I have a question...
I called the Dr.s office on Thursday but the Dr. was out of town and the receptionist just said to finish my meds and come in next Friday. Well I finished the antibiotics yesterday and I am still not well. Won't it screw me all up if need more antibiotics but I stop taking them???? I talked to the pharmacist and she said your blood count goes down when you stop taking them and your body will resist them more when you go back on them and you should keep taking them at a scheduled time as needed.

It can.

If you are not well, but the antibiotics were helping... then you need to extend the prescription until the infection goes away... otherwise your infection may become resistant to that kind of anti-biotics. Call the receptionist and request to talk to the nurse on call. Don't allow them to blow you off. Tell them what you have posted here. "I was getting better, but am not better. My anti-biotics are used up and I am getting worse once more. Please call me back and discuss options." The nurse has the ability to talk to the on call doctor and extend your prescription.

Sincerely,
MG

Well I wasn't getting well rapidly on them but I wasn't getting worse either... Do you think being a day off the antibiotics almost two days I will be screwed up now???

I am sooooooooo frustrated with the Dr.'s office and this new receptionist and even the nurse screwed up my prescription a couple of weeks ago. I will call them in the morning when they open and I will have to be more persistant.

What anti-biotic were you on?
Many stay in your system for two to three days after you have completed them. If the antibiotic you were taking was not helping much, you may need to change anti-biotic classes. Request a one on one with the nurse and talk them through what you are going through. Good luck.
MG

The antibiotic I was on was Augmentin

Humm. I believe Augmentin is a penicillan antibiotic coctail. Being unable to take any 'cillan or e-mycin derivatives, I am not familar with it. Cephalasporins and Quinalones are my staple. Ceftin, Tequin, Doxycycline, Levaquin, and Avelox are my dominant antibiotics.
These all have a 2-3 day system retention factor. Your pharmacist would know and should be willing to discuss it with you if you can not get into see the M.D. instantly.
MG

The Dr. wants me to take Ketek (telithromycin)... but when reading about the liver damage, death, etc. everyone is getting online is freaking me out and wondering if I should go pick it up. Have you heard anything about this?

My Dr. said if these don't help then she wants me to do another CT Scan which I think would be a big waste of money and just her not knowing what else to try. However, I don't want to get these antibiotics after reading about them online. They say that all antibiotics can cause liver failure but Ketek is 4 times more likely too.

tissie1,

You do not have to take the antibiotics or accept the prescription. You can request another antibiotic. Ceftin is a good antibiotic for sinus infections... as is Tequin and Azithromax. Look both up and call back tomorrow. Request the one you desire in place of Ketek because of your fear of the side effects.
Good luck and get well.

MG

The antibiotic Tequin, the subject of concerns about side effects, is being taken off the market.

Ceftin looked o.k. So maybe I should as about this one. I think it is a Penicilin type too.

Zithromax Z-Pak 250mg tablets (5 day course) I have tried before I started the Augmentin and my Dr. said she thought Zithromax wasn't good for sinus problems.

I think the Dr. wanted to use the Ketec because it is used when the others fail.

As with all of them they strongly urge that you only take antibiotics if it is "bacterial"... well aren't we guessing mine is bacterial?

I do feel better than a week or so ago because I am coming to work but it is lingering and I am still having symptoms and I am a slug! I woke up soaking wet last night I am not sure if this is from the infection or problems with my acid reflux.

Ceftin is a cepholosporin(sp)... kin to the 'cillans, but only with a 20 % chance of allergic reaction response if you are allergic to one or the other. It is a solid anti-biotic.

Tequin is going off the market huh? Well that is one less I can have... with my drug allergies they better start making new ones. The discontinued Suprax as well that was my cure all antibiotic... it always worked :(.

Look into Levaquin or Avelox; however, Avelox is powerful and extremely rough on the stomach and taste buds. I am on 30 days of Avelox right now after have 30 days of Levaquin 2 weeks back, but I should be bacteria free for my surgery in October. Doxycycline is another one... however I hate to recommend it because the nausia side effect is almost guaranteed. I lost 5 pounds last time I took Doxy...

Good luck.
Get well soon.
MG

Ceftin sounds my best best so far.

Of course they always take the products that "work" for us off the market... it never fails!

Levaquin ... I found this about it: ""I've received hundreds of e-mails from people suffering from devastating, long-lasting side effects associated with Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin, and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Most of these people are young and had been healthy and active. These antibiotics have legitimate uses in treating infectious diseases, but they are overused for minor conditions such as sinusitis, prostatitis, and bladder infections. My stance is that Cipro, Levaquin, and similar antibiotics should be used only when other, safer drugs are ineffective, or for organisms that are only sensitive to fluoroquinolones.""

Avelox sounds like it could have more side effects for sure. Augmentin was hard enough on my stomach! I still am going to the bath room many times a day but it was a bit more solid once this morning so that is good.

Also when I first started taking the Augmentin I would wake up at night and hallucinate I guess you would call it and sweat and was dizzy although I still sweat at night. I am not having heart palpations but my chest does feel odd.

I think I would pass on the Doxycycline! I feel ill enough without something like that! I lost about 5lbs already during this ordeal.

WOW MG you are a medical box!

Tissie1,

Aye. I am allergic to many things (food, plants, dust...) and am allergic to three of the main antibiotic groups (cillens, e-mycins, and sulfur)... it is my mom's fault, she is the same way. So, I have to take the hard stuff... but other than a few liveable side effects, I have had no adverse effects. But I hope that all the stress and head aches I have as a result of allergies and chronic sinusitus can allow me to pass on a little practical experience. I check in while I am at the computer... which as a computer engineer is often... I will be checking on your progress and hoping for the best.

MG

Thanks for all your help really! Sorry to hear you are allergic to so many things and have to take the hard stuff!! My mom is allergic to cillens too but I don't seem to be. I went to an allergist last summer and they did skin tests and blood tests and said I was fine and even an asthma test so I don't get it!

Well I didn't pick up the Ketek last night and I didn't call today for a different prescription because a friend of mine is pushing me to cancel the appt. with the nurse practioner that I have been seeing for several years and to schedule an appt. with a "real" Dr. they keep telling me. I don't know if this will provide beneficial since she would give me another antibiotic if I called and told her my concerns or go in to see her if I go to the Dr. and have to start my whole story and basically will end up at the same point won't I? I am such a pessimist... I don't know what other options he could offer.

On and off through the day my glands swell, I get hot, etc. My tougne has a white coating, my ears are still draining and I had a bit of a headache last night but it isn't as bad today just the usually head swimming thing which my mom questioned me about "inner ear" trouble because she has a lot of that.

COmputer Engineer eh! Sounds pretty neat! I sit at a computer all day myself too but not an engineer more like adminstritive assistant!

Tissie1,

CE is not really fancy. A lot of math to program a computer to simulate physical phenomena... Administrative Assistant? Well I have nothing but respect for all of you, with out you we would lose our heads when we stray to far from the glowing boxes with flashy lights.

You should contact your nurse practitioner and get a new script... getting back on antibiotics is a must, but you should also make an appointment with the doctor and transfer yourself into his care as a patient.

Getting well is the overall goal at this point.

Good luck.

MG