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Diagnosed With Bronchitis. Prescribed Sulfatrim. Suggested Fluid In Lungs And Prescribed Zithromax. What To Do?
Question: I recently was diagnosed with bronchitis and I got a chest X-ray and doctor looked over the results with me for like 10 minutes with his assistant and they said everything looked good and I just had a few crackles sounds that sounds like bronchitis and asthma so he gave me a prescription for Sulfatrim DS 800 and I never touched it as I was told it wasn't for what infection I had and that that medication has major side effects so I got a phone call from the doctor whom owns the clinic and he said the radiologist report said it looked like I had a little bit of fluid on myblungs nothing serious but then he switched me to Zithromax started to feel better then he said I needed something more stronger why I don't know so he gave me Avelox which whacked me right out made me feel like I wasn't in my own body I was a mess so I discontinued it. After I read about the drug online it was scary stuff I read. So now I went back on my Zithromax seem to be getting a bit better I've never had so much phlegm in my entire life Yes I smoke but I'm quitting and have cut back now my question is how can I get rid of fluid on the lungs and I was also given LASIX as I'm still pretty swollen from having my 2nd child now do I need to get a new antibiotic or see what this last dose does ? Of the Zithromax and really can this be cured or I'm I XXXXXXX die I'm only 32 just yesterday and I'm scared as doctors here in Canada I feel suck still couldn't diagnose my legs but 1 doctor saw the pic of my legs and diagnosed me in minutes, really what is with Canada s doctors?
Ps I will get a copy of my X-ray and show you
Ps I will get a copy of my X-ray and show you
Hello and Welcome,
I am sorry for your problems and I am even more sorry for your frustration with the Canadian doctors. While I have received my education abroad, being a Canadian and a doctor I still apologize.
Now, let's talk about your questions.
As to getting cured, I do not see any obstacle for NOT being cured at this time.
The effect of the last dose of Zithromax will be obvious to you within a couple of days after you took it. So, there is not much time to wait.
Another issue is that Zithromax and Avelox are different classes of antibiotics - macrolide and fluoroquinolone, respectively. In order to determine definitely the antibiotic for your specific infection, your sputum needs to undergo sensitivity testing that will reveal what antibiotic your infection is sensitive to. I believe and assume that your doctor did this for you (if not, please correct me). So, if your doctor believes that you need a fluoroquinolone, I would advise you to ask him/her to replace Avelox with another medication of fluoroquinolone group (unfortunately we are not allowed to give particular drug names here).
You also need to know that when you cut down or stop smoking, the amaount of phlegm is increased. So, such an increase in your particular case may be the result of decreased smoking.
i also would like to see your chest x-ray: I may be able to give you more information on your case.
Hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
A. Ismayilov, MD
I am sorry for your problems and I am even more sorry for your frustration with the Canadian doctors. While I have received my education abroad, being a Canadian and a doctor I still apologize.
Now, let's talk about your questions.
As to getting cured, I do not see any obstacle for NOT being cured at this time.
The effect of the last dose of Zithromax will be obvious to you within a couple of days after you took it. So, there is not much time to wait.
Another issue is that Zithromax and Avelox are different classes of antibiotics - macrolide and fluoroquinolone, respectively. In order to determine definitely the antibiotic for your specific infection, your sputum needs to undergo sensitivity testing that will reveal what antibiotic your infection is sensitive to. I believe and assume that your doctor did this for you (if not, please correct me). So, if your doctor believes that you need a fluoroquinolone, I would advise you to ask him/her to replace Avelox with another medication of fluoroquinolone group (unfortunately we are not allowed to give particular drug names here).
You also need to know that when you cut down or stop smoking, the amaount of phlegm is increased. So, such an increase in your particular case may be the result of decreased smoking.
i also would like to see your chest x-ray: I may be able to give you more information on your case.
Hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
A. Ismayilov, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Hello Dr Ismayilov,
Well I finished the Zithromax a couple days ago I definitely feel a lot better just still congested in my lungs nothing near as severe as it was but its still there. I test my oxygen every so often and it has flexuated between 96-99% mostly is 97-98. My BP has been like 112/68 and usually under or just at highest 123/70. I don't feel as short of breath but still not up to par 100%.
I plan on going to get a follow up X-ray tomarrow sometime they get saved on to a Disc. How an I get it to u? Print it out and take pic of it with iPad ? Or send fax? Email? Let me know please&thankyou..
I'm just frustrated with our Healthcare System here ur in legitimate pain and screaming and crying in the ER and immediately you're drug seeking for pain medications. I understand a lot of people abuse narcotics but there are also people who really do need it from time to time. I'm worried I may have the MIRSA virus as my step dad had it he had like 25 boils all over his body and it was severe but I I touched him nor had any physical contact as in a hug or touched something he's touched. I'm overly worried just cause he was in our back landing at the back door talking to us and gave my 4 yr old daughter a distant hug but it was a hug I was so mad at him after but I just hope I'm not carrying it and the kids are catching it?
