Questions about pneumonia and antibiotics.

[notBrad]

Wanted to get some feedback and advice.

Here is the deal. My breathing is getting worse, and the home health nurse said there is some crackling noise in the bottom of my lungs indicating fluid.

My wife and Roger ( home health nurse) don't communicate well, he talks about potential issues and she takes things out of context and strings them together into a convoluted narrative.

He said that the fluid in my lungs can turn into pneumonia left untreated. So she calls my pcp and gets a prescription for antibiotics because she thinks if I take them they will prevent pneumonia from developing.

My take is that taking antibiotics when there is no infection is begging for trouble.

How serious are things and how much will taking antibiotics when there is no infection help or hurt?

 

[lgelb]

Crackles call for an X-ray if they do not resolve, if a fever develops or if you feel any distress. From there, the doc might want blood work, CT, etc. One abx does not fit all, pneumonia is caused by multiple organisms, not all of them bacterial, and depending on what kind of crackles, bronchitis is a possibility as well. There is no single "ALS+crackles" go-to drug and all abx can have side effects and interact with other drugs.

Meanwhile, I would try to deconstruct what you can improve about your breathing and general health; one feeds on the other. Stay hydrated/nourished/check your house/machine filters, humidification, BiPAP, etc.

Best,
Laurie

 

[notBrad]

Thanks Laurie, per the usual that is some great advice! I will relay to both my wife and Roger. Thanks again!

 

[notBrad]

Well good news, nurse came today and said no crackles.

 

[lgelb]

Excellent! You might want to think about what changed, however small, between visit 1 and visit 2.

 

[notBrad]

Biggest things have been started Alka seltzer for phlegm and stopping a drug I was taking to thin the phlegm. It works as advertised but then they put me on a drug to dry out the excess fluids the other drug created. So I ended with horribly thick phlegm that I couldn't cough up.

Other thing is using cough assist for breath stacking.

 

[lgelb]

Sounds like a good new plan!