again as I'm feeling very vunerable here in the assessment ward as there's so many different people, both patients and visitors that it borders on chaotic at times! Thankfully, one of the doctors has explained my stuation regarding infections to a nurse. When I later spoke with the nurse, she said they are considering putting me in an isolation room though I doubt this will materialse.

edit.....if today's bloods are ok I may be sent home as they feel I'm at more risk in hospital.

I couldn't have been admitted at a worse time!

You may also like...

FINGERS CROSSED

me 3 of those wernt to bad but there was a woman who was supposidly the chair person and she was a...

Painful fingers crossed

good. Finally I have my appt with my Rheumy Doc who is ACE and I arrived with claw hands as I...

Flu Jab & Infection update!!!

my first infection and completed a course of antibiotics last tuesday. 2 days later I had a flare...

Please have your fingers crossed for me

it could make that joint pain worse,I don't know why but don't want more pain

First dose of Methotrexate tomorrow! *fingers crossed*