I pray I don't have this illness I heard it livlyour nose and my nose ever since I was sick this last time I checked it shouldn't look gooey sometimes light green ,yellow and or clear?
Joapa
Well I finished the Zithromax a couple days ago I definitely feel a lot better just still congested in my lungs nothing near as severe as it was but its still there. I test my oxygen every so often and it has flexuated between 96-99% mostly is 97-98. My BP has been like 112/68 and usually under or just at highest 123/70. I don't feel as short of breath but still not up to par 100%.
I plan on going to get a follow up X-ray tomarrow sometime they get saved on to a Disc. How an I get it to u? Print it out and take pic of it with iPad ? Or send fax? Email? Let me know please&thankyou..
I'm just frustrated with our Healthcare System here ur in legitimate pain and screaming and crying in the ER and immediately you're drug seeking for pain medications. I understand a lot of people abuse narcotics but there are also people who really do need it from time to time. I'm worried I may have the MIRSA virus as my step dad had it he had like 25 boils all over his body and it was severe but I I touched him nor had any physical contact as in a hug or touched something he's touched. I'm overly worried just cause he was in our back landing at the back door talking to us and gave my 4 yr old daughter a distant hug but it was a hug I was so mad at him after but I just hope I'm not carrying it and the kids are catching it?
I pray I don't have this illness I heard it livlyour nose and my nose ever since I was sick this last time I checked it shouldn't look gooey sometimes light green ,yellow and or clear?
Joapa
Hello,
First of all, concerning your major condition. It is nice to hear that you feel better. What happens most of the time is that the infection clears but the mucus produced by the lungs earlier takes some time to clear out. So, I do not know if you are already taking it or not, but you may want to take some kind of over-the-counter mucolytic syrup (this a syrup that softens and brings out the phlegm) to get the phlegm out faster. The pharmacist may advise you the particular name of the medication (again, I apologize for not being able to give you any specific drug name here).
About the x-ray. I have never seen this website from client's side, but I believe there should be a function to attach and send documents to the experts. So, you can send me the x-rays as JPG file with high resolution (at least 600 dpi). If it is not possible, please let me know and we will figure out another way for this. By the way, it would be of great help if you could also send me your previous x-ray film for comparison.
About the MRSA. You are right - it lives at the entrance of the nostrils. But the main idea is that MRSA is the special form of the Staphylococcus aureus (SA) that cannot be killed by methicillin (that is why it is called methicillin-resistant, hence the name MRSA). Otherwise, it has exactly the same features as regular SA. For your information, we have SA everywhere around, it lives with us and is considered conditionally pathogenic (it is only able to cause infection when our immune system is weak).
Additionally, there are a couple more points you should know: resistant strains of an infectious agent (be it a bacteria, a virus or a fungus) are generally weaker than non-resistant ones and there must be certain NUMBER of an agent in order to cause infection (this number should be higher than the number of the agent that can be handled by the immune system). In layman language, let's say if your body can kill 10 SAs a day, you should have at least 11 SAs present in order to cause infection. So, considering all this, you or your daughter should not develop any infection and your bodies will clear the bacteria, if present, after some time. I would not recommend you paying close attention to the color of your nasal discharge as it alone cannot be indicative of active infection.
Kind Regards,
A. Ismayilov, MD
First of all, concerning your major condition. It is nice to hear that you feel better. What happens most of the time is that the infection clears but the mucus produced by the lungs earlier takes some time to clear out. So, I do not know if you are already taking it or not, but you may want to take some kind of over-the-counter mucolytic syrup (this a syrup that softens and brings out the phlegm) to get the phlegm out faster. The pharmacist may advise you the particular name of the medication (again, I apologize for not being able to give you any specific drug name here).
About the x-ray. I have never seen this website from client's side, but I believe there should be a function to attach and send documents to the experts. So, you can send me the x-rays as JPG file with high resolution (at least 600 dpi). If it is not possible, please let me know and we will figure out another way for this. By the way, it would be of great help if you could also send me your previous x-ray film for comparison.
About the MRSA. You are right - it lives at the entrance of the nostrils. But the main idea is that MRSA is the special form of the Staphylococcus aureus (SA) that cannot be killed by methicillin (that is why it is called methicillin-resistant, hence the name MRSA). Otherwise, it has exactly the same features as regular SA. For your information, we have SA everywhere around, it lives with us and is considered conditionally pathogenic (it is only able to cause infection when our immune system is weak).
Additionally, there are a couple more points you should know: resistant strains of an infectious agent (be it a bacteria, a virus or a fungus) are generally weaker than non-resistant ones and there must be certain NUMBER of an agent in order to cause infection (this number should be higher than the number of the agent that can be handled by the immune system). In layman language, let's say if your body can kill 10 SAs a day, you should have at least 11 SAs present in order to cause infection. So, considering all this, you or your daughter should not develop any infection and your bodies will clear the bacteria, if present, after some time. I would not recommend you paying close attention to the color of your nasal discharge as it alone cannot be indicative of active infection.
Kind Regards,
A. Ismayilov, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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