What do you do when antibiotics aren't working?!
Question: I have had coughing and sneezing and tested negative for the flu. Coughing gotten worse and now I have extreme fatigue and get completely out of breathe just walking from one room to the other. I have tried z-pak and levaquin and nothing seems to help. Not pneumonia either. Tested negative for that also.
Answers: I have had coughing and sneezing and tested negative for the flu. Coughing gotten worse and now I have extreme fatigue and get completely out of breathe just walking from one room to the other. I have tried z-pak and levaquin and nothing seems to help. Not pneumonia either. Tested negative for that also.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your first visit did not include a sputum culture. Many physicians prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics using the old shotgun approach - keep giving you different antibiotics until either something works or you get better on your own. A simple culture would have revealed if you had a bacterial infection, and also what antibiotic would work on that particular bug. As soon as you took that first antibiotic, that ruled out any potential for a quality culture. Now your doctors are chasing their tails trying to figure out what you have. It may not even be bacterial - it may be viral and then the antibiotics won't help. This shotgun approach to disease management is the reason we have so many antibiotic resistant bacteria in the world. I recommend you see your doctor again to rule out any secondary infections and then try the old "drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest" to see if that helps. By the way, get rid of your doctor if he/she did not do a culture and get a new physician. Sorry for not being more help. I hope you get better soon.
I would make another visit to my doctor and explain that i am not getting better.
I hope you feel better soon!!
Use or misuse of antibiotics may result in the development of antibiotic resistance and certain side effects .... always consult your doctor
Yes, go back to the doc. Some antibiotics work for some things, some for others. If you just took someone else's antibiotics, you may now have a resistant strain. If you have a virus, antibacterials won't help. Also, you may be allergic to something in your house or environment. If you are getting short of breath just walking room to room, and you didn't used to, that is pretty serious and warrants a trip back to the doc.
Maybe you need a nebulizer treatment to help the congestion become more fluid so that you can cough it out easier. I was surprised when I went in for bronchitis a couple years ago. The PA immediately ordered a nebulizer and prescribed combivent treatment. I am now on a twice daily use of a Advair.
You should of course speak with your doctor about your inability to get rid of your coughing.
I've had what you have a couple of years ago.
Tried all sorts of cough mixtures, sometimes two different types at the same time. Nothing helped. No antibiotics helped either.
I suggest you get a small Nebuliser to open your airways.
Stop all the cough mixtures. They just soothe for a short period of time.
Drink plenty of warm water with a pinch of salt in it.
No cold water!!
Do have a steamer = in a bowl add hot water with sea salt. Place your head over it, with a towel over your head. Deeply and slowly inhale the salty steam until it's cool).
Hope that helps
Take care
:)
BTW ... If you are a smoker, please stop!!
"-"
Usually a broad-spectrum antiobiotic hits all the bases with an infection. Go to a third doctor or a 4th until you find one you like and who treats you with something that works.
It might be that you have severe allergies and might need treatment for that.
Get well quick!