Still Freaking Out About Taking Prescription Meds...

I just got out of the hospital yesterday and I was on both Levaquin and another antibiotic at the same time to treat a very serious infection that could have killed me. I read your last post the day or so before I was addmitted to the hospital, and I though of it because I was getting Levaquin and it just did not seem like a big deal to me. Follow your doctors advice and do it in a timely manner, and if you don't trust this doctor, get a new one! A delay in treating an infection can be dangerous.

M.

I am an RN and I can assure you that it is not unusual to administer 2 antibiotics at the same time. A bacterial infection will not get better without the antibiotics. If you do not take your medication as prescribed by your doctor, you put yourself at risk of developing a worse infection that could even spread to your blood causing you to become septic. Should this happen, you will be hospitalized and given intravenous antibiotics that are much more potent than the ones you are taking at home. What is it that you are afraid of? Realize that when you read the side effects of medications that if even 1 person in 1 million people have a particular side effect it has to be mentioned. If you feel uncomfortable with the doctor that you are seeing and if you feel that the medications he is prescribing are not appropriate, I suggest that you see another doctor as soon as possible so that you can get treated, but I am sure any doctor would prescribe antibiotics for a bacterial infection. If you are afraid of having an allergic reaction, ask your doctor what you can take it you develope symptoms that indicate an allergy. You should call the nurse at your doctor's office and talk to her about your concerns. She would better beable to address your specific concerns as she is familiar with your medical history. Please do not substitute my advise or opinions for the advise of your doctor or other healthcare providers. I hope you are better soon.

Well, I'm not pregnant, but I am on chemo and I am taking 2 different antibiotics right now. My issue is that since I am allergic to sulfa drugs and (coincidentally) Levaquin, there are fewer options in antibiotics for my doctors to use to treat me. I don't have an active infection, but did just have surgery and since I am on chemo, they want to prevent an infection at all costs. So, while it may seem a little odd to be on two different meds at the same time, there could be a reason. I would call your doctor and express your fears/concerns and ask why the two meds. Be sure to ask specifically about taking them while pregnant. You can also call your pharmacist and ask them....they should be able to give you some good info. If you don't get a satisfactory answer or feel like your doctor is just giving you meds because they think that's what you want or it's the "easiest" thing to do, then get a new doctor that you can trust to do what's "best" for you and your baby instead. I'm sorry you're going through this. I never wanted to take anything while I was pregnant either, so I totally understand where you're coming from, but it is necessary sometimes. If you ignore an infection, it could spread and become sepsis, which would be an even bigger problem and potentially life threatening to you and your baby. Good luck to you!

By the way, one of the drugs I am taking is Doxycycline (in addition to Keflex) and the only issue I have had with it is that I get nausious if I don't eat food with it (the instructions say to take it on an empty stomach if possible).

do you realize if that infection spreads to your bloodsteam you could die?? any little cut sore or blister that gets infected can spread..

My mother was on IV antibiotics for months for a bone infection... and it is lucky that she was treated when she did as she almost died from the infection not the antibiotics..

if you dont think the dr is doing the right thing go to another dr.. but why go to the dr for a problem if you dont follow the advice he gives??

I had responded to your previous question regarding my experiences taking Levaquin during chemo and based upon my professional experiences working for pharmaceutical companies.

I, personally, haven't heard of taking 2 antibiotics at once, but it doesn't mean it's not a common practice as they're based on completely different molecules and are FDA approved for completely different diagnoses.

Regardless of the responses, I'd also check with a few pharmacists.
Earlier today, there was a blog posted by an Internal Medicine physician regarding a study showing how much bad medical information in on the internet - I'd always take our advice with a grain of salt and always verify with another physician, nurse, pharmacist or other health care professional as well.

Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Hi S. S. There are serrious side affects sometimes fatal for all perscribed medications, my husband and I use all Natural Cures for everthing, from diabetes, to headaches and it all works with no side affects, no worries about liver damange down the road, we have books on Natural Cures for advanced Cancers. If you want more inforation. Don't worry about being paranoid when i was in the hospital due to and infection a kydney stoned cause I hated being given meds, I couldn't wait to get back home on my natural stuff and you know what my blood sugars and vitals were at target range with my naturals but not with the meds. J. L.

You say it is coming back, so I would imagine just giving you the same thing wouldn't finish off the infection. So many infections, bacteria and such are so resistant to antibiotics because of the over-use of them that it just takes more on some of them.