Have Bronchiectasis, recently diagnosed with pseudomonas

Posted by shiell @shiell, Feb 25, 2017

I have read everything today that I find on this site. I do not know anyone else with problem. I have written down everything that stood out which I can follow up. I am beginning a 28 day therapy with inhaled tobramycin. I am 87 and realitively active. Caretaker part time for spouse with end stage COPD. Thanks for being here.

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@lindam272

@pamelasc1 Your doctor needs to run a sensitivity test on your most recent culture to see what medicine will work best in eradicating or controlling the bacteria. There are several medicines that can be prescribed for pseudomonas but without the sensitivities test, you won't know which ones are most effective to treat it. My pseudomonas is entrenched in my lungs. I have used inhaled Cayston, Colisitin, Amakacin, Tobramycin and oral antibiotics as well to control it. @lindam272

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In regards to pseudemonas: I cannot take the Levquin due to using it over many years and now I have neurapathy in my feet and toes. I am trying to hear back from as many of you as are able to give me some ideas as to the issues they had, if any, in using the inhaled Tobramycin. One of you said at one point in her treatment, she suddenly could not breathe. That is the scariest thing to me and for that reason, I am very scared to use the Tobramycin. Has anyone else had that reaction? Can you tell me how many days you had to take it for the pseudemonas to clear up? Would the 7% saline help to get rid of it, and has anyone used that with any success? I am now coughing up a good deal and I am going to have to bite the bullet and take something. I see my lung doctor tomorrow. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Pamela

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@auntnanny

I didn't have a rescue inhaler because I had never needed one. I sat down and stayed very quiet. My son was here and he helped me by saying "Don't talk, Mom"....... it passed after maybe an hour. It just kept easing up as I sat there.

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Aunt Nanny - did the doctor tell you why you could not breathe? Did you stop taking it right then and there, and did it clear up the psedemonas, or did you begin something else? Pamela

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@auntnanny

Hi, Pam..... I was told by Mayo's the tobramycin was the only way to rid the pseudemonas and they asked me to come to Rochester for a trial with it before starting the program. I did that and I did a vial through a nebulizer while someone there was with me -- no problems. So, I was given the prescription for it and was told it would take possibly a year for it to rid the bacteria. I got along with it okay for maybe 2 months and then started having difficulty breathing when I used it and it was very scary to me and I was taken off it. I've never tried it again but perhaps I will one day. I've been off it about 2 years now. I do know two ladies,though who are using it and never have any trouble with it and the results are good. So...... let me know if you give it a try. It's very expensive but my doctor at Mayo's wrote a prescription for me and Medicare picked it up.

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sorry, I just saw this again so thank you for the information Aunt Nanny! Pamela

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@pamelasc1

Aunt Nanny - did the doctor tell you why you could not breathe? Did you stop taking it right then and there, and did it clear up the psedemonas, or did you begin something else? Pamela

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After 3 or 4 sputum spec that were "unacceptable" the pulmonologist prescribed 3 weeks of Cypro again about 3 months ago. There is a spec at lab at this time waiting for final results. The preliminary showed "many gram positive cocci and few gram positive rods
It is almost impossible for me to get a sputum specs that is acceptable because of too much selivia. Have to get it during 7% NaCl neb. Since there were no Gram negative in this last sputum spec, I am assuming that the Cypro got it.

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@pamelasc1

In regards to pseudemonas: I cannot take the Levquin due to using it over many years and now I have neurapathy in my feet and toes. I am trying to hear back from as many of you as are able to give me some ideas as to the issues they had, if any, in using the inhaled Tobramycin. One of you said at one point in her treatment, she suddenly could not breathe. That is the scariest thing to me and for that reason, I am very scared to use the Tobramycin. Has anyone else had that reaction? Can you tell me how many days you had to take it for the pseudemonas to clear up? Would the 7% saline help to get rid of it, and has anyone used that with any success? I am now coughing up a good deal and I am going to have to bite the bullet and take something. I see my lung doctor tomorrow. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Pamela

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I have a bad case of pseudomonas. Please share what your doctor said and prescribed for you. I am waiting for a call back from the nurse to set up an appointment with my bacteria specialist. Thanks.

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@rits

I have a bad case of pseudomonas. Please share what your doctor said and prescribed for you. I am waiting for a call back from the nurse to set up an appointment with my bacteria specialist. Thanks.

