bonjour, (my scottish is getting better huh?) sputum sample handed in Tuesday so called by gps for results, no, not in yet, beside which you can't have any more antibiotics as you've had too many recently, pardon me? yes 3 weeks worth which did b*gger all, so obviously they were the wrong ones? so I'm left suffering all weekend with no medication to help at all, apart from inhalers............ I could cry, but my mascara would only run (just kidding, I'm a male of the species, honest!)
Hi sounds awful to me . I'm a new comer to this broncielastis I am now waiting to see the chest specialist I was absolutely devastated when they told me I had it ...please tell me how you cope my breathing is the only thing I'm getting trouble with very quick shallow breathing I just pray all will go well when I see the chest specialist all the best
hello Jayne,I'm a relative newcomer to this myself so my advice is non existent unfortunately, to be honest I'm not coping very well either, scares me to death the shallow shortness of breath, hopefully once you've seen the chest specialist you will get the help needed, part of which involves self help with breathing techniques, loosening any mucus in the lungs etc, I have'nt yet been shown this but I understand it to be very beneficial. There are many lovely folks on here some who have had Bronchiectsis many many years who will offer sound advice and encouragement, best wishes to you.
Hello David thank you for your reply , I wish I could wave a magic wand and it would be gone I'm so tearful😂 I just hope everything goes well for you bless .
We don't want bloomin antibiotics it is only because we are not being treated right in the first place that we need more TRUE??
Hi David, change your GP, seriously...my specialist told me to get some Tetracycline tablets off the doctor when another infection raises its head, and then just change the antibiotics when the results of the sputum tests arrive. The specialist sent instructions to the doctor to make sure he understood.
Blessings,
Lesley (you can read this with a scottish accent as I went for my holiday to Scotland last year...och aye 
)
so very true Mo, I am getting frustrated with the lack of help here that's a fact, week after week and no resolution, HELP! I am almost making a nuisance of myself (or so I feel) by my constant gp visits, phone calls etc.
hi Lesley, changing my gp is'nt really an option available to me due to the isolated location of my cave in the hills there are two gps in my surgery so I will have to hope the other one has different thoughts on my treatment plan, otherwise I may as well go up to the local vets and try my luck. och aye the noo
"Hoots mon" Now there is a problem...do you see the specialist? Mine sorted it out for me, but then discharged me (or have I been written off) so I am at the mercy of my GP now, but they are a cheerful surgery, (so no problems...famous last words?). ...
therein lies part of the problem, I saw a specialist for all of 10 minutes, very distant attitude, and when his ramble was over he said I am happy for your doctor to treat you, and showed me the door! (although I already knew what a door looked like) makes me wonder if the right hand knows what the left hand is doing, so to speak. I'm in the beautiful far north highlands of Scotland, 3rd cave on the left after Inverness
...yes 10 minutes sounds about right! the nurse at my doctor's surgery...after having a spirometer test and telling me I was breathing normally...recommended ringing up the specialist for an appointment as I was coughing badly, an obvious infection. I waited for the result of the sputum test, and was given Tetracycline for Strep' A, so I then rang the specialist, booked an appointment and was in there for...you guessed it all of 10 minutes...but when you get to the specialist, you can explain that the doctor needs to understand that you need some tablets 'in stock' for times when you can't get to the surgery, holidays etc. and for him to explain to the doctor that you must have tablets immediately as the normal rules do not apply for people with bronchiectasis...you could end up with a lung bleed etc.
I find i have to manage this myself and be in charge of my own treatment ...well in theory...it doesn't always work out
Have fun, I hope your cave is well insulated, it is going to be cold tonight.
Blessings, Lesley
I asked my doctor for a couple of years to please give me antibiotics to keep in the house as it was always a weekend when the infections seemed to start. But they said no they couldn't do that. After 5 individual prescriptions one a double dose of antibiotics and no improvement I just went in and told her I wanted to be referred. The first thing the specialist said was you need to keep a rescue pack in the house. and they also told me 7 days is not enough you need 11 or 14 days supply to get to the bottom of the infection and the tablets you take will be changed if the sputum sample has a different bug in. The doctor gets letters from the hospital the same as me to inform them what I need and everytime I get a prescription I have to go bak to get it altered for a larger quantity as they still put 7 days on one occasion they gave me 7 days one to be taken twice a day don't even know where they got this from it is really unsettling. I worry as I think if this had been my mother or mother in law at my age they would have just done as the doctor said as the doctor knows best!! Wonder if people are living longer because they are managing their own problems!!
Hi David 25160 Seems quite a time since I last spoke to you, How are you these days ? Last time you were going to have an appointment with a therapist Did it do any good ?
hi again Ive just been reading your previous discussions an awful lot of 'och aye the noo" well I'm Scottish with the dreaded bronchieactisis
hey hello Maid Marion, pleased to "meet" you! yes Scottish born n bred although I spent a few misspent years in Englandshire for my troubles. Yes eventually I say the therapist but I could'nt help her got some breathing and huffing techniques shown, tried making me do various exercises but after the third one I was peching and panting, my bp had risen a fair bit so that was stopped, still feel I'm being left in limbo by the medical profession, as in I was refused antibiotics for my last infection, although it was'nt severe, and how do I distinguish between asthma and hayfever symtoms plaguing me? just a gurny owld git in my owld age haha
Sorry to hear yourtherapy did not work out well I only do breathing excercies
nothing to physical.
Let the Scottish come out in you and insist your doctor does something to help
you stand your ground (if you can get enough breath)
I did forget to tell you something my specialidt told me, it sounded good advise
If you do not clear the mucas regularly you will get more chest infections and then the bronchiactisis will progress.
It seems to me that very few GPs, along with nurses (even respiratory nurses) are aware of the guidelines for non cf bronchiectasis. Please take a look at page i5 Anti biotic therapy. A sample should be taken but a broad spectrum ab eg Amoxil should be commenced until the results come back. Anti biotic therapy for non cf bronch should be for 14 days and is usually a high dose.
I always do my own samples and fill in my own MC&S forms, then I can fill in what day I am on of nebbed Tobramycin. Then taking a educated guess, tninking what would my con do now, bearing in mind the bugs I usually grow i.e. HI, strep p and also morax and what they are usually sensitive to. I 'phone up later in the week to check it's the right one, or not.
I don't know how you manage to wait until the sample comes back - you must feel absolute rubbish. I know if I had to wait with a high temp I would end up in hospital.
One thing I learnt quite early on in my life is you have to be your own advocate having bronchiectasis.
There has been a lot in the news, quite rightly about the overuse of abs, but this should really apply to the usually fit and well. We don't want them - we need them. We have a love/hate relationship.
Good luck everyone.
love cofalot
Hi Jayne how are you, I'm sure it was you that said you had a doctors appointment yesterday. How did you get on, I trust it was beneficial
Jeez David, sounds like you have a real idiot there.
The BTS guidelines should be put in front of his nose. Also may be useful is http://cks.nice.org.uk/bronchiectasis. These show the NICE guidelines for Bx including dealing with an exacerbation.
Note the key point: do not wait for result of sputum test but prescribe antibiotics promptly.
Explain to him the simple point that Bx is a progressive illness characterised as a vicious circle of infection and inflammation and injury. If he doesn't get this, insist again and point out that he appears to be too ignorant to manage your condition.
Insist on him following a consultants guidelines, if still unsuccessful complain to the BMA. He's dangerous and shouldn't be practicing.
Good luck pal
S