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aspergillus

A

anonymous

New member
I need advice! I had a bronc done last summer and it cultured aspergillus. I just want to be sure that this is being treatment properly!!!! The only symptoms I usually have would be allergy like symptoms such as runny nose occasionally and sometimes postnasal drip and dry irritated throat. However, I recently I have noticed some shortness of breath (until now I have never experienced that). I had a recent throat culture and it did culture Pseudomonas but the aspergillus didnt show up. So no I am being treated with two antibiotics. What are some experiences with others that have cultured aspergillus -- did you have symptoms, were you treated for it, did it show up in a throat culture or a bronc culture. I would appreciated anyones input.
 
A

anonymous

New member
I need advice! I had a bronc done last summer and it cultured aspergillus. I just want to be sure that this is being treatment properly!!!! The only symptoms I usually have would be allergy like symptoms such as runny nose occasionally and sometimes postnasal drip and dry irritated throat. However, I recently I have noticed some shortness of breath (until now I have never experienced that). I had a recent throat culture and it did culture Pseudomonas but the aspergillus didnt show up. So no I am being treated with two antibiotics. What are some experiences with others that have cultured aspergillus -- did you have symptoms, were you treated for it, did it show up in a throat culture or a bronc culture. I would appreciated anyones input.
 
M

melleemac

Guest
My twin boys both have aspergillus, they have done for about 4 years now. When it really flares up they have shortness of breath and their pfts drop dramatically (the last time they dropped to 29!) Their throat swabs have never cultured it, but it shows up in both their brochs and bloodwork. They are currently on itraconazole. The last bad flare up they were in hospital for 2 months getting iv antibiotics (cant remember which one).
Mel
 
M

melleemac

Guest
My twin boys both have aspergillus, they have done for about 4 years now. When it really flares up they have shortness of breath and their pfts drop dramatically (the last time they dropped to 29!) Their throat swabs have never cultured it, but it shows up in both their brochs and bloodwork. They are currently on itraconazole. The last bad flare up they were in hospital for 2 months getting iv antibiotics (cant remember which one).
Mel
 
A

anonymous

New member
Im 36 now, I cultured aspergillus from a regular sputum culture when I was 23 (?)...
I think it still grows out in my sputum from time to time, but not always....my docs say that thats the way it is w/ CF though- once you've grown something in your sputum, you've probably always got it down in your lungs whether it grows out every time or not.
Ive heard some docs like to try and treat it with itraconazole (sporanox), other docs don't think it works.
The real issue isn't whether or not you've grown it out, but whether or not youre "allergic" to it. Not everybody that grows it out is allergic to it. If you are allergic, then you have Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA)...and it kind of mimics asthma symptoms with wheezes, etc... depending on how severe an allergy, your IgE levels will go up, and the docs will treat w/ prednisone or some other steroid, which will decrease the allergy and inflammation. They can follow your response by checking IgE levels (blood draw!) to make sure the IgE is coming down, and then try to wean you back off the steroid. (also, pulmicort is an inhaled steroid, so it might be effective against ABPA, just as it is against asthma).
-jd 36w/cf
 
A

anonymous

New member
Im 36 now, I cultured aspergillus from a regular sputum culture when I was 23 (?)...
I think it still grows out in my sputum from time to time, but not always....my docs say that thats the way it is w/ CF though- once you've grown something in your sputum, you've probably always got it down in your lungs whether it grows out every time or not.
Ive heard some docs like to try and treat it with itraconazole (sporanox), other docs don't think it works.
The real issue isn't whether or not you've grown it out, but whether or not youre "allergic" to it. Not everybody that grows it out is allergic to it. If you are allergic, then you have Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA)...and it kind of mimics asthma symptoms with wheezes, etc... depending on how severe an allergy, your IgE levels will go up, and the docs will treat w/ prednisone or some other steroid, which will decrease the allergy and inflammation. They can follow your response by checking IgE levels (blood draw!) to make sure the IgE is coming down, and then try to wean you back off the steroid. (also, pulmicort is an inhaled steroid, so it might be effective against ABPA, just as it is against asthma).
-jd 36w/cf
 
M

melleemac

Guest
The twins are also allergic to aspergillus, they were on 15mg of prednisone per day, and it seemed to take forever to wean them off of it! They were on it for about 6 months but have now been off it for nearly 2 years!
Mel
 
M

melleemac

Guest
The twins are also allergic to aspergillus, they were on 15mg of prednisone per day, and it seemed to take forever to wean them off of it! They were on it for about 6 months but have now been off it for nearly 2 years!
Mel
 
A

anonymous

New member
Hi! I've cultured it and was "allergic" a few years back. I had wheezing and shortness of breath and my pft's were down. My doc put me on sporanox and prednisone. I was actually on the prednisone for almost a year. But it helped.my symptoms got better being on the meds. I don't culture it anymore.
 
A

anonymous

New member
Hi! I've cultured it and was "allergic" a few years back. I had wheezing and shortness of breath and my pft's were down. My doc put me on sporanox and prednisone. I was actually on the prednisone for almost a year. But it helped.my symptoms got better being on the meds. I don't culture it anymore.
 
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