Signs of infection from bronchiectasis
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I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis about two years ago and have noticed that I have flare ups about every five months or so. Its always there but then all of a sudden the tiredness hits and no matter how much rest I have its still that fatigue that won't go away.
Usually before an infection I cough up more mucus and spots of blood, does anyone else have a few good months free from the horrible symptoms? I have a diary of when I've felt bad and that's when I noticed the five month period.
1 like, 19 replies
broadsword jules27056
Posted
steve62514 jules27056
Posted
Yes Jules I get good periods in between my infections/exacerbations - probably about half the time - and life is mostly quite livable for the other half.
I get what I call mini infections about 4 or 5 times a year. Only half of them will turn into what I call exacerbations that require additional antibiotic treatment (above my regular prophylactic dose of Azithromycin). My specialist counts them all as exacerbations when considering my health. I don't agree with that!
The mini infections are usually marked by one or a few of a feeling of overnight inflammation in my bronchial tubes, sleep disturbance, feeling a bit hammered (liverish) for the first 30-60 minutes on waking, bouts of tiredness, temperature control issues (daytime and/or nightime) including raised temperature/low grade fever/chills. More rarely short bouts of slight feeling of not quite enough oxygen, slight chest pains. Curiously I don't cough much at all outside of daily lung dredging excercises.
My sputum never seems to colour up quickly during these mini infections - they can continue or go away/come back over the course of typically a month or so. If it does colour up, or if I get an acceleration in the temperature control issues or chest pains then I'll reach for the rescue antibis. About half of my mini infections turn into exacerbations
During mini infections life is still quite livable. Fatigue can stop me doing stuff I wanted too and nighttime sleep disturbances are the only things that get me down - until sunrise when I'm back looking forward to tackling the things on my list of things to do.
jules27056 steve62514
Posted
I'm pretty much the same, I start feeling tired and offish for a day or two then I'm fine. I'm just in the in between stage at the moment very lethargic, slightly breathless, luckily got few days off work to rest. The worrying thing is taking too many courses of antibiotics at the moment as I said in my earlier post it's about 2-3times a year.