Prednisolone, Erythromycin and Bisolvon Coctail - severe breathing problems, side effects?

[QuintessentialShadows]

I recently had pneumonia, but a course of Amoxicyclin did not clear it up. I went to the out of hours doctor who prescribed 40mg prednisolone every morning for 3 days, then 20mg for 3 days, and a 10 day course of 4x250mg Erythormycin. I was still coughing my guts out, so went to the chemist (told her what meds I am taking) and she recommended Bisolvon cough mixture 10 ml three times daily. I have now been on the antibiotics for 9 days, took my last prednisolone yesterday, and my breathing has been getting steadily worse.

Not only does it feel like I cant get enough air, it also feels like I cant empty my longs.

So I read the medicine info. Bisolvon should not be taken together with any asthma meds, as it can cause sever coughing fits.
Among the side effects for Erythromicin is Breathing difficulties. Prednisolone can cause respiratory cramps, high blood pressure, and so much more I cant even begin to list it.

So I am wondering, is it likely that this coctail has made me a lot worse rather than better?

Has anybody any experience of this?
How long till all this poison is out of my body, considering I took my last prednisolone yesterday, and my last erythromycin and bisolvon midday?

I really though my lungs were going to collaps on me earlier today. Quite scary.

(Also wanted to share my plight, and get this load off my chest - no pun intended)

Can you talk? Can you get to the end of a sentence without pausing for breath? How far can you get out loud in a sentence?

will come back to drugs

I had a severe chest infection and it took 5 courses of antibiotics to cure it over a 6 week period

when you cough is it productive? what comes out?

prednisolone is a steroid .. it will strengthen your lungs but not cure an infection ... do not worry about side effects

erythromycin doesn't sound strong enough as an antibiotic to me

drug interactions are possible .. you need a GP to look them up int he book

if your breathing is bad ... do you need to consder A&E?

what drug is bisolvon (sounds like a brand name) am just checking on an interaction site for you

QS, please go back to your doctor!

There's nothing worse than not beign able to breathe properly.

Are you overseas? Bisolvon isn't available in the UK and the active ingredients aren't listed in the BNF. So I can't tell you how it might interact with the other drugs you are on.

If you have a chest infection then prednisolone is good - it rapidly reduces inflammation. Erythromycin is usually a good antibiotic for respiratory infections. It doesn't usually cause breathing problems.

I think you need to stop the cough mixture (they rarely work anyway) and go back to the doctor. It sounds like you might need a chest X ray and probably some inhalers.

Are you coughing anything up? Feverish? Wheezing?

Bisolvon is bromhexin apparently

I looked that up on the website SlightlyMadSweet but it doesn't "exist" in the UK!! I have no idea what bromhexin is??

This morning I was producing thick green goo. Now it is more dry, and when I last checked it seemed clear.

Earlier today, I could not talk, my mum walked me out to the balcony for some cold fresh air, and that helped. I had been stuck behind a foul and chemical smelling lorry on the way back from taking my son to school, I seriously thought I should not be driving.

I am better now, I can talk, I still have the odd coughing fit, and it does not feel as if I have a heavy weight on my chest.

I have stopped all meds now, got so scared. The thing is, I am not asthmatic, I have not had any chest problems till I got pneumonia a few weeks ago, so this is very new to me.

I dont think this warrants a trip to A&E now, but I think if I am not better I have to go back to the out of hours tomorrow. I dont have a gp yet, I have to get some official documents through from the "peoples registry" before I can get a gp, so only out of hours is available for now.

Bisolvon is sold without a prescription here. It is meant to dissolve phlegm.

I sympathise....I too am fighting a recurrent chest infection ATM and I don't have half the drugs you do - although I am on a higher dose of Erythromycin (8x250mg/day)...which would help to fight the infection better...not that I would recommend it I feel bloody awful on it (nausea & cramps).

I agree with others...you should go back if you are struggling to breathe.

