How long for antibiotics to work?

M

Mommafirst

Guest
I get that not all coughs are bacterial in nature. But when your CF kiddo (or adult) has an exacerbation (a cough from bacterial overgrowth vs. one that came from a cold that settled in the lungs), about how long does it take for an antibiotic to stifle the cough? I'm guessing that it will probably get worse before it gets better since as the bacteria die off there is still a need to expel the extra mucus.

Alyssa is a week into antibiotics, after several weeks of coughing light and dry at first, then deep and wet. She still has a pretty kicking cough that seems worse than when we started the abx last week. She sounds like she is drowning in mucus when she coughs.

So how much longer do you think it will take before we have to consider the option that we are going to IVs??
 
M

Mommafirst

Guest
I get that not all coughs are bacterial in nature. But when your CF kiddo (or adult) has an exacerbation (a cough from bacterial overgrowth vs. one that came from a cold that settled in the lungs), about how long does it take for an antibiotic to stifle the cough? I'm guessing that it will probably get worse before it gets better since as the bacteria die off there is still a need to expel the extra mucus.

Alyssa is a week into antibiotics, after several weeks of coughing light and dry at first, then deep and wet. She still has a pretty kicking cough that seems worse than when we started the abx last week. She sounds like she is drowning in mucus when she coughs.

So how much longer do you think it will take before we have to consider the option that we are going to IVs??
 
M

Mommafirst

Guest
I get that not all coughs are bacterial in nature. But when your CF kiddo (or adult) has an exacerbation (a cough from bacterial overgrowth vs. one that came from a cold that settled in the lungs), about how long does it take for an antibiotic to stifle the cough? I'm guessing that it will probably get worse before it gets better since as the bacteria die off there is still a need to expel the extra mucus.
<br />
<br />Alyssa is a week into antibiotics, after several weeks of coughing light and dry at first, then deep and wet. She still has a pretty kicking cough that seems worse than when we started the abx last week. She sounds like she is drowning in mucus when she coughs.
<br />
<br />So how much longer do you think it will take before we have to consider the option that we are going to IVs??
 

mag6125

New member
Heather its been so long since I've been on oral abx for anything that I can't remember how long they take to kick in but I know when I'm ivs I see improvement in as little as 3 days. This last round I started on a Friday, went back on the following Tuesday and my pfts went from 19 to 23% in just those couple of days and my cough was pretty much totally gone. Hope Alyssa is feeling better soon! I know when I was still seeing the peds there they use to give me two weeks of oral abx then follow up and if pfts/cough weren't better then they would be more agressive with ivs.
 

mag6125

New member
Heather its been so long since I've been on oral abx for anything that I can't remember how long they take to kick in but I know when I'm ivs I see improvement in as little as 3 days. This last round I started on a Friday, went back on the following Tuesday and my pfts went from 19 to 23% in just those couple of days and my cough was pretty much totally gone. Hope Alyssa is feeling better soon! I know when I was still seeing the peds there they use to give me two weeks of oral abx then follow up and if pfts/cough weren't better then they would be more agressive with ivs.
 

mag6125

New member
Heather its been so long since I've been on oral abx for anything that I can't remember how long they take to kick in but I know when I'm ivs I see improvement in as little as 3 days. This last round I started on a Friday, went back on the following Tuesday and my pfts went from 19 to 23% in just those couple of days and my cough was pretty much totally gone. Hope Alyssa is feeling better soon! I know when I was still seeing the peds there they use to give me two weeks of oral abx then follow up and if pfts/cough weren't better then they would be more agressive with ivs.
 

hmw

New member
When Emily starts an abx if the cough ends up getting worse like you describe- awful coughing fits which for her will often progress to vomiting while vesting due to coughing so hard- she generally needs Prednisone in addition to the extra inhaled steroid she's already getting when sick to open her up enough to help her clear it, and sometimes a 2nd oral. And definitely extra treatments; her center wants her getting 4x/day and albuterol up to every 3hrs if needed when the cough is like that. But yeah, that cough sounds really bad and like she needs something 'more' by now. Probably more you can try at home before ending up on iv's, but sounds like she needs more than what she has now.

I hope she's feeling better soon! <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">
 

hmw

New member
When Emily starts an abx if the cough ends up getting worse like you describe- awful coughing fits which for her will often progress to vomiting while vesting due to coughing so hard- she generally needs Prednisone in addition to the extra inhaled steroid she's already getting when sick to open her up enough to help her clear it, and sometimes a 2nd oral. And definitely extra treatments; her center wants her getting 4x/day and albuterol up to every 3hrs if needed when the cough is like that. But yeah, that cough sounds really bad and like she needs something 'more' by now. Probably more you can try at home before ending up on iv's, but sounds like she needs more than what she has now.

