Flu and PMR

[jenerino]

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I posted but wanted to know if anyone else has had the same reaction. A couple of weeks ago I started getting ague, felt ghastly, though i had flu and went to bed. I am currently on 1mg Pred every other day (having had PMR for seven years). I ended up feeling so terrible, I finally got to the doctors. He gave me a blood test and called me back as an emergency the same night. He said my inflammation levels were at 100 and put me immediately on heavy duty anti-biotics for 5 days. They end tomorrow and I am to have another blood test at the end of the week. I had no idea that a dose of ordinary flu (not covid), could cause such havoc. Anyone else on here experienced this?

[Seacat30]

I didn't think that antibiotics were prescribed for the flu. Maybe you had a secondary infection of some kind?

Are you sure it isn't an antiviral rather than an antibiotic?

[jenerino in reply to Seacat30]

No it is antibiotic Clarithromycin 500mg. I am allergic to penicillin so he gave me these instead. How odd. Does this mean he didn't think I had flu in the first place?

[Seacat30 in reply to jenerino]

Maybe he wants to make sure that nothing else brewing too?

[nallufl24]

I haven’t had the flu since GCA but I know that antibiotics are not prescribed for the flu. The flu is a virus and antibiotics will do nothing

[jenerino in reply to nallufl24]

You're absolutely right. I was given Clarithomycin 500 which is an antibiotic. How strange.

[piglette]

Every now and then my inflammation markers go over 100 for no apparent reason. I have never been offered antibiotics though. I think if I were I would question it.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Can't have been flu if it responded to antibiotics. DID it respond to the antibiotics - or was it a chest infection?

[jenerino in reply to PMRpro]

No, no chest infection. Terrible ague, no temperature, tired, a bit achy but just feeling absolutely awful. This went on for ten days before I saw the doc.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to jenerino]

So what was the rationale behind giving you antibiotics?

[jenerino in reply to PMRpro]

I really don't know. He rang up at 7.15, said my inflammation was 100 and he was giving me antibiotics. He didn't say why.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to jenerino]

Oh well ...