Advice re antibiotics

Hi all, I was just wondering if anyone can answer these questions. My GP prescribed Cipro as my "home reserve" antibiotic. However to day I visited my Respiratory Consultant (nurse.... but very knowledgeable) and she advised against using this antibiotic in this way. She said that it is the best antibiotic for use with pseudomomas and that I may be needed at some stage in the future.

She recommended Doxycycline instead. However, if my memory serves me correctly, This antibiotic failed me once before. If an antibiotic fails to clear an infection once or twice, will it ever be effective in the future?

Also if you have been hospitalised once for antibiotic treatment, will home antibiotics be useless in the future?

Just a little worried and would be grateful for reassurance from fellow sufferers.. Many thanks.

  I have doxycycline 2 the first day then 1 a day 

Hi Judy , is it a two week course? Have you had them before? Do they always clear your infection?

The hospitalization treatment just means that at that point in time, that particular treatment is what you needed. If they thought you'd need that every time, they wouldn't give you emergency packs. They would instead say that you were always to go to the hospital the minute you felt worse.

It might be a good idea to ask the go for clarification in light of what the respiratory nurse said.

Thank you aitarg for your advice. It does make sense. The respiratory nurse said that she would put a note on my file so that the GP would see it. I have an appointment with the GP to morrow and will discuss same. Best regards.

I usually have for a week and prednisolone when ill and I have emergency supplie if I get to the doctors I rotate them and take old ones first I had a time once on others I had to have 3 lots

I actually agree with your nurse. Cipro has many side effects and unless you have pseudmonas I wouldn't take it.   Do you know what bug causes your chest infections?

Thank you Judy. Keep well.

Hi ohara. I don't know the name of the bug but I do know that Co amoxyclav and Cipro were the two antibiotics suggested as treatments. Cipro was chosen because Co Amoxyclav had failed to clear the last 5 infections over a period of 6 months. However, I am fully persuaded that I need to leave Cipro aside until and unless it is needed for something more difficult to treat. i really apreciate your input. Many thanks and keep well.

Do you take Azithromycin yet?   

There are several bad effects taking Cipro, but the worse on I think is tendonitis, so if you do take it watch out for leg pains etc and stop taking it immediately .  I have take taked Cipro for years ( for pseudo) with no adverse side affects, it works REALLY well for me , but the dose I have to take is high   750 mg a day for 14 days...it clears up the pseudo OK  but I'm cautious with it, I would not like it as my rescue med ,  I will only take it if Pseudo is in my sputum sample.  I agree other antibiotics are not as good as Cipro , but consultants are icreasingly worried about us taking it,    Luckily some new inhaled Cipro is comeing out soon ,hopefully, which I think will be safer as it goes straight to the lungs

No ohara, Azithromycin has not been prescribed for me yet. Do you take it and if so do you find it good? Also do you find that, when free from infection, you are able to lead an enjoyable life with a good quality of health? When infection free, I am in pretty good form. When infection hits, my form plummets. I,m 65. Quality of life is so important. I think you can cope with the down times better if you have some quality time in between. Really glad to hear that you are managing your pseudo well and that the Cipro is working. Keep up the good work and take care!