Augmentin * acid

i have a bad tooth abscess and i have been prescribed amoxicillin + clavulanic acid to fight it off (aka augmentin). im scared to take it because of the potential n*. has anyone here taken it? what did it do to you? any advice appreciated

Canine, 5 mo old Novia Scotia Duck Tolling retriever, upper midwest.
Pup came from reputable breeder at 8 weeks, second dog from them, full genetic testing on parents, clean bill of health other than “muffled heart sounds” on breeders last vet visit, up to date on vaccines.
At ~ 3 months of age, began pacing, lethargic, wandering aimlessly, swaying while sitting, and then stopped barking/vocalizing. Also kept his mouth closed and while he would eat, he would minimally open his mouth to get food in.
First vet visit: Vet said it was a serious neurological issue and pup should be returned to breeder. He also prescribed clindamycin for a presumed dental issue, but wasn’t able to get a complete oral exam.
Talked to breeder, agreed to drive 9 hours the next day to pick up pup. Hard emotional goodbye with kids.
Pup started barking and playing after two doses of clinda. Call breeder and decide to watch and wait.
Seems like a full recovery, gait is slightly clumsy, drags toes/front of paws mildly while trotting, but otherwise no significant neurological issues, disposition completely normal. Clindamyin continued for two months. Labs drawn, abnormalities below: WBC 21 (neutrophil 51%, lymphocytes 34%, mono 6%, eosinophil 7.8%) Creatinine kinase 266 Hgb 10.4/HCT 33
Stop clinda at 2 month mark, pup is 5 months old. Develops UTI and very acute return of all previous symptoms, started on augmentin.
After UTI clears, go in for x-rays of jaw to address presumed infection, mouth is all clear. GGT and ALT mildly elevated, check bile acids for portosystemic shunt and comes back 11. Take a while to recover from anesthetic. Labs continue to show mild anemia and elevated WBC (19 with similar diff). Back home on Clinda.
Vet is stuck, referral list to everyone, neuro/ID.
Thanks for listening, trying to put this together while managing kids

So, I was doing some research on one of the antibiotics I’m currently taking, rifampicin, and I stumbled across this article about tuberculosis:
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/amp/common-heartburn-drugs-could-shorten-months-of-treatment-for-9297523/
One of the mechanisms that bacteria use to evade antibiotics is efflux pumps, which allow them to essentially pump antibiotics out of the cell they’ve invaded, thereby being “resistant” to the medication. Most medicines don’t account for this, except for Augmentin (clavulanic acid is an efflux pump inhibitor).
However, research shows that PPIs (heartburn meds) work to stop bacteria from using this mechanism, thereby shortening the length of time need for treatment.
After reading it I’m considering adding omeprazol to my routine, but need to do more research first (yes, I know it can have some negative effects after prolonged use but I’ve used it for a long time before due to stomach ulceissues and I was fine. I think as long as you don’t use it for more than a year you’re okay).

