Well, you can tell that I'm not on the boards much - sorry I never got back to you Kim!!
I take Amikacin 2x a day, every day, for the last however many years. It is the last drug that will work on my mycrobacteria without having to do IVs. The doctor says that the Amikacin keeps my bacteria "at bay" so that it doesn't start growing out of control. I have no idea if I am still culturing it or not...
Lovely - what was your cough and sputum production before starting? It may be that you have to look at some new techniques to keep the sputum moving. For me, it depends how congested I am due to colds or weather (I have terrible sinus problems).
Do you combine your Amikacin with anything else? Mine is plain with some saline, and is done after my albuteral/mycomyst neb. The Amikacin is not supposed to make you cough like the other nebs do - it coats your lungs to treat the infection already there.
Although my respiratory therapist disagrees, doing the Amikacin neb after your other nebs ensures that the medicine has a chance to stay in your lungs after your done with the bulk of your coughing, so it has maximum time to work.
If your still concerned, you should talk to your doctor.
