Antibiotics

[eggbert13]

My 2 1/2 year old son w/CF was diagnosed right before his 2nd birthday. He has been on antibiotic since he was one though to try and keep his sinuses clear and free from infection. I know there isn't a "norm" when it comes to CF, but does daily antibiotics go hand in hand with having CF? Is it harmful for the body to be on them constantly? Are nasal inhalers/nebulizers better to use than oral antibiotics when it comes to dealing with the sinuses. Any info or personal experience is appreciated.God Bless!

 

[anonymous]

Part of fighting CF is being on antibiotics a LOT. It's a catch-22 with CF. Yes, one does build resistance, but you need the antibiotics or infection will cause irreversible damage. The doctors will often prescribe more than one antibiotic at a time to help with resistance. They also have other tricks that will help in the long run.

 

[Diane]

I am a 39 year old cf patient with diabetes (24 years now) and b.cepacia ( 6 -1/2 years now) I have been on constant antibiotics as long as i can remember. My doctor likes to keep alternating them every two weeks or so to keep from building too much resistance. Some work better than others, and some combinations are more effective than others. My doctor likes to use inhaled forms of antibiotics, since they deliver the medicine right where the problem is. There are only three that i have used, Tobi, Colistin, and Fortaz ( ceftazidime) . Fortaz and Colistin are irritating to my lungs so i try to limit how much i use of them. Hope this helps<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> ~ Diane

 

[anonymous]

i'm on antibiotics, twice a day, for about 12 years now [i'm 21]. i take a variety of oral antibiotics [all depends on my current condition]. when i get sick, i may add inhaled antibiotics in a nebulizer, or swap it alltogether for intravenous antibiotics for a couple of weeks.but yes, being on antibiotics constantly is a very normal part of CF, as you need them to fight off the bacteria on the lungs.

 

[anonymous]

My 3 1/2 was on frequent antiobitics for a long time. For the first 2 years of her life it was daily as a preventative measure and after that it was upon infection. She also used to get a lot of sinus and ear infections and it seemed that she was on antiobitics more than not. This is strictly my opinion but I believe part of it was an allergy. I stopped feeding her pork and she has not had any infections or colds in 3 months. The dr's feel it may be a coincidence but I will not give her anymore until the cold season is over. I believe it is worth the effort to see if your son has any allergies or try changing his diet and see what happens. Although sinus infections are common in CF I believe that not everything is CF related and that sometimes we parents need to think outside the box. My only advice is to always keep your CF team aware of any changes you may be making.I hope that you will be as lucky as we were in finding a solution to the ongoing antibiotic use.

 

[anonymous]

I have a tendency to agree about the allergy thing. We had him tested by an allergist for about a dozen different things. You know the prick test on the back. Nothing came up positive. So they said he doesn't have allergies. But he could be allergic to just about anything. I have no idea where to start with his diet to try and find out what it could be. He's already had tubes in his ears and his adenoids taken out to try and help with the infections. His ears have been MUCH better, but the sinuses are never ending. He's schedule for a CT scan in a couple weeks to look at his sinuses. Maybe that will show something. I'm still going to pursue the allergy angle. Thank you so much for sharing.God Bless!

 

[anonymous]

How did you narrow it down to be a pork allergy? Where did you start?Thank You.