Age: 29
Bloodtype: AB (can’t remember if + or – but more likely +)
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Male
Weight: 72kg
Hello, I’m looking for insight on what the next course of action should be or any leads to what it can be. I am trying to come up with a list of potential causes and slowly eliminate them before doing anything more expensive/invasive like biopsies. All I know is that there is inflammation where my neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, are hanging around my lymph node for a long time and I can’t seem to find out why.
What: Reactive lymphadenopathy in submandibular area (left side).
When: 8-9 months since discovery. (Sometime between August to September)
Size: Pea-sized to peanut sized between 1-2cm in diameter. Slight fluctuations in size but very subtle.
Texture: Feels like a knot/more firm than insect bites/Doesn’t seem to be movable
Pain: Painless to mild pain (1 out of 10). When mild pain is present, it is similar to a pinching sensation. Applying pressure to the area can produce the mild pain (such as pressing down or tilting head facing upwards slightly to the right) or slightly increase the pain to a 1.5 to a 2.
Previous Doctor consultations:
09/10/2023 – Around the time I first discovered the lump. Was consulting a dermatologist for my Seborrheic Dermatitis that has persisted for a year or so since my skin always being reddish/slightly peeling (scalp, behind ears, upper cheeks, beard, sides of nose). Doctors always say it’s due to stress but I thought it could also be my body reacting to physiological stress rather than simply psychological. I feel it could be due to an increase in inflammation overall/general decline in health due to poorer diet back and more processed food (all speculative but could lead somewhere).
11/06/2023 – Went to an online application for a consult to a Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT-Otorhinolaryngology) specialist. Diagnosis was Lymphadenitis. Prescribed Co-Amoxiclav 625mg (Augmentin) to be taken 2x a day for 7 days. Did not take yet because I didn’t like shotgun approaches and preferred cross checking.
11/24/2023 – Consulted a different ENT-Otorhinolaryngology in person (2nd opinion) – said felt multiple lumps; usually caused by latent TB in our demographic, and since I had TB as a child maybe 15 years ago, he felt it was more evidence to support his diagnosis. Was immediately given Rifampicin-Isoniazid antibiotics to take for 30 days.
11/25/2023 – I took a blood test (TB-Interferon-Gamma Release Assays [IGRA]) out of initiative.
12/2/2023 – Consulted 3nd opinion, another ENT (a doctor who used mentored by the previous doctor I consulted). Said do not need to take TB antibiotics (Rifampicin-Isonizaid) after I showed him the blood test results. Ended up prescribing Doxycycline (100mg tablet; 2x/day; 10 days), Sodium Ascorbate w/ Zinc (2000mg Vitamin C to 20mg Zinc daily; 10 days), Vit D3 (4000 IU per day; 10 days), Ivermectin (15mg; 10 days). Thinks it’s long covid after writing down symptoms and timelines of COVID vaccines and when I got sick (around late 2022). Said doctors from the online app are often not good so the Co-amoxiclav is not the way to go. Was asked to get neck ultrasound. I didn’t take the medications as I wasn’t convinced on his unorthodox take and wanted more confirmation.
12/8/2023 – Neck & Thyroid Gland Ultrasound – Nothing remarkable. It is relatively small so may not be easily seen.
1/18/2024 – Went to a 4th opinion, another ENT that specialized in allergies apparently. Measured the lump in the submandibular region and said it was very small after measuring with a vernier caliper. He said he would have only give TB medication if lumps were bigger in size (maybe about 1-1.5 inches in diameter) since TB medications are hard on the liver and just not a medication you give around. Also ridiculed the 3rd opinion doctor’s take on Ivermectin and Doxycycline. Inspected for cancers all around the mouth and nose and they’re clear. Said to just to live with it and leave the lump as is since it is benign and very small in size. Inserted optical devices inside my nose/mouth/throat and found allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Was prescribed Avamys (Flutiasone furoate 27.5 mcg/actuation sprays) and Stelix (10mg Montelukast sodium/5mg Levocetirizine dihydrocholoride). I do agree with the allergies due to stuffed nose due to dust mites or due to my dogs. Could also be related to increase in inflammation in the body and my immune system is having a hard time coping to foreign matter or have some degree of autoimmune issue (again speculating and just considering).
2/07/2024 – Acute appendicitis (inflamed appendix); got a CT scan with dye to confirm; emergency open appendectomy procedure. Apparently was prescribed Co-amoxiclav 625mg 2x a day for 7 days post-surgery besides all the other IV antibiotics prescribed to me after the surgery and some pain killers so this rules out the effectiveness of the antibiotics. Maybe the lump got very slightly smaller but I couldn’t have been sure. Don’t know how I got appendicitis but it does make me think I am having increased inflammation throughout my body or when I ate to the point I was extremely full few days before. (again speculating)
Currently size does seem back to its normal state and on an almost daily basis I still feel a mild pinching pain that is just telling me it’s there so I am unsure if I should just leave it forever or if I have to try to find the cause. Could be an infection related to the teeth/gums among other things that just went down according to what I read and the 4th opinion doctor. So might ask my dentist in the future when I have my teeth cleaned/checked if it’s related to periodontal disease/gingivitis who knows. I have also tried hot compress on the area but not sure if I did it long enough to make a difference.
I have been struggling with low energy, difficulty concentrating, low drive, extreme fatigue which is also resulting in behavioral changes such as getting mentally stressed quickly (thus increased temper issues/inability to work), higher degrees of isolation, physiological impacts (mild sexual dysfunction such as losing attraction/erections despite stimulus)—people could easily say to consult a psychologist since it appears to be a mental health issue but finding the root cause for this one is complex. It can also possibly due to infection/metabolism issues among other things so I’m trying to eliminate things one at a time. I have considered psychological aspects at some point but I thought it would be premature to blame things on “mental health” issues when I haven’t tried the lifestyle interventions first such as good diet, exercise, lessening highly addictive activities, and this inflammation in my lymph nodes.
My blood sugar level, liver, blood pressure, complete blood cell counts, urinalysis are all fine. Only metrics exceeding on my laboratory tests are my LDL cholesterol which is quite high and uric acid. Have not really tested for thyroid/hormones yet. My father has high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol but he does drink a lot of alcohol. Possibly genetic so I have to factor in likelihood of metabolic syndrome since my visceral fat has increased on my waistline due to my poor diet for the past 3-4 years and low physical activity despite only being borderline overweight. So I’m currently tackling all of these simultaneously with 3-4x a week exercise and better diet. This may put my body into a better state metabolically and improve the body’s response overall.
I know the last portions are a little off the main topic but the body is complex might give some insights eitherway.

