what antibiotics can I take with methotrexate and sulphursalazine I’m in India right now and have got a flu going on for a few days now.

[mickyb]

what antibiotics can I take with methotrexate and sulphursalazine I’m in India right now and have got a flu going on for a few days now.

[Nyreedw]

If you have flu it's a virus, antibiotics won't work. They are for bacterial infections. Get well soon.

[Runrig01]

unfortunately the flu doesn’t respond to antibiotic’s, as it’s a virus, not a bacteria. Regular paracetamol, rest and plenty fluids. Taking antibiotics when not needed, exposes you to the risk of serious infection from resistant bugs, so is not advised.

[Jackie1947]

No point in taking them unless you have a chest infection.

[Mmrr]

Antibiotics will have no effect on the flu / cold / virus infection. Rest, take plenty fluids and some paracetamol if it is a viral infection things should settle in 48hrs or so.

[wilbertjellyfish]

If you take any antibiotics you have to stop other meds ...and risk a flare of arthritis. I appreciate that in India you can buy antibiotics without seeing a Dr but you are risking developing antibiotic resistant infection and if you have RA you will need antibiotics at some stage.

If you're not improving and have ruled out covid might be better to see a doctor. Hope you are better soon and this doesn't wreck your holiday.

[trunchalobesity]

for flu plenty of fluids and paracetamol, not antibiotics.

If you get a chest infection, coughing up green phlegm then probably amoxicillin x

[happytulip in reply to trunchalobesity]

Doxycycline is the standard treatment for community acquired pneumonia, if you can't have docu then it's amoxicillin. But only if you develop a chest infection. As others have said, flu is a virus and won't respond to abx and you will put yourself at risk of abx resistance.

[Crossroad]

The antibiotics that you can’t take are Septrin and Trimethoprim. I was given antibiotics for flu last year after amoxicillin didn’t work, can’t remember the name of the one I took but it worked for me. Hope you recover soon.

[Chrissycl in reply to Crossroad]

Doctor told me that Antibiotics do not work for flu, i because it a t's a virus, but if the antibiotic worked it was more that likely a chest I infection not the flu or a secondary infection caused by the flu.

[Crossroad in reply to Chrissycl]

Yes always been told the same but I did a sputum test and the pharmacist at the doctors phoned me and told me it came back positive for flu and said he’d sent a prescription through to the chemist for antibiotics. I guess even the professionals have different opinions.

[bpeal1 in reply to Crossroad]

That sounds very strange. Flu is definitely caused by a virus and antibiotics definitely don’t work for viruses.

Also sputum tests are usually used to test for bacterial or fungal infections (eg. to test to see what is causing a chest infection or pneumonia ). Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. Maybe they thought the flu had triggered a secondary infection.

Alternatively, could it be antivirals that were prescribed?They don’t normally prescribe antivirals for flu but occasionally they will for extremely vulnerable people.

[Crossroad in reply to bpeal1]

Yeah, I agree with everything being said about flu being a virus and I’d had all my flu and Covid jabs. Several weeks after that infection I went on to have multiple chest infections and was quite ill for months, sometimes the nurses would do a sputum, other times they didn’t bother even though I asked. It definitely wasn’t antivirals I was given but I think sometimes the professionals make things more confusing when they give conflicting information. Not sure why antibiotics worked in that instance, maybe the infection just ran its course and it was coincidental that I started to feel better.

[Chrissycl]

Most likely, but having just had my annual flu jab I hopecI never need to find out which one is right