Allergic to Cipro and Sulfa antibiotics - what's left?

Before you give up on them it might be worth getting allergy testing to see if you have a true allergy to those antibiotics. As an aside, my internist advised me to take an antihistamine with each antibiotic dose, and said that it was safe to take 2 long lasting antihistamines in a 24 hour period (even though the allegra bottle says 1).

@meghan13: if you have a flare it's worth getting a sputum culture BEFORE starting antibiotics to sort out what might be growing. The lab report on the culture should indicate which antibiotics are either susceptible to fighting the infection or resistant to the infection. It's also possible you have no infection and therefore don't need abx.

Thank you for the tip. The problem with waiting on a sputum culture is then I'm sick for an extra 4 days before starting any treatment, and that's if it's a weekday.

I have been allergy tested in the past and came up with nothing, though I don't know if these drugs were tested. I've developed these allergies throughout the course of using them. I haven't always been allergic. But definitely allergic to sulfa because of the itching and rash (that stays for years). And Cipro I just started itching.

@meghan13 You could start the abx AFTER you drop off sputum sample, so technically start abx same day. I've done that a few times. When the culture comes back, hopefully within a few days, your doctor can confirm what you're taking is ok or switch abx. Try taking a long acting antihistamine with each dose.

Sulfa allergies are common particularly with age. I have developed one and can no longer take Bactrim even with 2x allegra dosing. In my case, I had bactrim allergy testing and in office it was negative but later that night I developed a small rash on one of my legs.

How is your clearance routine? If you are getting what feels like frequent infections and cultures are negative, it might be time to step up clearance regimen. Clearance is the gold standard with this disorder. I used to do 1x day which worked for so long, now I'm 2x day.

Cephalexin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. I was given this for pneumonia like symptoms without a sputum test and it worked.

@scoop I don’t have a clearance routine! Antibiotics have always worked but this time around I have pseudomonas from a recent culture and I’m not getting better from antibiotics so just found this forum and am relieved to find out I’m not alone. It took decades just for them to discover I had bronchiectisis. I’d be interested in knowing your lung clearance routine. I’m a runner but these past few weeks I’ve been too weak and short of breath to do any exercise.

@meghan13 sorry to hear it took so long to get diagnosed.

Many here have similar stories about the length of time it took to get diagnosed. I was treated as an asthmatic with repeat infections with oral steroids for awhile before I moved to a larger city. Then I had a diagnosis -- something to call it and something to do about it. Essentially, the gold standard for bronchiectasis treatment is lung clearance. You'll experiment to see what works for you. Also, an experienced knowledgeable pulmonologist is critical to work up and follow you. Exercise excellent also. For lung clearance there are Youtube videos with demonstrations. There are online conferences to listen to also on YouTube. Your pulmonologist can refer you to a RT (respiratory therapist) for added training. It takes time to master.

Regarding pseudomonas, an experienced knowledgeable pulmonologist will know how to treat with the correct antibiotics. From past reading, I recall that pseudomonas is treated with Levaquin for 3 to 4 months but ultimately, your doctor will dictate medication and duration.

You asked about my regimen:
a.m. NAC with full glass of water or 2 --> albuterol --> wait 15 mins --> nebulize with 7% saline (usually Rx from doctor) --> Autogenic Drainage app on phone for approx 5-6 cycles

p.m. Repeat morning routine except I leave out the albuterol

Please search this forum to become familiar with what others do for clearance. Everyone finds what works for them individually. Also search for pseudomonas infections. Likely, it will answer a lot of questions and make you a more knowledgeable, better patient. Various life style changes may be beneficial. Some people get utility from the Lung Matters facebook group.

The good news is that bronchiectasis is manageable; lung clearance can be accomplished at home. You'll be able to run again once you start feeling better from the pseudomonas infection. The key is to keep the lungs clear so future infections are less likely to settle in.

@scoop Thank you scoop! I had never heard of NAC before - what dosage would you recommend?

Most people take 600 mg a.m. / p.m. with lots of water.

Me, too. Cipro cross-reacted with a flu shot and left one side of my body paralyzed for three years; still weak but I'm lucky. Strongly suggest you go to an allergy clinic to verify which ones you can tolerate. For years I had severe reactions to penicillin, but no longer. I tolerate augmentin, amoxycilin, azithromycin. Everyone is different. Good luck!