Age: 29
Bloodtype: AB (can’t remember if + or – but more likely +)
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Male
Weight: 72kg
Hello, I’m looking for insight on what the next course of action should be or any leads to what it can be. I am trying to come up with a list of potential causes and slowly eliminate them before doing anything more expensive/invasive like biopsies. All I know is that there is inflammation where my neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, are hanging around my lymph node for a long time and I can’t seem to find out why.
What: Reactive lymphadenopathy in submandibular area (left side).
When: 8-9 months since discovery. (Sometime between August to September)
Size: Pea-sized to peanut sized between 1-2cm in diameter. Slight fluctuations in size but very subtle.
Texture: Feels like a knot/more firm than insect bites/Doesn’t seem to be movable
Pain: Painless to mild pain (1 out of 10). When mild pain is present, it is similar to a pinching sensation. Applying pressure to the area can produce the mild pain (such as pressing down or tilting head facing upwards slightly to the right) or slightly increase the pain to a 1.5 to a 2.
Previous Doctor consultations:
09/10/2023 – Around the time I first discovered the lump. Was consulting a dermatologist for my Seborrheic Dermatitis that has persisted for a year or so since my skin always being reddish/slightly peeling (scalp, behind ears, upper cheeks, beard, sides of nose). Doctors always say it’s due to stress but I thought it could also be my body reacting to physiological stress rather than simply psychological. I feel it could be due to an increase in inflammation overall/general decline in health due to poorer diet back and more processed food (all speculative but could lead somewhere).
11/06/2023 – Went to an online application for a consult to a Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT-Otorhinolaryngology) specialist. Diagnosis was Lymphadenitis. Prescribed Co-Amoxiclav 625mg (Augmentin) to be taken 2x a day for 7 days. Did not take yet because I didn’t like shotgun approaches and preferred cross checking.
11/24/2023 – Consulted a different ENT-Otorhinolaryngology in person (2nd opinion) – said felt multiple lumps; usually caused by latent TB in our demographic, and since I had TB as a child maybe 15 years ago, he felt it was more evidence to support his diagnosis. Was immediately given Rifampicin-Isoniazid antibiotics to take for 30 days.
11/25/2023 – I took a blood test (TB-Interferon-Gamma Release Assays [IGRA]) out of initiative.
12/2/2023 – Consulted 3nd opinion, another ENT (a doctor who used mentored by the previous doctor I consulted). Said do not need to take TB antibiotics (Rifampicin-Isonizaid) after I showed him the blood test results. Ended up prescribing Doxycycline (100mg tablet; 2x/day; 10 days), Sodium Ascorbate w/ Zinc (2000mg Vitamin C to 20mg Zinc daily; 10 days), Vit D3 (4000 IU per day; 10 days), Ivermectin (15mg; 10 days). Thinks it’s long covid after writing down symptoms and timelines of COVID vaccines and when I got sick (around late 2022). Said doctors from the online app are often not good so the Co-amoxiclav is not the way to go. Was asked to get neck ultrasound. I didn’t take the medications as I wasn’t convinced on his unorthodox take and wanted more confirmation.
12/8/2023 – Neck & Thyroid Gland Ultrasound – Nothing remarkable. It is relatively small so may not be easily seen.
1/18/2024 – Went to a 4th opinion, another ENT that specialized in allergies apparently. Measured the lump in the submandibular region and said it was very small after measuring with a vernier caliper. He said he would have only give TB medication if lumps were bigger in size (maybe about 1-1.5 inches in diameter) since TB medications are hard on the liver and just not a medication you give around. Also ridiculed the 3rd opinion doctor’s take on Ivermectin and Doxycycline. Inspected for cancers all around the mouth and nose and they’re clear. Said to just to live with it and leave the lump as is since it is benign and very small in size. Inserted optical devices inside my nose/mouth/throat and found allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Was prescribed Avamys (Flutiasone furoate 27.5 mcg/actuation sprays) and Stelix (10mg Montelukast sodium/5mg Levocetirizine dihydrocholoride). I do agree with the allergies due to stuffed nose due to dust mites or due to my dogs. Could also be related to increase in inflammation in the body and my immune system is having a hard time coping to foreign matter or have some degree of autoimmune issue (again speculating and just considering).
2/07/2024 – Acute appendicitis (inflamed appendix); got a CT scan with dye to confirm; emergency open appendectomy procedure. Apparently was prescribed Co-amoxiclav 625mg 2x a day for 7 days post-surgery besides all the other IV antibiotics prescribed to me after the surgery and some pain killers so this rules out the effectiveness of the antibiotics. Maybe the lump got very slightly smaller but I couldn’t have been sure. Don’t know how I got appendicitis but it does make me think I am having increased inflammation throughout my body or when I ate to the point I was extremely full few days before. (again speculating)
Currently size does seem back to its normal state and on an almost daily basis I still feel a mild pinching pain that is just telling me it’s there so I am unsure if I should just leave it forever or if I have to try to find the cause. Could be an infection related to the teeth/gums among other things that just went down according to what I read and the 4th opinion doctor. So might ask my dentist in the future when I have my teeth cleaned/checked if it’s related to periodontal disease/gingivitis who knows. I have also tried hot compress on the area but not sure if I did it long enough to make a difference.
I have been struggling with low energy, difficulty concentrating, low drive, extreme fatigue which is also resulting in behavioral changes such as getting mentally stressed quickly (thus increased temper issues/inability to work), higher degrees of isolation, physiological impacts (mild sexual dysfunction such as losing attraction/erections despite stimulus)—people could easily say to consult a psychologist since it appears to be a mental health issue but finding the root cause for this one is complex. It can also possibly due to infection/metabolism issues among other things so I’m trying to eliminate things one at a time. I have considered psychological aspects at some point but I thought it would be premature to blame things on “mental health” issues when I haven’t tried the lifestyle interventions first such as good diet, exercise, lessening highly addictive activities, and this inflammation in my lymph nodes.
My blood sugar level, liver, blood pressure, complete blood cell counts, urinalysis are all fine. Only metrics exceeding on my laboratory tests are my LDL cholesterol which is quite high and uric acid. Have not really tested for thyroid/hormones yet. My father has high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol but he does drink a lot of alcohol. Possibly genetic so I have to factor in likelihood of metabolic syndrome since my visceral fat has increased on my waistline due to my poor diet for the past 3-4 years and low physical activity despite only being borderline overweight. So I’m currently tackling all of these simultaneously with 3-4x a week exercise and better diet. This may put my body into a better state metabolically and improve the body’s response overall.
I know the last portions are a little off the main topic but the body is complex might give some insights eitherway.

INFO:
Medications: 30mg cymbalta daily, 200mg wellbutrin daily, 20mg propranolol daily, 875-125 augmentin twice daily for 7 days (on about the 4th day), 20mg omeprazole daily, and testosterone gel daily (HRT)
Drugs: non smoker, non drinker, previous 'chronic' weed smoker, since cut down to once a week in the last month
Height: 5'6
Weight: 175 (one year ago 195)
Family history: paternal grandfather diagnosed with BRCA2 associated B-cell NHL in his 50s, paternal grandmother diagnosed with hormone receptor positive breast cancer in her 50s, and paternal aunt diagnosed with aggressive BRCA2 positive breast cancer in her 30s that has since metastasized to her bone marrow and liver despite being treated for the last 15+ years. My father's BRCA2 status is currently unknown, and my genetic panel results are pending.
This is kind of a long one about what is so far a mystery disease. So I (21 FTM) had a colonoscopy/endoscopy done both this morning and about 2 years ago. 2 years ago the findings were as follows:
A. Stomach, antrum and body, biopsy

• Antral type gastric mucosa with reactive gastropathy
• Oxyntic type gastric mucosa without significant pathologic alteration
• No intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia or malignancy
• No H. pylori-like organisms seen on routine stain sections

B. Distal esophagus, biopsy

• Focal mild chronic carditis
• Squamous epithelium with features suggestive of reflux esophagitis
• No Barrett's metaplasia, dysplasia or malignancy

C. Terminal ileum, biopsy

• Small intestinal mucosa with lymphoid aggregates
• No significant inflammatory changes
• No dysplasia or malignancy

D. Colon, right, biopsy

• Colonic mucosa with lymphoid aggregate
• No significant inflammatory changes
• No dysplasia or malignancy