I hope she's feeling better soon! <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">
 

hmw

New member
When Emily starts an abx if the cough ends up getting worse like you describe- awful coughing fits which for her will often progress to vomiting while vesting due to coughing so hard- she generally needs Prednisone in addition to the extra inhaled steroid she's already getting when sick to open her up enough to help her clear it, and sometimes a 2nd oral. And definitely extra treatments; her center wants her getting 4x/day and albuterol up to every 3hrs if needed when the cough is like that. But yeah, that cough sounds really bad and like she needs something 'more' by now. Probably more you can try at home before ending up on iv's, but sounds like she needs more than what she has now.
<br />
<br />I hope she's feeling better soon! <img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">
<br />
 

ymikhale

New member
For my dd sometimes it takes up to a week to start seeing an improvement. Sometimes I was even on the verge of calling the doctor to tell them that the antibiotic does not work , but in the end so far the cough cleared by the end of treatment (10 days).

This said, she never actually got worse during the antibiotic course.
 

ymikhale

New member
For my dd sometimes it takes up to a week to start seeing an improvement. Sometimes I was even on the verge of calling the doctor to tell them that the antibiotic does not work , but in the end so far the cough cleared by the end of treatment (10 days).

This said, she never actually got worse during the antibiotic course.
 

ymikhale

New member
For my dd sometimes it takes up to a week to start seeing an improvement. Sometimes I was even on the verge of calling the doctor to tell them that the antibiotic does not work , but in the end so far the cough cleared by the end of treatment (10 days).
<br />
<br />This said, she never actually got worse during the antibiotic course.
 

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
It's been awhile, but it usually has gotten worse before it's gotten better. Usually prescribed a new abx on a Friday and by Tuesday or Wedensday he seems back to himself. Think we were told to call or come back if he's not better in 10-14 days.
 

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
It's been awhile, but it usually has gotten worse before it's gotten better. Usually prescribed a new abx on a Friday and by Tuesday or Wedensday he seems back to himself. Think we were told to call or come back if he's not better in 10-14 days.
 

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
It's been awhile, but it usually has gotten worse before it's gotten better. Usually prescribed a new abx on a Friday and by Tuesday or Wedensday he seems back to himself. Think we were told to call or come back if he's not better in 10-14 days.
 

hmw

New member
Another thing on the worse before better front~ what Emily coughs up always looks much worse before it gets better, which I assume is because she finally gets rid of old junk that's been sitting down there for a long time. With this latest bug she's currently finishing a round of Bactrim for, she was coughing up yellow when she started it, and was bringing up some dark brown by about halfway through, and then it eased off and at this point (with only 2 days left) the cough has markedly declined and she's not really bringing up anything anymore. This was a pretty mild one for her though; she never needed extra steroids, never coughed up bloody stuff, etc.

I hope the day is going better for her today.
 

hmw

New member
Another thing on the worse before better front~ what Emily coughs up always looks much worse before it gets better, which I assume is because she finally gets rid of old junk that's been sitting down there for a long time. With this latest bug she's currently finishing a round of Bactrim for, she was coughing up yellow when she started it, and was bringing up some dark brown by about halfway through, and then it eased off and at this point (with only 2 days left) the cough has markedly declined and she's not really bringing up anything anymore. This was a pretty mild one for her though; she never needed extra steroids, never coughed up bloody stuff, etc.

I hope the day is going better for her today.
 

hmw

New member
Another thing on the worse before better front~ what Emily coughs up always looks much worse before it gets better, which I assume is because she finally gets rid of old junk that's been sitting down there for a long time. With this latest bug she's currently finishing a round of Bactrim for, she was coughing up yellow when she started it, and was bringing up some dark brown by about halfway through, and then it eased off and at this point (with only 2 days left) the cough has markedly declined and she's not really bringing up anything anymore. This was a pretty mild one for her though; she never needed extra steroids, never coughed up bloody stuff, etc.
<br />
<br />I hope the day is going better for her today.
 
G

grantsmom

Guest
Heather, so sorry to hear that Alyssa is still sick
When Grant is on antibiotics it usually takes about a week before he stops coughing. Please keep us updated
 
G

grantsmom

Guest
Heather, so sorry to hear that Alyssa is still sick
When Grant is on antibiotics it usually takes about a week before he stops coughing. Please keep us updated
 
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