How long should anti-biotics take to work or to put it another way when will I start to feel better?

[KatyMac]

Bad chest infection
I started anti-biotics on Monday
I don't feel significantly better
I also look like crap

Should they be working by now - or do I have unrealistic expectations?

Maybe you need to go back and get something stronger. They may be working but they are only strong enough to stop it getting worse and not strong enough to kill the bacteria off.

I had a feeling it wasn't right

Gulp goodness knows what I will get next time - these are co-amoxyclav (& I understand they are quite strong)

I would have expected to see an improvement by now. Most docs only give a 7/10day course so looking at it that way, you should be more or less on the mend (depending on severity of infection of course).

Good luck.

I had 7 days

You should see an improvement within 48 hours really. When dd had really bad chest infection`it wasn't until 3rd batch of really strong antibiotics that I saw an improvement and then it was a quite dramatic change by 2nd day.

I would ring your out of hours GP team today you can usually get an appointment if you're well enough to travel somewhere.

Really?

Rather than wait until Monday?

Oh

Well I would but then we have quite a good o/o hours service. Better to get started asap - no? If you start today or tomorrow you probably will be feeling better by Monday. What's your o/o hours service like?

Co-amoxyclav...

I assume that is a mix of amoxycillin...nowt special, broad spectrum first choice for most GPs. and Clathromycin...which as I understand it is the bees knees for many chest infections...

I am surprised you don't feel better. As has already been said 48hrs should start to show improvement. Are you feeling any worse? If no worse I think that I would be inclined to wait until Monday unless you have a handy walk-in centre that is nearby. If feeling worse then yes I would be seen sooner rather than later.

Calthromycin - that's what dd ended up taking. Bees knees yes indeed - as I said saw improvement in less than 48 hours.

Definitely not worse

I am a bit better - I no longer have chills/sweats all the time just 3 or 4 times a day, I can stand up but not for long - I feel drained & my chest is quite tight

Oh I don't know - I feel blurch

sorry clathromycin

Get thee on the phone! Just phone your normal GP number - should forward you onto o/o hours.

Hi,

I appologise - my assumption was wrong (I should have googled first). It is Clavulanic acid and amoxycillin. Apparently the Clavulanic acid is more to enhance the effeciveness of amoxy (so is effectively only 1 antibiotic)...

In that case I would go back as you clearly need something else. I suspect you will get Erythromycin next...followed by clathromycin if that deoesnt work..

Get thee back to Dr, what usually happens is you quickly feel quite a bit better and then the post antibiotic exhaustion kicks in!!! Does sound like you need something much stronger.

Thanks everyone

I have decided I will see how I am in the am, then I will go to the walk-in clinic (which is 20 miles away)

Maybe a good nights sleep will help (& maybe I am feeling so rough because I was out in the fresh air this afternoon)

But thank you all

Sounds as though you've already made a good decision (ie one that makes sense ) but just to re-iterate: if you don't feel better tomorrow, or if you're still coughing a lot/coughing up gunk/feverish/breathless - get to that clinic. dh had similar scenario to you six weeks ago - amoxycillin did nothing, erythromycin did more, but in the end he needed oral steroids and codeine syrup to stop the post-infection asthma that had started up (first time in his life, he's 48). He waited a week or two because he had no fever, and kept thinking he just needed a good night's sleep etc etc....not a good idea.

So there you go, warned

Thanks Elibean

I am taking it quite seriously DH has chronic lung problems so it is quite a big issue in our house

At first I thought the only reason I got the Ab's was to protect him, but as I still feel ropey I guess I really was poorly

Ho are you today Katy???

Thanks for asking

I'm still very tired, my chest is quite tight when I lie down, I'm not really coughing much - but there is a lot of phlegm when I do

So I guess I will go back to the GP tomorrow - I will ring up first thing (which in our surgery means between 8:30 & 9)

Yes...if you are not a good 80%+ better tomorrow you need to go back.

If you don't then the bugs that are obviously left (which according to Darwins theory of natural selection will be the tough barstards) will proliferate like nobodies business and as they are the tough buggers they will be hard to treat.

You need to get a secnd course of ABs started without a break IYSWIM.

I have been poorly now for 3 weeks - I am not going to mess around

Even if what I feel now is post-viral, I want to know that I am not going to get any worse

KatyMac, I'm assuming you don't have asthma, but perhaps using an asthma pump may help until you get over this infection. The fact you say your chest is tight and the antibiotics haven't kicked in suggests to me that your chest may need an asthma reliver to inhale.Obviously, your doctor we know what to do next, but 3 weeks is a pretty long time to feel like poop.

I don't have asthma but DD, DH, my dad & my grandad all do.....I am so tempted to have a quick puff of ventolin....but of course I won't because you don't take other peoples medication........

I am starting to worry about my sinuses now

I have pressure all over my upper face & it feels odd - and is an odd temperature - very cool compared with my cheeks

When are you seeing GP again Katy? You sound just like dh after his first bout a few weeks ago - get thee to the GP, please!

Not sure sinuses feeling cooler indicates anything nasty, but tight chest and lots of phlegm might. Worth checking.

Nag over