E. Colon, rectum, biopsy

• Colonic mucosa without significant pathologic alteration

The only diagnosis I received from my GI at the time was mild GERD and gastritis, but he decided that treatment was not required. Leading up to this procedure (04/2022) the symptoms I was experiencing were bloody diarrhea, frequent bowel movements, and exhaustion. Leading up to today’s scopes (both endoscopy and colonoscopy), I have been experiencing a variety of much more concerning symptoms, including:
-persistent low grade fever
-weight loss, 10+ pounds down since early March without trying
-early satiety
-no appetite
-intense acid reflux that is unmanageable by OTC PPIs
-petechiae
-rashes
-unilateral swelling of left salivary glands and tonsil, resulting in lump under left jaw
-occasional black stool
-exhaustion and severe fatigue
-recurrent infections, namely skin infections and UTIs
-severe kidney infection resulting in leukocytes and blood in urine but only small amount of bacteria
-pain under left rib
-night sweats
-bloating and distended abdomen
-urinary retention
-left rib flare
-muscle tone loss
-mouth sores
-hot flashes
-occasional vomiting blood
-alcohol intolerance
-trouble swallowing
Basically, I’ve become pretty much disabled by how sick I’ve been in the last few months but specifically even more so in the last few weeks. As of right now I have been to the ER twice in the last month and I have seen 3 different specialists, including a gastroenterologist, a rheumatologist, and most recently, an oncologist. So far testing that has been done includes:
serum electrophoresis (normal)
celiac antibody test (normal)
kappa lambda light chain test (normal)
abdominal ct (mostly normal, showed small fibroids or cysts on uterus and ovaries and slightly dilated left ureter)
neck ct WITHOUT contrast (showed slightly enlarged left salivary glands, but was limited in imaging)
full autoimmune panel, only abnormality was low titre positive ana (1:80, DFS pattern)
vitamin b12 level (normal)
vitamin d-25 hydroxy level (LOW; 14.2 ng/mL)
multiple cbcs (slight abnormalities since mid march, with neutrophils hovering around 75% and lymphocytes around 16%)
multiple metabolic panels (normal, with AST on the low end at 10)
ferritin level (HIGH; 225 ng/ml, lab range 13-150 ng/ml)
immunoglobulin G, A, M levels (normal)
total iron binding capacity (normal)
estimated GFR (normal)
T4, T3, and TSH (normal)
I'm sure I'm missing something, but essentially according to my rheumatologist my condition is not related to an autoimmune condition in his opinion. He urged me to see an oncologist, so as of last week I did. The oncologist conducted a few of the aforementioned blood tests and a genetic cancer panel screening, and so far according to his assessment he said "I don't have any idea what could be causing these symptoms but I have no reason to believe it is malignant. I won't SAY it's all in your head, but perhaps the symptoms will resolve on their own". So essentially... he was pretty goddamn useless. I mentioned again how the lump under my jaw is bothering me, and he even noticed it. He concluded that it would be worth it to get a neck CT scan with contrast just to double check what's going on. He said that it's time for me to see both a urologist for a cystoscopy and an OBGYN for a pap smear. He will also administer genetic counseling to me if my results from the screening come back abnormal. Luckily I am receiving a second opinion from another oncologist closer to home next week.
Anyways, long story short, I have also been seeing a new gastroenterologist during this time. When I saw him about 2 weeks ago he ordered the scopes that I had today and a couple gallbladder tests (haven't completed these yet). When I came out of the procedure he let my girlfriend and I know that the colonoscopy showed mild IBS and endoscopy showed mild gastritis, but wouldn't comment on the esophageal findings. My girl asked him about the status of my GERD and if there were any PPIs he could prescribe and he said "I don't want to make any decisions until the biopsy comes back, we'll call tomorrow or Monday with the results". So uh... yeah. I guess I'm pretty worried and I don't really know what to expect, but from what I can remember from my last scope the biopsy results definitely did not come back this quickly. Here are the images he provided me with: https://imgur.com/a/N7Nrg1w
So ultimately my question is, does this look incredibly concerning? Is there any condition that comes to mind when you see these images/evaluate my symptoms? My guess initially was some kind of lymphoma or autoimmune disease, but I don't know what to believe anymore. I'm pretty worried about the biopsy results from my esophagus. I thought for sure I had ulcers based off of my symptoms, but if it isn't ulcers causing my symptoms I don't really know what to expect. Literally any advice is appreciated because I'm pretty sick of being told "I don't know" by the professionals who's job it is to figure it out. Thanks in advance. I can include more images and information from aforementioned testing if needed.

M43, don’t drink or smoke, take PPI
Month ago I got sick with redness/painful throat and mucus no temp. Tested negative for strep and everything healed except swallowing pain with saliva only (it actually would switch sides some days, swallowing drink and food are not painful). I took azythromycin which didn’t help, I've had multiple ENT exams and larygoscopies which were clear and a negative throat culture. I’ve done Augmentin 10 day treatment twice which led to a stop of pain but recurrence only when swallowing saliva on my left after treatment. I have acid reflux but this doesn’t feel like it at all, plus I’ve been told cancers and reflux wouldn’t respond to Augmentin or antibiotics (taking an extra Pepcid, doubling PPI and Claritin hasn’t helped at all)
Going to get an endoscopy but no other symptoms
Looking for feedback, experiences with this or help…

Hi, 26M here, this is my first post on Reddit. I have been dealing with acne since I was 16. However, in the last three years, it become comparatively worse. For the last three years, I have had red cystic acne on my cheeks and nose. I consulted with three dermatologists. I used Epiduo and clindamycin for a year, but it didn’t work at all. They prescribed me these antibiotics and antifungal medications in chronological order:

• Microdox dt
• Zithrin(azithromycin)
• Minolin - worked
• Augmentin
• Cloxacillin
• Icon 100mg (itraconazole)
• Flucloxacillin
• Fluconazole 150
• Fucidine

