Bronchiectasis and staving off recurrent infections

Hi, I have several flare ups a year. First thing my Pulmonologist did was take me off all steroids. They can cause infection. Good luck

Levacquin has caused me to develope neuropathy. I was on it for 14 days and it was worse than my illness. It worked but left me with severe feet tingling and pain. Prednisone is a steroid which can cause infection my new Pulmonologist took me off all those meds. My sputum culture came back negative this time so I’m off the three big ones. I still have Bronchiectasis which is no cure all you can do is keep it under control. Plus my airways have collapsed and my pulmonologist feels it’s from all the infections and steroids I’ve been on and off for nine years. I’m 75. I’m I a Pulmonary Rehabilitation class that has helped me tremendously. Ask your doctor to see if your local hospital has one it’s in the Respitory Department. Good luck. Contact me anytime. Gloria

Hi Gloria, hope you are well! Can you please share what the Pulmonary Rehabilitation class teach you about? What kind of exercise you are doing for this class that has helped you? Thank you!

Hi @annfl, My National Jewish doc prescribed Budesonide for sinus rinses as well but the prescription is for the "Inhalation Suspension" ampules (they look just like the Albuterol ampules for nebulizers). I just squeeze it into my sinus rinse bottle along with my saline packet twice a day. The doc went with the ampules because they are covered by insurance! Might be worth asking about 🙂

Good morning! They teach you the following! Breathing exercises I use a Pep with oxygen settings on 8 I breathe into that 10-20 about 6 times a day as needed now. I’m getting much better. Treadmill, Sports Art ( legs), arms rotation, a special bike. Now while your doing all this your being monitor for your 02 and BP. The goal is to help people to get back to normal activity as possible. This has been a blessing for me. I have lost 15lbs. I had gained so much being on steroids so long. I’m off all steroids, nebulizers, I only take 1 antibiotic a day now. Yes I feel much better. Contact me anytime. Gloria.

My insurance won’t cover it unless it’s through a nebulizer or other device. One doc got it through for me one time somehow but it wasn’t eligible for refill. I am on Medicare and have a good quality supplement plus a drug plan. Some nebulized meds go through Medicare part B, but must have a medication in them in addition to the saline for Medicare part B to apply. A rinse bottle isn’t considered a device. I think there are a few nonsensical rules where Medicare is concerned but I can’t really complain. They are very good when it comes to covering nebulized medications that sometimes can be very expensive.

Hi Ann. This is interesting!! Who prescribed these for you and I didn't know Mayo had a compounding pharmacy! I'm in Texas. Do you know if they ship? Do you live close to Mayo?

We are about 3 hours away from Rochester and that’s where I see a pulmonologist and otolaryngologist, and they do ship my refills. I don’t know anything about the other Mayo locations, such as Florida, having a compounding pharmacy - that would be something to check out.

Okay, thanks....did your pulmonary prescribe these drugs that need to be compounded?

They were prescribed by the ENT doctor - my sinuses are very much a part of the whole lung problem. Any infection pretty much involves both.