posted
Ok so I had Bronchitis a month or so ago and took some new medication that is suppose to get rid of it in 5 days. All I remember about the med is that it's name started with a 'K'. I sort of felt a little bit better for the first couple days after taking it, but still had some residual coughing. Fast-forward to now...
I am coughing like crazy, have major sinus action going on (both my kids have colds, go figure), my voice resembles that of a teen boy going through puberty, and when I breath I feel like I have a 100lb. weight on my chest and I beging to weeze in a way that I never have with bronchitis (I used to get chronic bronchitis every year multiple times).
I guess what I am wondering is if there is a possibility that I have pneumonia or just REALLY bad bronchitis? Can any of you wonderful and sweet hatrackers help me?
posted
BotaLadyG, to answer the question you asked: Yes, it could be pneumonia or severe bronchitis. It could also be asthma, a heart problem, post-nasal drainage, sinusitis, a pneumothorax, or any combination of these (or even more!) things -- some of which are more or less serious than others. Without you here in front of me and with a full medical history, I just wouldn't feel comfortable even hazarding a guess.
But yes, it could be either bronchitis or pneumonia.
The best rule of thumb is that if you are really worried, get it checked out by someone. Meanwhile, I'd maximize your fluid intake, maximize hydration of the air you breathe, avoid smoke and mold and other asthma triggers, and make sure you can get help if you need it (e.g., that you have a phone and transportation, and there is someone either with you or regularly checking up on you).
As regards the 5-day antibiotic, I'd guess it was azithromycin, also called a Z-pack (it is usually dispensed as a card of 6 pills, and you punch out two pills to take the first day, with one pill on each of days 2-5). If so, it was dosed to give you sufficient antibiotic levels for ten full days of treatment (keeps working for twice as long as you take it). However, because of the convenient dosing, it has been widely used lately and there has been a lot of resistance developing in the community.
Also, if you have bacterial pneumonia or bacterial sinusitis, my training recommended 14 full days of treatment -- which means that if we made one of those diagnoses (instead of "just" bronchitis), we gave out two Z-packs. You'd take one for five days, wait five days, and then take the other.
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. If it's really hard for you to breathe, that's usually a good time to see a medical professional. Honest -- not just trying to drum up business.
posted
Thank you for your response CT. I don't think it's asthma, I've never had any symptoms of that except for when I worked at a Lime quarry and the sulfur clouds rolled towards my department from the kiln stacks. I also don't think I have any heart problems (atleast nothing has been found in my 29 years to indicate one). I have no idea what a pneumothorax is, but I don't think it's that either. I really appreciate your information though.
PS: Maybe Theca will wander by and be of more assistance. I'm a kid doctor, and I'm both afraid of adult problems and have little experience in treating them. *grin But I sure can clean out a mean ear.
posted
I'd guess the antibiotic was ketec. It is a 5 day antibiotic, and you are supposed to take 2 tablets daily at the same time. This antibiotic only lasts 5-6 days and is supposed to hit the usual bacterial infections so well that you only need a 5 day course. The Zpack does last 10 days but ketec only 5 days. So, it is possible that you got a second bacterial infection after the ketek was out of your system, or the 5 days didn't completely eradicate it and it came back. If you didn't take the 2 pills at the same time each day you didn't get a proper dose, btw. There isn't supposed to be any resistance to ketec yet, since it is so new and was designed in a way that was supposed to make drug resistance harder.
You could have something that resembles asthma as a result of being sick. I think that usually just happens in kids but I have seen it happen in adults. You could have any of the things CT listed. In any case I'd suggest you get seen by a doctor again so your lungs can be reexamined. Meanwhile the things CT suggested should be helpful.
Also, Mucinex is a good medicine to loosen mucus, if it is thick and tenacious, and Mucinex DM has a cough suppressant included. Two tablets twice a day will give you good 24 hour coverage.
posted
Ah, I learn something new from you all the time, Theca. Ketek = telithromycin? It looks like this isn't generally being used in kids yet, at least not according to RxList. First I've even heard of it. Wow. Thanks.
Yeah, I've heard of reactive airways after RSV in adults, too, and I had a pretty good case of cold-triggered asthma after an intern year RSV hit. I still wheeze if I laugh really hard.
See, y'all, this is why I always remind you that I'm a kid doc. I'm happy to try to sift through things with you, but for good advice and grownup know-how, you really need an internist.
posted
I read a story the other day about the woman who played the sister in Meet the Parents (the one who got hit by the volleyball). She died of pneumonia after it was misdiagnosed as bronchitis.
Scary stuff. Sorry this doesn't count as medical help, but it is an anecdote that has to do with the topic!
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posted
Thank You Theca.... I think you are right with the name of the med I was on (that sounds right anyway). I took it everyday at about 8 am when I was getting my daughter ready for school, so I was doing it properly, but I think you were right with probably getting another infection right after the dose left my system.
Oh well, it looks like I and my youngins will be visiting the doctor on Monday (My 14 month old son has some seriously nasty green nose "yuckies" and a bit of a cough now too and my 7 yr old daughter has begun hacking up her lungs too... oh the joys alone )
Thank you again for your help I appreciate it, it's very kind of you to help a nOOb like me with my health questions.
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