Only the Minolin worked for me. I used it for 30 days, and my skin was clear. As soon as I stopped, the acne reappeared. The doctor said obviously I can’t keep taking it. She suggested Accutane, but it wasn’t available in Sri Lanka at that time, so we might have to get it from a third party coming from India. I was hesitant about it. I tried other doctors and medications, but nothing worked. I saw a post in this sub suggesting that it could be fungal, so I mentioned that to my doctor. She prescribed me an anti-fungal, but that didn’t work either. Another doctor prescribed Azelaic acid 20% and a Niacinamide face wash. After a week, my cystic acne turned into whiteheads. It was a significant improvement for me. Cystic acne hurts while washing the face. My sister was using Cetaphil oily skin cleanser; she suggested I give it a try. It worked (I only use a small amount and rinse it). I stopped using the Niacinamide face wash and started using Niacinamide super serum at night.
So now this is my routine: in the morning, I use the Cetaphil cleanser, apply azelaic acid. Then, until the night, I don’t use anything except washing my face with water in the evening. At night, I use the cleanser again, then apply Niacinamide super serum and azelaic acid. I get acne once or twice a week, but it’s unnoticeable.
I had acne on my scalp as well. I used Climdruff shampoo, Mupirax, and Cetrimide shampoo, Nizoral shampoo. Mupirax worked, but after I stopped using it, the acne reappeared. The doctors told me to avoid hair oils and internet articles too. I have been using virgin coconut oil for a month(mom's idea). It’s not completely cured, but it's under control.

Hello, it's my first time posting on reddit, and I must say that this group is the reason I joined. Anytime I had some side effects during treatment I would come here, and get the knowledge and support needed and now I would love to share my findings and experience with you, in hopes that you manage to catch some serious side effects before they progress!
Long story short, I started having weird feelings since last Christmas. They started randomly one day when I decided to go out for a walk and felt extrem nausea and heart palpitations after walking for less than 10 minutes with constant feeling of a slime ball in my throat. I blamed it on hunger, but I also knew that I have never ever felt anything like that.
During the month of January I completely fell in to oblivion. Extreme hunger that would switch to nausea, dizziness to a point where I couldn't stand on my feet, extreme heart palpitations for a week straight without actually having any issues with heart rate. The heart was just beating so strongly it felt as if its really having problem pushing the blood, and would even make my blanket shake as I was falling asleep.
Going outside and walking even a 100 meters would make me feel like a marathon, constant slime feeling in throat and diziness that later just turned to anxiety to even try and go outside.
My mom being a doctor, was giving me different medicines through out my suffering journey but nothing seemed to get me well.
So by the time March came I went to a laboratory for a complete check up. Ultrasound, lots of blood test, lungs x-ray, urine and fecal test.
And surprise surprise i had helicobacter pylori, while all the other test came back almost clean, with very minor vitamin deficiencies and that's it.
So it was decided that I would go through triple theraphy of PPi +Claritomicin +Metronidazole (im allergic to penicillin so Augmentin was a no no for me )
From day one I was experiencing a bunch of side effects, headache, diziness, bitterness in mouth, burping, no appetite, slight heart burn, and very very awfull light sleep.
Day 2 and diarrhea joined the chat, as well as stiff feeling in the stomach.
Day 3 was a meltdown day for me, I woke up with sore throat, a cough with pleghm, dripping nose and I couldn't belive it ? How can I get sick while already on a bunch of antibiotics? This question was driving me mad and made following days harder, because the cough and soreness and runny nose and bluryness in one eye would stay for few more days.
On day 4 it was clear that acid reflux started, woke up with drying scratching pain in throat that would make even breathing difficult. And when evening time came my stomach completely just got stuck. It felt as if its a stone under my heart that is struggling to push the single banana I ate. I couldn't imagine eating more but it was also time to drink the antibiotics. All I can say that this evening and night I spent sipping on starch mixed with water just to get the stomach working and minimize my suffering. Undoubtedly the hardest night I had to live through, heart jumping, sore throat, cough, hot flashes, stone like stomach, headache and burning in the head all of it.
On day five stomach got a bit better, and I managed to get some food in me, but everything else stayed. I was blaming acid reflux, but after taking some gaviscon in afternoon I realized it was not it. Because the burning feeling in the head, stiffness in ears, cough, and very drippy nose and even blurry vision in one eye only stayed.
During an evening call with mom, she suggested that it could be an allergic reaction. That made me super scared because my last allergic reaction to antibiotic (Amoxicilin) made me have an anafilatic shock and my first trip on an embulance.
The only pill I had at home was dexamethasone, luckily it can be taken with antibiotics and beside having anti allergic effect its also helps with swelling in the body.
And guess what?
One hour after, my nose completely dried, mu cough calmed, my burning headache was slowly going. And finally some good sleeepp with no hot flashes and dreams, oh god i needed it.
And as day 6 came, I woke up with appetite! Managed to eat a good meal, and my nose was still dry and head lighter than on any other day, it was clear that all of the things I had to go through that made the first five days a living hell was because of allergy.
Because I didn't have any more deksametozone at home, by afternoon th burning head, stiffness in ears would come back as well as blurry vision in one eye.
At evening I got the deksametozone, and drank it with antibiotics, and ohh yes it was another day of good sleep.
I'm still doing my treatment, but I really had to share it! Because I saw just how many people were suffering from similar side effects, and mainly people would blame vitamin b12 deficiency and so on.
So I hope this post would bring some light to a fact that some "side effects" are possibly an allergic reaction and hopefully save some people from the sufferings I had to go through.
So if you experience anything similar, please talk with your doctor. Depending on which theraphy you on they might prescribe different anti-allergy pills.
And trust me everything really become better with time !
Sending lots of positive energy and power to all that are battling this awful bacteria!