Although you obviously shouldn't ignore the side effect lists for all the drugs - you have to take it into context. All side effects have to be listed - some of them will be very rare.

You need to be reviewed by your doctor pretty soon by the sounds of it.

Prednisolone and erythromycin are used very commonly in chest infections with a degree of bronchospasm- I have never come across a patient whose breathing has become worse as a result of the medications alone.

Don't bother with the cough medicine- they're a total waste of time.

I have this thing when I have 'breathing attacks' it sounds mad, but if I could sing "I don't care what the weatherman says when the weathermen says it's raining, you'll never hear me complaining dee-da-dee-dum-dee" and if I can get to the end all's well .. the less I can do the worse is my chest if you can't get to says I'd worry about your breathing personally

Lol twiglet.

I agree, I should see a doctor. Today, I have been putting my mind at rest thinking it is the side effects, but there is a nagging worry that maybe something else is going on???

agree with emma
it is VERY unlikely that the meds have caused this
side effects have to be listed for legal reasons but they are rare
forget the bisolvon
if your breathing has been getting worse depsite meds its possible you have a resistant bug - and therefore need a different antbiotic, or even intravenous antibiotics. Or a differnt diagnosis, probably requiring a chest xray.
you need to be seen soon if getting worse rather than better.
if you are very breathless then that may well be A+E tonight.
GO IF IT GETS WORSE
you can walk in to your local GP and register as a temp patient for emergency purposes (i wouldn't bother with out of hours gps if regular ones are available)
good luck

ps do you have any chest pain?
are you wheezy?

If the thick green goo is clearing up then the antibiotics have done their job. Did you finish the course?

I doubt you have permanent respiratory disease (eg asthma) - I think the pneumonia has buggered your lungs for the time being and it's going to take a while for all the infection and inflammation to resolve. If you got a chest infection whilst getting over pneumonia then it will probably take some weeks before you feel 100%.

I would still see a doc, even if you don't need more antibiotics or steroids then you may benefit from a bronchodilator such as salbutamol or ipratropium via an inhaler.

I dont have chest pains, and I am not wheezy now. My breathing was extremely noisy earlier. I sounded like a "mongolian throat singer" (ref frazer crane). My ribs are a bit sore from all the coughing though.

Go see your doc tomorrow. Like someone said, they can see you in an emergency.

I suppose I should not start self medicating on my sons Salbutamol.....

(doctors are still undecided whether he has asthma or laryngomalacia)

DON'T self-medicate.

Either go to A&E if you are having trouble breathing or show up at your surgery tomorrow and be insistent about getting seen.

salbutomal won't help if it's compacted with infection though .. you need a good chemical bug-killer down there

oh start taking probiotics now .. antibiotics screw your system .. god you have my sympathy I wouldn't want to feel like that again

I think I will go back to out of hours, it is at the hospital, and it is open 24/7, and is normally empty in the day time, as people are asked to go to their gp if it is not the evening or weeekend.

I am taking probiotics, so that is good.
I shall go to bed now, get some proper sleep. Thank you all for your advice, it means a lot.

Update!

Thank you for urging me to see the doctor again. I rang my family doctor and managed to get an appointment with him for tomorrow. But as my temperature started rising again, I managed to change it for today.

He listened to me and my chest and said I have an inflammation of the wall of the bronchies, and I have bronchcal cramps/spasms. He has prescribed an inhaler, and to keep using the prednisolone for 4 more days. He also sent me to the lab for bloodtests. The infection value was only 21 when I went to the out of hours some 10 days ago, it has now increased to 69, so the Erythromycin has not been effective. He has prescribed Doxyciclin, which is broadspectrum and stronger. I am to take 2 for 3 days, then 1 per day for the rest of the course. I used the inhaler once already, and my chest already feels much better.

Thanks for urging me to see the doc.

great stuff well done glad you are feeling better
about the doxycycline - make sure you have it with/after food and with pletny of water as it can give really bad heartburn if not
take care

Glad you got some help, QS! You needed it!

Hope you feel better soon.