Tobramycin side effects

Jennifer and Jan. Tobi makes me wheeze too for about the first three weeks on it. I just keep doing it, and then after the 30 day run, I feel great.

windwalker -- thank you for the encouraging words. I have put myself on a "once a day" program with the goal of perhaps building up to twice. Thinking I can use a half vial for the second time soon and just try to build to it. Don't know......

Jan, that sounds like a good idea. I am on the tobi right now, even as we speak. I am four days into it now, and it still makes me cough at the very start of it. I know that soon, I will adjust to it and that will cease.

My Tobramycin arrived this morning and I nebulized it for the first time about three hours ago. My throat is a little scratchy feeling and I think I'm getting hoarse already.

Do y'all stay strictly on the 12 hour interval? If for any reason you neb earlier (but more than 6 hours) then you've changed the 12 hour time. What kind of schedule did you put yourselves on?

When I nebulize its: Duoneb/Budesonide/saline while in my SmartVest/ and Tobramycin for a chaser. I'm glad I'm retired...couldn't do this and hold down a job!

I've been on inhaled Tobramycin since last July. I am on a two week on/off schedule, as prescribed by NJH. Dr. Griffith said that he prefers his patients to be on the off cycle for a shorter time so that the pseudomonas has less time to flourish.
The first couple of months I used Toby my throat got scratchy but not too bad. About November, I got hoarse and now pretty much lose my voice for most of the second week. It comes back pretty quickly as soon as I'm off. I went to an ENT who told me to try nebulizing 0.9% hypertonic saline after doing Toby to "rinse" my vocal cords, much the way a singer does to keep their throat moist. It appears to be helping.
My nebbing routine is levalbuterol, 7% saline, Toby, then 0.9% saline. My rhythm is 7:30 am and 4:30 pm. I can't seem to do the 12 hours aprt because I either sacrifice sleep or eating and I can't afford less of either of those.
I return to NJH in May. I am going to talk to Dr. Griffith about possibly trying another antibiotic that is less harsh on my vocal cords. The Toby is very effective, but I am concerned about long term damage to my voice.

I lost my voice after only 5 uses. It did come back after i stopped. I stopped due to other side effects. It affected my urine output too much. I do not know how since it is not supposed to get into your system.

Dr is starting me on tobramycin, have read about the side effects. Question is for those who lost their voice was it permanently or temporary & how many days were you without a voice? I am already experiencing some hearing loss due to antibiotics I was on. Is the tobramycin as bad as the big 3, I already went through that 12 years ago? Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Hi. When I first used Toby it was twice a day for 28 days. In three days I lost my voice. It came back some after a week but was raspy and strained. The voice came back about normal after going off it. This has gone on for 4 years. Now the pulmonary doc I see likes 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Treatment now has me "sensitive" to sodium chloride and Toby treatments. The coughing has (I think) caused so much damage to my throat I sound like I've hung out in smoky bars all my life. Sometimes I avoid talking as it makes me start coughing. They have even reduced the treatment amount and just do once a day. Is that helping anything to surpress the pseudomonas.?? I don't know. Will go back next month to see if there is improvement. If not they said probably have to try something else. I've tried gargling after treatments but to be honest a cough drop before I begin seems helpful. I sometimes pause and use the drop again, get things calmed down and go again. Just remember everyone is different but having some knowledge ahead of time can keep you from freaking out. Best of luck as you move into the phase of treatment.
Faye

Thank you for the response!