quote:

ORIGINAL: BrutalAntipathy

quote:

ORIGINAL: windchymes

And then try to relax because you are probably going to be fine.  Most of the extreme symptoms described above (erratic heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness) are also symptoms of anxiety which I'm sure you now have after reading all the dire predictions of impending doom.  They can also be symptoms of the dehydration from the vomiting and diarrhea that you had. Don't panic if you do experience any of them...it's most likely NOT something fatal about to happen.  It takes a lot more than one dose of medicine that you vomited up most of to cause jaundice, liver failure and renal (kidney) failure.  If you are able to eat and drink and keep things down today, then you should be okay.

"Colitis and pancreatitis" literally mean "inflammation of the colon and pancreas", and you already have symptoms of that....they're inflammed due to the reaction to the drug.  Once again, you'll be fine.  Eat and drink foods and liquids that are on the bland side for a couple days so as not to irritate your system more.  It will heal on its own.

Part of the responsibility of being a medical professional is knowing when and what kind of medical advice to be passing out and to whom.  Seeing the situation for what it IS, not inducing hysteria.  Keeping the patient calm and positive in their outlook, not filling them full of fear.  Drama, drama, drama.

mbmbn is correct about the infection that you took the antibiotics for being still active in your system.  Listen to your doc....he'll probably give you another medication that you do need to take.  Also, if you go into work today, just explain to your boss what happened.  Maybe they'll give you light duty today, let you sit and read employee manuals, work a shorter shift.  Good luck, sweetie.  

I did not make dire predictions of impending doom. In fact, I mentioned that I did NOT expect her to have those symptoms. I described tachycardia in such a way that it should not be mistaken for anxiety, and made no mention of shortness of breath, but rather of anaphylaxis.
 
Indeed I would not wish to panic a patient. However as she made it clear that she had no intention of BEING a patient, I felt it necessary to educate her on potential complications. I had also previously advised her to return to her GP, and used the information as instructions of last recourse. Part of our job is also educating the patient, after all.
 
As you seem to have some medical knowledge, I would assume that you were aware of Zmax having a half life some 5 to 12 times longer than most antibiotics, which would extend the duration of any potential complications accordingly. Were she hospitalized for observation due to adverse reactions, the things I listed would have been monitered for by any halfway competent staff until they could be ruled out. I had no access to her H & P, and did not know if she supplimented her diet with anything that could heighten the risk of a hepatic reaction, such as Niacin. My primary concern, as evidenced by my first advice being to request a liver panel, was hepatic.  I had far rather induce mild anxiety than to gamble with someone unaware of potential complications suffering liver or kidney failure. Frightened and alive is by far preferable to serene and deceased.  As mine was the only medical advice given at the time, I find your belated critique of my advise rather amusing.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SirKenin

All medicines available in Canada are very heavily tested before they are allowed here.  Britian must approve it, followed by the United States, before we will even touch it.

That is not to say people will not react to it, because people can react to anything.  I can take antibiotics and anaesthetics, for instance, but My mother is allergic to EVERYTHING.  Anaesthetics are lethal to her.  Does that make it a bad drug?  No, of course not.  That is My mother's biological makeup.  It happens.

Telling everyone that a drug is bad because one person had a bad experience is not really appropriate in My eyes.  The very next person may not react the same way (indeed, we have witnessed that in this thread). 

quote:

ORIGINAL: SirKenin

All medicines available in Canada are very heavily tested before they are allowed here.  Britian must approve it, followed by the United States, before we will even touch it.

That is not to say people will not react to it, because people can react to anything.  I can take antibiotics and anaesthetics, for instance, but My mother is allergic to EVERYTHING.  Anaesthetics are lethal to her.  Does that make it a bad drug?  No, of course not.  That is My mother's biological makeup.  It happens.

Telling everyone that a drug is bad because one person had a bad experience is not really appropriate in My eyes.  The very next person may not react the same way (indeed, we have witnessed that in this thread). 

quote:

ORIGINAL: windchymes

quote:

ORIGINAL: BrutalAntipathy

quote:

ORIGINAL: windchymes

And then try to relax because you are probably going to be fine.  Most of the extreme symptoms described above (erratic heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness) are also symptoms of anxiety which I'm sure you now have after reading all the dire predictions of impending doom.  They can also be symptoms of the dehydration from the vomiting and diarrhea that you had. Don't panic if you do experience any of them...it's most likely NOT something fatal about to happen.  It takes a lot more than one dose of medicine that you vomited up most of to cause jaundice, liver failure and renal (kidney) failure.  If you are able to eat and drink and keep things down today, then you should be okay.

"Colitis and pancreatitis" literally mean "inflammation of the colon and pancreas", and you already have symptoms of that....they're inflammed due to the reaction to the drug.  Once again, you'll be fine.  Eat and drink foods and liquids that are on the bland side for a couple days so as not to irritate your system more.  It will heal on its own.

Part of the responsibility of being a medical professional is knowing when and what kind of medical advice to be passing out and to whom.  Seeing the situation for what it IS, not inducing hysteria.  Keeping the patient calm and positive in their outlook, not filling them full of fear.  Drama, drama, drama.

mbmbn is correct about the infection that you took the antibiotics for being still active in your system.  Listen to your doc....he'll probably give you another medication that you do need to take.  Also, if you go into work today, just explain to your boss what happened.  Maybe they'll give you light duty today, let you sit and read employee manuals, work a shorter shift.  Good luck, sweetie.  

