I've had a bad sinus infection for the last 10 days and was just diagnosed with klebsiella pneumonia in my sinuses. I have complications of UC in my lungs, which presents as a constant cough that produces purulent green sputum, so klebsiella is nothing to mess around with. I know the mortality rate from this bug can be quite high (50%). I've had blood stained mucus draining from my nose for days. My Pulmo and ENT started me on Augmentin for 10 days. Does anyone have experience with this bacteria? I know it can be extremely resistant to antibiotics. I do not tolerate levoquin which was the first drug choice. The second was sulfameth/trimeth. I'm listed as allergic to that as well but that note is 15 years old from itching due to sulfasalazime before my pouch construction. I wonder if I could tolerate the sulfameth. My pouch is doing ok and I had a lung flare that started a month ago but has been reasonably controlled by a Qvar steroid inhaler.
My health has been on a severe downward spiral since contracting a still unknown digestive infection in the South Pacific that nearly killed me, which was cured by taking Cipro and Levaquin for 6 weeks. That course just leveled me and my lung issues stared during that time and went undiagnosed or abated for a year. I began getting chronic sinus infections as well (never had a single one prior to the digestive infection). I been on 8 courses of antibiotics in a year and half and I believe it has wrecked my microbiome. I just keep getting bacterial infections and viruses. Surprisingly I never really got sick like this before my pouch or UC --- until the cipro and levaquin. Antibiotics always seem to trigger an autoimmune response from me. My intitial flare was precipitated by minocycline use for acne at age 15 among a series of other antibiocs.
In the last year and half I've had more sinus infections an bronchitis bouts to count and strep twice and been put on so many antibiotics.
Cipro 6 weeks, digestive infection
levaquin 6 weeks, digestive infection
Augmentin 10 days, severe sinus infection
penicillin, 10 days for strep
levaquin, 14 days for what was thought to be lung infection, turned out to be UC in my lungs. Developed nueropathy and a rash from the drug
penicillin, 10 days for strep
doxycycline, 3 days for staph infection (stopped due to swelling in hands)
currently on Augmentin for Klebsiella infection
All of the courses have confirmed infection with cultures
I have 2 young kids in daycare and kindergarten and I'm only 36 years old. I just shouldn't be sick so often but I think exposure from the daycare center and my 2.5yr old has been a huge issue. My wife and I may pull her from daycare. There is a huge problem there with parents sending sick toddlers to school. My blood work has checked out ok on my immune system, however this most recent bout of strep in July which I took pencillan for was followed by a horrible battle with coxsackie virus. I ended up in the ER for it due to a staph infection as a complication. My bloodwork also revealed that I am hyperthyroid (was suddenly getting numbness and tremors in my hands, anxiety, lost 12lbs, severe hyperactivity and anxiety). My endocrinologist believes that the coxsackie caused a sub acute thyroiditis attack so hopefully I level out. I'm probably hypo now, feeling tired and sluggish a lot. This is not considered Graves or Hoshimotos yet (although the later runs in my family), so it won't be treated.
Basically the wheels are coming off the bus. Antibiotics saved my life but also started this downward spiral and newer infections keep slipping in under the wire before I can recover and regain some strength and immunity. I could be looking at a couple of months on antibiotics now for the klebsiella. I'm at maybe 30% of my usually operating capacity.
Doctors just seem to treat the problem at hand and nobody has layed out a plan for how I can recover some strength. This is just not sustainable, and I'm starting to get infections you'd see in severely ill hospital patients.
Any and all advice is appreciated. The good news is that somehow my pouch has held strong through all of this!!!
I'm currently taking:
Augmentin, Imodium, vsl3, florator, culturelle, vit d, b12, c, zinc, e, bovine colostrum, nielmed sinus rinse.
No alcohol, sugar, dairy or caffeine