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Pseudomonas: Best wishes on the pseudomonas treatment. My doctor prescribed Cyprofloxacin for 21 days. It is very difficult for me to get an acceptable sputum specimen because I can no longer cough. So after several months of trying and sputum rejected at lab, the doctor order 3 weeks of Cyprofloxacin for me again. I am waiting on the final results of a sputum test now to determine if I still have pseudomonas or other bacteria. The preliminary showed large amount of gram positive cocci.

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@pamelasc1

In regards to pseudemonas: I cannot take the Levquin due to using it over many years and now I have neurapathy in my feet and toes. I am trying to hear back from as many of you as are able to give me some ideas as to the issues they had, if any, in using the inhaled Tobramycin. One of you said at one point in her treatment, she suddenly could not breathe. That is the scariest thing to me and for that reason, I am very scared to use the Tobramycin. Has anyone else had that reaction? Can you tell me how many days you had to take it for the pseudemonas to clear up? Would the 7% saline help to get rid of it, and has anyone used that with any success? I am now coughing up a good deal and I am going to have to bite the bullet and take something. I see my lung doctor tomorrow. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Pamela

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I had severe shortness of breath with both Albuterol and Levalbuterol (chest tightness) so am not taking a bronchodilator at this time. I am also very "timid" about new meds due to that experience.

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@raney

Pseudomonas: Best wishes on the pseudomonas treatment. My doctor prescribed Cyprofloxacin for 21 days. It is very difficult for me to get an acceptable sputum specimen because I can no longer cough. So after several months of trying and sputum rejected at lab, the doctor order 3 weeks of Cyprofloxacin for me again. I am waiting on the final results of a sputum test now to determine if I still have pseudomonas or other bacteria. The preliminary showed large amount of gram positive cocci.

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Thank you for sharing. My appointment is at the end of December! I was put on Cipro 8 or 9 years ago by my former pulmonogist. At the time, I didn't have any bacteria and I can't remember why it was prescribed. I reported that I had terrible diarrhea from it and my former pulmonologist put it down as an allergy so to this day my records show that I am allergic to cipro. I thought allergic reactions are hives, trouble breathing etc. and diarrhea is a side effect. But my doctors all think that I am allergic to Cipro (and therefore that whole family of drugs).

I'd like to try Cipro because that seems to be the antibiotic that is best for killing pseudomonas. My susceptibility test shows that my pseudomonas can be killed by a whole lot of antibiotics including the gentomicin I tried and Toby. But I can't tolerate inhaled drugs.

I have no idea regarding what gram positive cocci means. I hope you have a good result from the Cipro snd will let me know how it goes. Good luck!

Rita

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@rits

I have a bad case of pseudomonas. Please share what your doctor said and prescribed for you. I am waiting for a call back from the nurse to set up an appointment with my bacteria specialist. Thanks.

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I wouldn't place too much stock in what worked for someone else. My husband & I had pseudomonas infections at the same time in 2018. His responded to one course of one antibiotic. Mine took 3 antibiotics, over 2 months, to clear. Presumably we both got it the same place so ????
Your ID doc will do a sensitivity test to see what will work on yours.
Sue

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@rits

Thank you for sharing. My appointment is at the end of December! I was put on Cipro 8 or 9 years ago by my former pulmonogist. At the time, I didn't have any bacteria and I can't remember why it was prescribed. I reported that I had terrible diarrhea from it and my former pulmonologist put it down as an allergy so to this day my records show that I am allergic to cipro. I thought allergic reactions are hives, trouble breathing etc. and diarrhea is a side effect. But my doctors all think that I am allergic to Cipro (and therefore that whole family of drugs).

I'd like to try Cipro because that seems to be the antibiotic that is best for killing pseudomonas. My susceptibility test shows that my pseudomonas can be killed by a whole lot of antibiotics including the gentomicin I tried and Toby. But I can't tolerate inhaled drugs.

I have no idea regarding what gram positive cocci means. I hope you have a good result from the Cipro snd will let me know how it goes. Good luck!

Rita

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Rita, I had very, very loose stools while on the Cipro also. But I have had loose stools with every antibiotic that I have ever taken for any reason. The antibiotic in addition to killing the bacteria you want it to kill, it also kills the "good germs" in your gut and thus loose stools or diarrhea. Good idea to eat greek yogurt or take probiotics when on an antibiotic.
You may want to google "antibiotics and diarrhea." If you think there was a mistake you can also ask that that be removed from you medical record.
Raney

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