I did not make dire predictions of impending doom. In fact, I mentioned that I did NOT expect her to have those symptoms. I described tachycardia in such a way that it should not be mistaken for anxiety, and made no mention of shortness of breath, but rather of anaphylaxis.
 
Indeed I would not wish to panic a patient. However as she made it clear that she had no intention of BEING a patient, I felt it necessary to educate her on potential complications. I had also previously advised her to return to her GP, and used the information as instructions of last recourse. Part of our job is also educating the patient, after all.
 
As you seem to have some medical knowledge, I would assume that you were aware of Zmax having a half life some 5 to 12 times longer than most antibiotics, which would extend the duration of any potential complications accordingly. Were she hospitalized for observation due to adverse reactions, the things I listed would have been monitered for by any halfway competent staff until they could be ruled out. I had no access to her H & P, and did not know if she supplimented her diet with anything that could heighten the risk of a hepatic reaction, such as Niacin. My primary concern, as evidenced by my first advice being to request a liver panel, was hepatic.  I had far rather induce mild anxiety than to gamble with someone unaware of potential complications suffering liver or kidney failure. Frightened and alive is by far preferable to serene and deceased.  As mine was the only medical advice given at the time, I find your belated critique of my advise rather amusing.

Well, I'm glad you're amused.  But the bottom line is, maybe there was no other medical advice given because we are ETHICAL enough NOT to be giving out such extreme medical advice online!  She took one dose of a medication and vomited most of it up.  From what she described, she had a bad reaction from it, and was recovering the next day.  She was already under a doctor's care. And her mother was there with her.  And I seriously doubt her physician started filling her head full of the dire predictions of liver and kidney failure.  It would be different if she had swallowed a whole bottle of pills or had been abusing drugs over a period of time.  But she didn't and isn't. 

Also, where I come from, "difficulty breathing" is synonymous with "shortness of breath".  And it's not diagnostic of anaphylaxis.  It's only one of many symptoms, and is a symptom of many other things. 

"Educating the patient" isn't telling them every worst cast scenario that might possibly happen.  It's giving sensible advice relevant to the actual scenario.  Another responsibility is assessing WHO you're giving the advice to...and she's not YOUR patient....that advice you gave could cause a major panic in someone not as non-hypochondriacal as the OP.  Sensible advice would be, "You really need to contact your doctor and let him know what happens because there MIGHT be further complications."  Not, "If you have difficulty breathing you have anaphylaxis!  And you should get your liver tested because you could get jaundiced and have liver failure!  And if you suddenly can't urinate, you're in renal failure!"  What you said was actually rather unethical and the whole scenario blown out of proportion...I'll stand by that while you keep laughing. 

It's one thing to have knowledge, but it's also important to know how to use it.

What the hell, it's already a pissing match....."belated critique"?  It was approximately 2 hours after your post.  And what does that have to do with anything, anyway?

quote:

ORIGINAL: captiveplatypus

quote:

ORIGINAL: SirKenin

All medicines available in Canada are very heavily tested before they are allowed here.  Britian must approve it, followed by the United States, before we will even touch it.

That is not to say people will not react to it, because people can react to anything.  I can take antibiotics and anaesthetics, for instance, but My mother is allergic to EVERYTHING.  Anaesthetics are lethal to her.  Does that make it a bad drug?  No, of course not.  That is My mother's biological makeup.  It happens.

Telling everyone that a drug is bad because one person had a bad experience is not really appropriate in My eyes.  The very next person may not react the same way (indeed, we have witnessed that in this thread). 

Yeah, I'm sorry.  Since my doctor said that I would probably throw up when I took it, and I did, and was in the worst pain I can remember for years and years, I assumed this was a normal reaction, and was warning people (in my mind) that any other choice of antibiotic is better than an evening of that just to cure acute bronchitis.

Kind of like a new product on the market, if you were to buy a new brand of DVD player and found out the quality of the player is crappy, wouldn't you advise your friends to buy a different brand?

I didn't realize I had a unique experience with the drug.

quote:

ORIGINAL: windchymes

I've taken it....twice....and it worked beautifully with no side effects.  Sorry you had the bad reaction, but everyone is different

quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy
"I don't have health insurance, health insurance won't accept me. :(  I'd rather not go back to the doctor unless I start getting sick again."
move to Europe, where even poor people can see a doctor whenever they need to............ye Gods, America.........don't stories like this make you feel queasy? Richest country in the world and you don't even have universal access to medical care.

quote:

ORIGINAL: WhipTheHip

quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy
"I don't have health insurance, health insurance won't accept me. :(  I'd rather not go back to the doctor unless I start getting sick again."
move to Europe, where even poor people can see a doctor whenever they need to............ye Gods, America.........don't stories like this make you feel queasy? Richest country in the world and you don't even have universal access to medical care.

Americans would rather spend $500-$1,000 on a lousy medical insurance plan that refuse
to approve and pay for treatment they need than give every American health care.
 
Americans would rather have big corporations and rich individuals finance political
compaigns, than finance compaigns themselves. 
 
Then Americans love to complain about the low quality of politicians running for office.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BrutalAntipathy

Would someone be so kind as to show me where I changed the story? And while you are at it, please explain how defending oneself from vehement attack is a pissing contest. Pretty please?