Recently me and the fiancé decided we actually wanna have another child. We both have daughters from a previous marriage (10 and 15yrs). I was on TRT for just about 2 years. My sperm analysis was ZERO in January. I quit TRT that day (Jan 10th). On clomid and hCG but about to stop the hCG and just run clomid. 64 days later my sperm came back at 2 Million per ML and 90% motility. not enough sperm to give me info on morphology etc. Was supposed to wait 3 months but got impatient and i can check my sperm as much as i want (only $50 to check).
Got a bad ear infection and got put on a 10 day of Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid). I heard antibiotics can really mess with sperm? I'm supposed to recheck sperm in a few weeks but have 4 days left of this antibiotic. Would this mess with upcoming results?
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Hi all,
So I've been delaying treatment for SIBO because of various reasons, first I have gotten used to the symptoms and have been afraid of die-off secondly I had covid then bacterial pneumonia and needed a Z-pack so waited on that. Most recently I've had a minor staph infection in my nose that won't seem to go away with topical antibacterial ointment. I was prescribed Amoxicillin - my thinking is to just suck it up and take Augmentin instead and treat the staph as well as the SIBO at the same time - I know Augmentin has the risk of side effects - but I've talked with my naturopath about taking probiotics during and well after treatment as well as a strict diet after the augmentin. Also Rifaximin was not approved by my insurance and costs thousands of dollars.
My question is does this sound like a decent plan? Anyone have decent experiences with Augmentin? I know it's strong so I'm expecting some die off possibly intense. I've gotten so used to SIBO for almost 2 years now that at times I've questioned if it's worth treating, but I'm pretty sure some of my weight loss and acid reflux is attributed to this as well as possibly some malabsorption issues. So kinda like I don't know what normal feels like anymore.
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Anyway thanks for any insight - I'm hoping for a good experience in the long run going this route. Thanks <3

So for some context, I have been SUFFERING for a while. 8 months to be exact. My problem started when I went to my pcp because I was having recurring boils on my bikini line. I knew better but against my bigger judgment , I used the clindamycin gel she prescribed and was very car to only apply to bikini line. However, the product migrates to the general area. After a few uses , I got yeast infections. Bad. Over the counter one day treatment cleared it up. I stopped using the gel even though it treated the boils.
Then a few months later I developed itchiness, pain while urinating and other uti symptoms. Tested negative for a uti but I knew something was still off. Went back to the doctor again and this time they checked for BV and that was positive. At this point the itch is badddddd
I cleared the BV but still had itching . Finallly I tested for ureaplasma and mycoplasma. Ureaplasma u was positive. At this point I have done Flagyl, clindamycin cream & oral route. Also metro gel. To treat ureaplasma I did tetracycline and azithromycin. UrePlasma is cleared but now have strep b
The main thing is the itchy. No doctor wanted to treat strep b. (1,000-9,000 cfu) I go online and get augmentin. The only dose I took caused an allergic reaction but stopped the itch for the day. I have to stop taking it and having a hard time getting prescribed more meds now. I’m going out of town and can’t get anything for the next week anyway but I am so uncomfortable. How can I treat this? I take probiotics and drink a lot of water. Use only free and clear detergent and no soap on vulva as well as cotton panties and no sex.
I’ve done boric acid for the BV, can it help with this? I am desperate and need help. Someone please help me lol I am going crazyy. I’ve missed work, spent hundreds of dollars for treatment , cried, prayed, meditated, took my anxiety meds lol idk what to do. Any suggestions? Please and thank you for reading

Hi, I am a 20 year old male as of this month. Since October of last year, my tonsils and lymph nodes have been heavily inflamed on both sides and I have had repeated flare-ups of strep "like" symptoms. I use strep "like" because I have been tested 4-5 times at this point for strep, and each time the test is negative. I have also tested negative for mono. I have seen a number of doctors, including two ENTs, and an infectious diseases specialist, and all of their tests have came back normal. I will now list the various therapies I have tried that have not helped, as well as tests that came back negative:
-Oral thrush medication
-T. Gontii test
-Amoxicillin
-Augmentin
-Prednisone (twice)
-Allergy medication
-HIV test
-Acid Reflux medication
-A third antibiotic that I can't remember the name of except it started with 'C', and I was told it was more severe and operated on a different axis than Augmentin and Amoxicillin.
-Mono test
-Strep type A and B tests
As an aside, both the antibiotics and the steroids remove my pain while I am taking them, but soon after I finish the course my pain returns. My tonsils and lymph nodes also remain swollen during the entire course.
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If there is any more information I can give to help, please let me know. These sore throats are starting to seriously affect my life, and I will try anything to get rid of them.

I really need help. I’ve tried 10 days of boric acid was normal for 1 day then symptoms returned, 2 rounds of metronidazole, a week of probiotic suppositories (showed the most improvement), a hydrogen peroxide douche, a round of amoxicillin, 3 days of boric acid then 6 days vitamin c suppositories with ozone suppositories, a yeast cream, and a lot of antibiotics before this bc of a stupid doctor that didn’t know how to treat ureaplasma and honestly I’m convinced he wasn’t trying to help bc the very first antibiotics he gave me was cipro and augmentin (been negative since October most recent was a PCR a week ago) but dealing with vaginal imbalance and need to be better. I’m still so suicidal this whole situation has ruined my relationships and I’m alone. The burning and the constant nasty discharge is killing me.
My doctors won’t help me bc honestly they are fucking stupid as hell. I’ve been sick for 8 months. I don’t know what to do. I have some clindamycin cream I got a hold of on my own, and I’m really tempted to use it after a week of boric acid or vitamin c suppositories and then following with vagibiom and pure crispatus powder with the vitamin c after my next period. I’m also taking biofilm busters and drinking kefir and trying to eat a good diet with probiotics but it doesn’t seem to matter. Somehow I’m not getting my biofilm to break down.
I know that it’s not advised to self medicate, but I’m dying (I weigh like 105 now I’ve lost like 25 pounds due to all the stress and pain) and I don’t know what else to do. They refuse to do an extended panel and my Juno results show I have BV but it’s not the typically BV so they didn’t take it seriously and say that all my tests are negative so it’s in my head. It’s not normal I’m in so much discomfort and sometimes intense pain and my mental health and confidence is destroyed. I feel like my life is over honestly. I know clindamycin is supposed to be stronger and I’m really needing to wipe everything out but I’m scared bc everyone says don’t self medicate it. But I’m stuck, the doctors (I’ve seen 6 including a infectious disease doctor who only tested me for 5 things. FIVE! Fuck her too) aren’t helping so I have to help myself. Ladies with who have or have had never ending BV what would you do?
Edit: Am not on birth control and all hormone markers and autoimmune diseases are all normal or negative. Same with other STIs including blood STIs and I haven’t had sex of any form in months. Also don’t use a wash down there and have a bartholin cyst since this all started by my cheating ex in July. Currently not on anything but the biofilm busters, vitamins and oral probiotics. No other meds

