PSRA and Antibiotics

teran10

Hi All

I wonder if anybody can help or has experiences to share.

I have just been diagnosed with PSRA which is Post-streptococcal reactive arthritis. Basically I got bad tonsillitis at the start of summer and a few weeks later I started getting some mild swelling. It started to go down and was almost gone when I got another dose of tonsillitis. This time it was major and at it's worst, left me unable to walk for a week or so from which I'm still recovering 6 weeks down the line

Things are going back down now and after a steroid injection there has been a massive reduction in swelling, and the prognosis is good for a full recovery this time.

This time being the operative word. I am susceptible to tonsillitis and have had it on and off since I was very young. I haven't had it badly for 6 or 7 years but this year was a bad dose. Penicillin usually knocks it on the head very quickly so at least I know it works.

Because of what happened this time I asked my doctor for a penicillin prophylactic to keep it at bay, and had to fight tooth and nail to get a couple months supply. On seeing the specialist he said it was fine and quite often it was prescribed for things like rheumatic fever to which PSRA is a very close bedmate.

Now as far as I'm concerned I would like to continue with this course of action. I know there are possible consequences ie I could build up a resistance to penicillin and risk fungal infection, but in my mind I know which risk I would rather take.

So my very long winded question is: Has anybody else had the same experience and have they taken long term antibiotics as a prophylactic and what was their experience? I know I'm going to have to persuade my doc long and hard so any information would be valuable to me. He's open to giving me a short dose in case I start feeling like I'm getting tonsillitis but I know the nature of the beast and by the time you feel you are getting it you've got it and then it becomes a 50.50 chance of whether you can nail it on time.

Anyway, ta for your patience hope you haven't fallen asleep by now

teran

annebr

Hi,

I don't take constant antibiotics but my Dad and my aunt do for different conditions. I know that there docs have them on a rota system so their body can't build up immunity. I am not sure how often they change antibiotic but it seems quite sensible to change them every once in a while.

Hope this helps.

Anne

teran10

annebr wrote:

Hi,

I don't take constant antibiotics but my Dad and my aunt do for different conditions. I know that there docs have them on a rota system so their body can't build up immunity. I am not sure how often they change antibiotic but it seems quite sensible to change them every once in a while.

Hope this helps.

Anne

Hi Anne

Thanks for that, it may well be a way in to twist his arm. I know the penicillin I am now is the best for tonsillitis but I also know it does react well to other antibiotics too though the synthetic ones tend not to agree with me quite as well.

Thanks

teran

ritwren

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time. With regards to antibiotics, people who have had their spleen removed are on penicillin for life to protect against infection but I'm not sure which one so it is possible to be on them for years and years. Also some people are on Septrim (antibiotic) as propholactic (sp) against PCP (nasty lung infection)and are on them for years. Normally it would be a good idea if your consultant were to drop your GP a line suggesting the antibiotic.
Hope this helps. Good luck
rita

teran10

ritwren wrote:

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time. With regards to antibiotics, people who have had their spleen removed are on penicillin for life to protect against infection but I'm not sure which one so it is possible to be on them for years and years. Also some people are on Septrim (antibiotic) as propholactic (sp) against PCP (nasty lung infection)and are on them for years. Normally it would be a good idea if your consultant were to drop your GP a line suggesting the antibiotic.
Hope this helps. Good luck
rita

Hi Rita

Thanks for the advice, I'm off to the docs tomorrow so I'll let you know how I got on. Fingers crossed!

teran