Should 4+ Pseudomonas be treated?

Do you have much in the way of decaying leaves near your property? Woods, etc. Also ask your dr about adding glatimer acetate 'Copaxone' to the tobi. It is a booster that helps in some cases.

Usually it ranges from 90 - 93 ...... but if I'm on toby, I had just walked through the house, nothing strenuous at all..... and sat down. Sat there a couple of minutes -- then took the test and it was 85%. It did not feel good, Terri.....

windwalker....Well, I live on a large ranch and the only house around.. Yes, there are leaves from time to time. The wind blows them in and blows them around and out...... Wouldn't be able to keep that from happening.

Hi Jennifer @megan123, When I first had Pseudomonas it was only 1+ (mildest). Next sputum was six months later and I had 3 strains at 4+ each (worst). My doctor offered me the choice--try to eradicate it or surpress it? I said eradicate. Had the PICC line with Ciftazidime and Toby. After that treatment, no pseudomonas. Four months after that had tested out for two strains of Pseudomonas (one 4+ and one 3+). Now have 4+ and no treatment recommended. I've gotten many responses to my original post. I've copied them in a document so I can read through them and also refer back later. If I do become symptomatic I'll have some things to bring up to my doctor. Thanks for posting. Take care.

Hi gang, I would appreciate some advice regarding pseudomonas treatment. I picked up this nasty bugger while hospitalized for a rhinovirus (cold) for 17 days. It first showed up in April 2019 and continued showing up in the monthly samples I brought in while I was being treated for MAC. It disappeared in September 2019. I think it didn't like Arikayce which I began taking in August,

I stopped all MAC treatment at the end of May 2020 almost 15 months after I started and a year after it vanished from my samples. Unfortunately, pseudomonas reappeared in my June 2020 sample (mailed 4/20), my August sample (mailed 7/27), and most recently 11/20 (mailed 10/20). I had a video appointment last week with Dr. McShane who is treating my various lung organisms from UT Tyler. My breathing has been horrible and getting worse for months with lots of shortness of breath and almost constant thick, gross but clear, sputum. Is it the pseudomonas (or the bosa nova - sorry couldn't resist Thumper's influence).

Dr. McShane is reluctant to treat. I had a lot of trouble with the oral antibiotics, mainly digestive, that has improved only over the last few weeks. I had a great deal of trouble with Arikayce which affected my breathing so Dr, McShane is also reluctant to prescribe an inhaled drug. My pseudomonas is susceptible to every antibiotic on the list, But, she said that she has been "chasing bacteria" like pseudomonas since she first started practicing in this area in 2008. She said I could do a course of antibiotic and the numbers would go down enough so that it wouldn't show up in the report. However, soon after stopping the antibiotic, the numbers would go up again in a vicious cycle,

Instead, she prescribed a prednisone burst which has given me loads of energy but seems to have made the humongous amount of sputum worse, I'm breathing through cement! I'm finishing the burst tomorrow and promised I would report on how I'm doing. Dr. McShane is brilliant and probably the best doctor I have ever had and, believe me, I have been treated by A LOT of doctors. If I tell her that I want to try treating it, I believe she will prescribe something although we aren't sure that it is the pseudomonas causing this. Also, I am overdo for a chest ct scan which would be helpful but I am too stressed to have any tests until after I have confidence I will be safe. That, hopefully, will be in a couple of months.

I hope Terri and others who have a pseudomonas history will chime in. Should I push for treatment? Thanks

@rits...I noticed you haven't gotten the replies you are seeking. It is frustrating. Your doctor sounds like an excellent source for appropriate medicines. Those of us who have constant mucous and are denied antibiotics for good reasons (candida, side effects, etc) have had to turn to alternatives such as postural drainage (see youtube videos), lung cleanse (see amazon), mucinex, and change in diet (acid reduction). You can take control over what you do every day. This will help you feel less helpless. I hope you find your answers.

Thanks egayle. I have been doing some form of sputum treatment and airway clearance for 10 years. I'm sick of it but I know I need to do it. While I have always had a great deal of sputum, it has been manageable and I currently have no problem bringing up sputum. Actually, it's the opposite. It comes up all day long, only stopping if I sit or lie down. Because I've never had anywhere near this much or so many thick globs, I think it is from the pseudomonas because excess, thick unmanageable sputum is the first symptom listed..

Sue and I think one or two other members responded to a previous message I posted which was moved to a different group. I plan to ask to be put on an antibiotic for it. I guess I'm hoping someone who hsd been treated for it will say. "Go for it." or "No
Don't do it."

Thanks for reading and responding.

Which lung cleanse from Amazon do you use? Thank you
Ellen

rits.... I don't know if this will be helpful but I've had pseudomonas consistently for a few years. Could not tolerate the toby and there seemed to be nothing else. A pulmonologist in Tulsa put me on azithromicin 3 times weekly and surprisingly, the phlegm production (which was always heavy and green) has decreased at least 90%. I've been on this for about six months. Mayo pulmonologist would rather I not take it because it may be needed for MAC at some point. But I just keep hanging on. It's absolutely wonderful to not be coughing and producing green stuff all day long. I do saline, albuterol, buesomide (sp) performist, and yupalri through the nebulizer daily. Takes at least 90 minutes to do that and like you -- I hate it..... but this program (for the time being) has virtually stopped the coughing and production and it's the best I've felt in years. Just saying........ (of course it can change at any time).

@ellenn...I have used Dr. Tobias for years with good results. Recently my HVAC serviceman suggested there might be mold in ducts, so I used the lung cleanse for smokers for one month just in case. I'm doing well right now, but if another exacerbation comes along, I may add the toxin remover cleanse again.