Chest infection and Amoxcillin.

[Bernie]

Hi ya was after for advice on what to do!

I caught my DD cough at the weekend and felt cold and had aching muscles sunday night. Felt poorly monday and tuesday coughing,aching muscles and a constant headache. Phoned the surgery Tuesday and doctor gave me telephone advice and said ive either got the flu virus or i have a chest infection as chest infections can have the same symptoms as flu like. He said he would leave me out a prescription of Amoxicillin if i didnt feel better in 24 hours of speaking to him. I didnt feel better so started taking them wednesday after lunch. They are 500mg capsules 1 to take 3 times a day which is what have been doing but i see no difference.The nurse i see yesterday said my chest is crackley and said to keep on with the Amoxicillin and they take 48 hours to kick in. Is that right coz i thought they worked alot sooner? Im begining to panick now coz i feel no better and have 2 toddlers to look after and really struggling with. I keep going dizzy coz of these head aches. So if the nurse is right they should take effect today. Im also taking paracetamol,Ibruprofen and she wrote me out a prescrption to codine to take before bed time to help me sleep. She said i should feel loads better after the weekend although if i feel worse or my breathing gets difficult then i need to be seen again. I never been feeling so ill for so long. What should i do go back up there today or leave it and if i need to see the on call doctor over the weekend? Sorry for the long post.

 

[orange-sox]

Sorry to hear you are unwell

Antibiotics inherently do not work instantly and the nurse was correct to give you a time frame of 24-48 hours minimum. The paracetamol and ibuprofen you are taking in conjunction with your antibiotics will simply ease your symptoms until the infection is cleared (i.e once the whole course of antibiotics is finished). You need to make sure you are eating well, and remain well hydrated in order to give yourself the best chance at fighting this infection you have

I usually find that people start to feel better by the time they have completed the course of antibiotics, and back to normal within two weeks or so. Your body is working hard at fighting infection, so is using far more energy than it usually will - do you have anyone who can watch the little ones for a couple of hours to let you rest at all? xxx

 

[Bernie]

Hi thanks for your replie.It turns out that after seeing many doctors in a week with feeling poorly and being perscribed 3 lots of antibiotics that were giving me many side effects that i never had an infection in the first place. On call dr i see thought i had a possable water infection so told me to stop amoxacillian. Then went on some others which never did anything for a suspected water infection as the reason behind it was coz he found a trace of blood in my water that came up on the tests strips but didnt shown an infection. Then i was told on monday to stop those coz i didnt have a water infection and told again i was poorly and i had a chest infection coz of the symptoms i had so had some more antibiotics for chest infections only. I went back coz i was itchy over hands and feet and legs and then they told me i had to have bloods tests which they tested for alot. They came back and i had another doctors appointmet on wednesday and it showed up that i have an over active thyroid. The doctor was concerned told me to stop anitbiotics once again and said he thinks with the thyroid problem i would of felt rough and there was also something else going on which he wasnt sure about. So he admitted me to hospital to have them do more tests on me. I had chest x rays and bloods taken and examinations done. Turns out i had a viral infection which caused my thyroid to be over active. If i feel poorly any more or things dont calm down then i need to go back up the hospital or doctors. I have another thyroid test in 3 weeks time to see if all is well or not if not then meds will be needed. So glad to be off the antibiotics

 

[davekennedy]

drink plenty of water and go for a "light" jog. I know this sounds weird, but a light jog will get your energy levels up and help clear the lungs. Consult your doctor first though. Definitely drink loads of water.