Leaving a sputum sample first is best before starting antibiotics. Even after culturing first, often my cultures show normal flora even though I feel miserable -- headache, aches, malaise, increased cough/mucus and darker looking sputum. I used to be able to alternate between augmentin and bactrim but I developed some bumps on my legs with bactrim. I had an allergy workup for bactrim and it showed while in the allergist's office I was not allergic. Later that night I developed some red bumps on legs. Frustrating. With the pulmonologist I plan to discuss re-trying bactrim again with an antihistamine. It would be good to have in the arsenal.

When my chest sounds really bad and I don't fully recover from an exacerbation after augmentin (or there's bronchitis or pneumonia) I'll be prescribed levaquin. So far that's happened not more than every other year. It's saved for serious infections.

I have started to wonder about 3x week azithromycin to curb the exacerbations and decrease mucus. I am well aware that the facebook support group cautions against it. There are studies to show, however, that it helps reduce inflammation and exacerbations in NCFB bronchiectasis without MAC/NTM. Many people here have used it with success. So far I have not be diagnosed with MAC/NTM (working hard to keep it that way). Hope this is helpful. I know I gave you an earful!