To put it short my gut was basically messed from antibiotic courses of (fosmomycin/augmentin/cipro) first one was taken for an infection in the kidney after which my gut was ruined, second & third course was taken for a fever that would not go away without antibiotics because my immune system had weakened so much and I lost body mass due to antibiotics messing my gut, I visited a gastro who ordered a full blood/stool test both of which weren't concerning. so he gave me notriptyline (TCA) & a ppi called dexiva.
The TCA was given to me for the visceral pain caused by the gut issues, I was on it for 2 months after which I developed an upset stomach complete with nausea & distented stomache every day, all that subsided after I ate yogurt for a few days, i developed acid reflux, permanent upper back cramp around shoulder blades & some sort of burning in my lower abdomen which is felt especially at night while laying down or a few minutes after food, I also had white mucus in my stool after eating some stiff beef (which I assume is an ibs flair) I do have food intolerances post antibiotics. Now I do have suspected ibs C or atleast a form of it, the burning/cramping used to be painful but it has become bearable now somewhat,
it seemed to correlate with my bowel movement once, my entire abdomen became warm once after a bowel movement & it sorta burned? Th burning comes in waves & is some sort of hyperacidity because it responded to ppi, but stopping ppi made it come back so im confused, (im avoiding ppis because of its long term affects)

I've been dealing with a sore throat on one side (right) for about 3 months now. It seems to come and go and mostly just be an annoyance and not a huge bother, but I went to the Dr. Who ordered a nasal scope since this is the 2nd time I've had this issue.
I've assumed it's silent reflux, mainly because it matches the symptoms and last year when I had it, it seemed to have went away after I started really watching what I was eating.
I had my ENT appointment yesterday and after the scope he said he saw 3 things:
1 - Swelling in my throat which he said he believes is a lymph node.
2 - White mucus draining in the back of my throat.
3 - That I have a smaller Larynx, which causes me to have trouble breathing through my nose and doesn't fully close when I do, which can act like a vacuum and bring up acid. (Or something to that effect)
He didn't say anything about reflux, this is what he told me to do (he literally just had me pull up my microphone on my phone and put this in my notes):
"We would like you to take some antibiotics to clear what we presume is residual sinus disease on your right side and prescribe you augmentin antibiotics.
We are going to recommend several interventions which should help you. First, we recommend that you wear a breathe right strip on your nose at night time to pull the sidewall cartilage up and out. We recommend that you perform the cottle maneuver and pull your cheek to the side to apply a small amount of Flonase one or two sprays per nostril at bedtime. We recommend that you use salt water spray such as Ocean spray or simply saline 2 sprays per nostril three times daily. Finally, we recommended you start drinking 2 oz of alkaline water such as essentia brand alkaline water with pH 9.5. at that time, the alkaline water will neutralize both gastric acids and gastric enzymes such as pepsin and tripsin which damage your throat and sinuses when you sleep."
I can't find anything about sinus "diseases" that cause swollen lymph nodes and it's honestly got me more anxious because I was hoping for just a "yea it's reflux" diagnosis and hearing "swollen lymph nodes" that I've had for 3 months really freaks me out....

32 year old, female, 5’3, 105 pounds
Registered Nurse.
Man it has been a hellish month. To make a long story short, I had 3 upper respiratory infections the month of December- a commons cold, COVID, influenza A— followed by pneumonia in my right lung.
All URI were relatively uneventful. What is not uneventful is this anxiety/panic disorder that I have developed.
I completed a course of antibiotics— doxycycline and augmentin for the pneumonia.
After completion of the antibiotics, I had some aching rib pain which I presumed to be from the pneumonia. But because I had been sick for over a month, my mind started spiraling and I started worrying about a PE.
I went to the ER in hopes they would do a d-dimer.
We’ll, they didn’t find a blood clot. What they found was me being severely neutropenic with thrombocytopenia…. CUE SEPSIS PROTOCOL. And I was on my way to being a direct admission to level 1 trauma down the street.
What turned out as me wanting to scratch an anxious worry turned into something that honestly would have gone unnoticed.
WBC 1.9 Neutrophils .70 Platelets 100,000ish..
12 hours later, now admitted on the cancer floor on observation, my numbers have improved.
WBC 2.6 Neutrophils 1.4 and Platelets 137,000
I was observed overnight and had repeat labs in the morning. They drew a lot of labs, LDH, Lactic Acid, liver tests all unremarkable. RBCS, hemoglobin/hematocrit all normal.
Per the blood team they are saying this is a result of the viral hit my immune system took and a possible combination of drug induced neutropenia.
I think that’s a fair assessment. They did stress that I need to have repeat labs in a couple of weeks which have already been scheduled.
Now this brings me to my new issue. I just fell asleep, wrapped in blankets and I woke up slightly sweating. Just my chest. I’m in Texas and we are currently under a winter storm watch so the heat is on and I had a thick blanket. But admittedly before I fell asleep I felt fine.
Per the discharge paperwork it says to return if experiencing night sweats. Now maybe I’m in denial but I feel completely fine otherwise. I think that’s overkill. But naturally the nurse in me is worried. I was just in the hospital for two days and I didn’t have any sweating, unusual symptoms. Of course it would happen when I’m home.
I’m emotionally exhausted. My anxiety has been through the roof. I feel completely relaxed at my house. I was not able to sleep in the hospital. This is the first time I have felt fully relaxed in days. I hope I’m not being being stupid.
But the fact that all this crap was found incidentally and caused me so much more anxiety.
The pathologic peripheral blood smear was still pending when I was discharged earlier today.
The hem-onc team seemed confident this was all viral/antibiotic related and I completely agree but this little episode of sweating is sending my anxiety spiraling again.

