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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by CareBear04 on October 31, 2004, at 1:48:38
hi-- i'm looking for info about antibiotics.
in general, i have problems with every class of antibiotics i've taken. erythromycin gives me a rash and tetracyclines and penicillins make me really sick and cause a lot of vomiting.recently, either because of a difficult endoscopy or for whatever other reason, i ended up with lacerations and abrasions in my throat. my GI dr referred my to an ENT who confirmed the reason for what feels much worse than strep and prescribed antibiotics and recommended continuing narcotics. i don't know if i have a bacterial infection or just inflammation and high risk of developing one, but i was told to take the antibiotics religiously, try to eat and drink a lot, and gargle with salt water after eating anything. i hadn't had penicillin in awhile, and i hoped it wouldn't make me sick, but one dose was enough that i was sure i wouldn't make it through 39 more doses. i spent the night dizzier than i thought was possible, puking, and just feeling horrible. i called the dr's office on friday and talked to the nurse who didn't have my chart so didn't know the situation. she sympathized with my not wanting to take anymore penicillin, and she said i could take the weekend off and check in on monday for further instructions. since i can't tolerate penicillin and i have allergic-type reactions to erythromycin, i don't know what else will treat or prevent a throat infection without being so strong as to make me sicker. i've heard of one-time injections of penicillin that are pretty painful but that eliminate the need for 10-day oral. i'm willing to go for the shot in the butt, but i'm not clear on whether side effects like nausea and vomiting can be avoided by bypassing the GI tract or whether the drug itself, even when injected, will cause the same thing to happen. also, if the shot causes those side effects, do they last for days or do they pass quickly?
thanks for reading! please respond if you have experience or advice. -cb
Posted by jlbl2l on November 13, 2004, at 4:17:25
In reply to antibiotic alternatives?, posted by CareBear04 on October 31, 2004, at 1:48:38
there are several forms of antibiotics to try before giving up -
have you tried the fluroquinones (Ciprofloxacin) , Levaquin, Ofloxacin (Floxin) etc..
Also, zithromax clarithlomycin (the mycin type antibiotics)
The fact that you are allergic to a lot of antibiotics suggests you have a serious bacterial infection. You may be having a herxheimer reaction from the bacteria "getting angry" and dying off from the antibiotics, but sticking with it will eventually kill the pathogen and you will slowly feel better.
I would cycle through - doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, & cefuroxime (Ceftin)
This covers every basic class cept penicillins.
Alternatives generally don't work honestly..trust me I have spent thousands on them. I would also get tested for the following pathogens :
chlamidia pneumnia
mycoplasma fermentas (or all specicies)
Epstein Barr Virus Complete Panel
All herpes viruses CMV, HHV 1+2, HHV-6 mostly
In my experience, the antibiotic ofloxacin (Floxin) is very gentle and works great for a variety of infections.Hope this helps.
JLBl2L
Posted by CareBear04 on November 26, 2004, at 0:33:11
In reply to Re: antibiotic alternatives? » CareBear04, posted by jlbl2l on November 13, 2004, at 4:17:25
thanks jlb! i don't even remember when i posted this, but i'm only now reading your response. i was in the hospital for most of november, but i still never got treated with antibiotics. they refused to give them to me IM or IV because my white blood cell count appeared to be starting to trend down and because of the possibility that the treatment would be worse than the infection. i was really worried for awhile because my throat wasn't getting better, and i also needed a foley for 10 days and i was starting to worry about a UTI or kidney infection. luckily, that didn't happen and my throat is getting better, but there is a nagging worry about the infection spreading. probably to scare me into taking my antibiotics properly, the dr warned me about bacteria spreading to my heart and kidneys. that hasn't happened, but i don't know what the incubation period is. is this possible or probable? you seem so knowledgable about antibiotics, so i thought you might know. thanks so much again for responding! cb
Posted by trucker on December 10, 2004, at 22:17:09
In reply to Re: antibiotic alternatives? » jlbl2l, posted by CareBear04 on November 26, 2004, at 0:33:11
is it possible that it is yeast or thrush??
antibiotics won't do a thing for it if it is..
trucker
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