Clarithromycin.. chest infection for 6 weeks.. advice please

[cluelessgirly]

Hi all,

So I got a chesty cough end of November. Went doctors who prescribed a 5 day course of doxycycline.
I started to feel better but it didn't fully get rid of my symptoms, but once I come off the tablets was a bit up and down until Boxing Day.

It hit me like a ton of bricks, terrible chesty cough again, rather than 'just a bit of a wet cough' coughing up yellow mucus, Seems worse when I have to move, not as bad over night
Wrenching/nearly throwing up/Breathless at times, Chest pain, Headaches, Decreased appetite, Very tired, Feel generally really unwell and weak.

Went back to doctor who prescribed brown and blue inhaler on the 27th December. They didn't help.
I couldn't cope anymore so I took myself up the hospital yesterday and was seen by a doctor.

Stats:
Oxygen was 96 sometimes 100 so that's good.
Blood pressure was high 148/96. I don't usually suffer with high blood pressure?
And my heart rate was over 100. Temp 37.4 had paracetamol that day.

Listened to my chest and back and I told my symptoms. They've now prescribed a week course of Clarithromycin and said if I don't feel better I need a chest xray.

Can anyone help with when I should start to see improvements? And feel better? I've felt like crap for so long now 😭
I'm so scared they will help me improve a bit and I'll go downhill again.

I don't think I've ever felt so ill. I'm so fed up of coughing and sometimes nearly throwing up from coughing. I have a 3 year old I currently feel like I'm letting down cos I've been a terrible version of myself for weeks now.

Just some advice on getting better and what to look out for?
Like should my cough be gone after the week? Or at least not coughing up yellow mucus?

I can also blow my nose and tons of yellow snot comes out. I feel so crap 😭 im surprised ive only been given a weeks worth of antibiotics considering this has been going on so long?

I get health anxiety so im trying not to worry myself. Im only two tablets into my antibiotics so its early days but any advice welcome

I've had tonsillitis for 3 weeks, 2 weeks on penicillin and I only started to feel better after clarithromyocin. 4 days in and I'm back to normal. Magical stuff. Don't be weirded out by the metallic taste in your mouth about 2 hours after taking!

I've just been prescribed this today, the mouth taste is revolting.

Two weeks of antibiotics, steroids, inhaler prescribed.
no x ray as was told no difference to treatment.
about day 5/6 on antibiotics turned a corner. By day 8 got out of bed.

For anyone wanting an update (thank you for asking how I am!)

I had a second course of antibiotics which I think I posted about on this thread, I finished these Sunday just gone.
By the Friday/Saturday my cough had improved but still there. Still coughing up some yellow mucus and blowing out a lot of yellow snot.

Monday felt the same, yesterday I wondered if my cough was worsening in the evening/night time.
Today my cough has definitely been worsening, I've been gagging when coughing again. Coughing a lot more.. still blowing out a lot of yellow snot and coughing up a small amount of yellow mucus. I'm so scared I'm yet again going down hill..

Like are these antibiotics only keeping this infection at bay? Then soon as they stop I go crap again? :(
Will be going back to GP over next couple days if again no improvement.

I know a lot of people have had this going round, and a lot have required antibiotics but everyone seems to be improving.. I'm scared I'm not fully!

Sorry to hear you're not better. You should have seen a really substantial improvement from the antibiotics. In the last few days I've seen more about some virus that causes pneumonia which I assume needs stronger antibiotics so please call your GP again.

Have you been asked to provide a sputum sample? If if is an infection, this will show what type and which AB. I had this with my parent and it turned out they were AB resistant. Changing to a different AB sorted it. Took over four months to reach this point though.

Well after I thought I was on the mend, I've suddenly started with back/ chest pain and a cough again. Got an appointment at the doctors today, thinking they will give me another course of Antibiotics?

Yeah I've seen a lot of this going round being said too.. i have a doctors appointment Monday, so will see what they say! But I will be pushing for answers as this has been going on far too long.

I was still coughing up small amounts of yellow mucus today. People telling me it sounds really chesty the cough. The mucus tastes kinda strong too.. it's only minimal but that's cos it feels like I kind of can't shift it half the time.

It's weird. I don't cough over night at all. It's only bad when I'm up and about, or talking. If I'm lying down still, not talking I don't cough and I'm not mucussy!

Thank you for the advice/information. I haven't given any samples or had any tests at all.

Only had my chest listened to a few times. Had stats done when I took myself up the hospital and had high BP which has come down, high heart rate and temp.. but oxygen fine.

I will definitely be asking for this at the doctors Monday if I haven't improved!

Bless you.. I hope you feel better soon. How did you get on at the doctors?
How long did it take your cough to go initially? I'm on like week 7/8 of a cough now.. I honestly am drained :(

@cluelessgirly the doctors gave me another course of co amoxiclav for 5 days but she couldn't hear anything in my lungs, however the day before I got admitted with pneumonia the doctors couldn't hear anything either so that's so odd. The cough is a really long one .... I'm well into month 2 aswell 😩 horrible !!

Give the antibiotics a chance to work. Obviously if you feel worse then go and see someone but there isn’t a massive point in having a chest x-ray at the start of the course of drugs. I get a lot of chest infections as I have lung disease so speaking from experience.

Apologies, just seen your update and the date on your post.

I really hope they sort it all for you 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 what an awful virus honestly..

May I please ask what made you go to hospital before you were admitted with pneumonia? As I feel I had a similar experience. Doctor couldn't hear it on my chest when I went back after the first lot of antibiotics but I definitely wasn't right at all.. so prescribed inhalers but I went downhill further. So I went to hospital who prescribed more antibiotics, after 4/5 I improved but I feel my cough has now got worse/more productive sounding again. I'm also blowing out a lot of yellow snot this whole time?

I honestly just don't know what to do anymore! I've never had a cough for this long in my life!

I'm also surprised after you were already admitted with pneumonia them to not take it very seriously? Did you ever have a chest xray?

@cluelessgirly

Thankfully I can already feel them working, finding it much easier to breathe today, so fingers crossed this will be the end.

So I initially went to urgent care because I was in serious pain every time I took a breath, I had severe shoulder tip pain and was finding it really hard to breathe. They ended up ambulancing me from urgent care to A&E at a bigger hospital. They did an X-ray which showed pneumonia and they also did a CT scan aswell after they'd admitted me which showed large fluid build up near my heart and diaphragm which was causing the shoulder tip pain. Honestly the pain was worse than childbirth ... morphine wasn't touching the sides !!!

Oh wow!! That sounds horrendous!!!! And so scary bless your heart. So glad you are finally feeling the antibiotics working! Hopefully this is the last course for you! 🤞🏻

I went doctor today, they said chest sounds clear. Prescribed me saline spray for nose? As I'm getting a lot of build up in my nose during the day, so she thinks my cough and mucus may even be post nasal drip at this point! And have a form to go to the hospital with for an xray and blood test just to check things out :)

I will say, today I've coughed less and blown less mucus out, coughed up less so fingers crossed I'm over it?! Dare I say it! I'm definitely getting the flu jab next year!!!!

Not on it ATM but they always makes me feel sick. Get well soon, finishing the antibiotics will help and being off them will also help make you feel better.

@cluelessgirly it wasn't great. I was 38 weeks pregnant to top it off. Oh well I'm glad that they've given you an opportunity to get a chest x ray so that you know for sure what's going on. Sometimes I do think doctors down play things :/