30M, 5'9", 160lbs.
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I've been plagued with GI infections for years and need help. Doctors really seem to be stumped so I'm laying it all out here in hopes that someone here could possibly help me.
​
Some mental health background: I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression. I take 15mg Lexapro for this, 25mg Trazadone for sleep and occasional .5mg Klonopin. It's been under control.
​
Let's rewind to 10-12 years ago. I developed chronic acid reflux and at around 19 years old and was placed on PPIs. The reflux was so severe that I took a Prevacid, Prilosec, etc, pretty much every day for about 10 years. Over the course of this time, I developed IBS-D and have had a very sensitive stomach. I stopped taking PPIs about a year ago and found that licorice root chewables helped just as much without the side effects.
​
In 2018, I tested positive for C Diff. I know, unusual for a 25 year old, but I blame the overuse of PPIs on it. It was tricky to get rid of. My gastroenterologist put me on Vancomycin which seemed to get rid of the C Diff at first until I relapsed. Cured again, but I was apparently left with post infectious IBS that simply wouldn't go away. I was prescribed Xifaxin for this, which I took on and off for about a year until being put on Viberzi. My IBS persisted but I mostly stuck to Imodium and Pepto Bismol to handle it.
​
Around this time, I had a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy conducted. Usual suspects were tested for (Crohn's, Celiac, H. Pylori, etc) and everything came back negative. Blood tests all came back within normal range.
​
Fast forward a few years to 2022. My IBS-D continues to persist. Towards the end of 2022, I started TRT for a few personal reasons, but one of them was to see if it would help with my IBS since I had read that low testosterone can negatively impact the gut. My T levels were hovering around 300 ng/dL.
​
January 2023 is when things REALLY went downhill. I felt unusually ill and could not stop pooping liquid. My GI doctor refused to do a stool test and instead prescribed me Xifaxin followed by Viberzi and to try the BRAT diet. None of this worked so I took a stool test in February 2023 and tested positive for both Giardia Lamblia AND Campylobacter. I was prescribed Flagyl for the Giardia but doctor said Camplyobacter would go away on it's own.
​
In March 2023, I started seeing a nutritionist to discuss a gut-healthy diet plan and started taking Sacchoromyces Boulardii probiotics. I was already taking VSL#3 Probiotics so was now on both. However, the diarrhea persisted and I was prescribed Nitazoxanide.
​
April 2023, I'm still positive for Campylobacter and prescribed Ciprofloxacin. Over the course of the next few months, symptoms began to decline and I would take Imodium for flair-ups.
​
June 2023, I happen to catch Strep Group-C and am prescribed Amoxicillin for it.
​
July 2023, I catch gonorrhea and was given a shot of Ceftriaxone and told to take a full course of Doxycycline.
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August 2023, diarrhea starts aggressively returning and I, again, test positive for Campylobacter. Prescribed Azithromycin for 3 days.
​
September 2023, after the Azithromycin course, diarrhea becomes even more severe. I'm prescribed a 5-day course of Ciprofloxacin. Yet another stool test and I am now positive for Cryptosporidium. Prescribed a 3-day course of Nitazoxonide.
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October 2023, another stool test, another positive result for Cryptosporidium. Prescribed Nitazoxonide again.
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November 2023, more diarrhea, another stool test. This time, I'm positive for E. Coli (EPEC) and C Diff. I'm prescribed Vancomycin (125mg) for the C Diff and told the EPEC will resolve itself. Just my luck, I happen to develop a root canal infection while on the Vancomycin course. My dentist tells me to stop Vancomycin and take Augmentin for the tooth infection. I was in so much pain that I agreed to. In retrospect, I should have taken both antibiotics at the same time because... you'll see.
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December 2023, more diarrhea, another stool test. Positive for Astro Virus. Intense symptoms but resolves in a few days and I have a 1-week window of solid poops and feeling great. Until...
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Mid-December 2023, positive for C Diff again. Probably relapsed thanks to Augmentin. Prescribed Dificid this time. Stayed on the Dificid for 8 days but it had 0 effect. The C Diff seemed completely resistant to it. So, I'm instead put on another 10-day course of 125mg Vancomycin. On December 26th, I tested negative for C Diff yet still had all the symptoms of it.
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January 2024, I'm prescribed 250mg of Vancomycin to kill whatever C Diff is still left in my body. This mildly helps for a few days but symptoms return just as they have. I have begun tapering off of the Vancomycin and am taking Imodium for the ongoing diarrhea. I know that Imodium shouldn't really be taken while dealing with C Diff but as I'm technically testing negative for it and this has all caused me intense anxiety attacks and weight loss, I simply need an anti-diarrheal to get through the day.
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Over the course of the past year, I have seen 3 gastroenterologists and an infectious disease specialist. My current gastroenterologist is convinced that I have an autoimmune disorder that is making me susceptible to all of these infections, despite all of my bloodwork being normal and feeling fine outside of my digestive system. I have an appointment with an immunologist at the end of the month.
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I don't know what's wrong with me or how to safely move forward. At first, I thought I contracted infections from sexual contact. I'm a gay male and aware that anal contact can lead to these things. However, I continued to become sick while abstinent so this theory has been ruled out. I had both my apartment's water supply and my cat tested for parasites - both came back clean. I've only been drinking bottled water lately as I've become rather paranoid.
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My current plan is to ask my gastroenterologist to perform FMT on me. As my gut flora has been so destroyed from all of these infections, I feel that this is a good option to remove any C Diff spores that could still be in me and reset my microbiome to protect me from further infections. I'd like it to be done via colonoscopy as I'm concerned that my colon has been damaged from all of this as well. Really hoping my doctor agrees on this path.
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This is where I pass the question off to someone out here who could hopefully help me. Why is this happening to me and what should I do? I worry every day that I'm going to catch another gut infection. I've tried so many remedies beyond the medications like probiotics, vitamins, fiber pills, psyllium husk, immunoglobulin, L-Glutamine... nothing seems to make a difference. Even diet changes don't make a difference. I can't identify any particular reactions to gluten, dairy, etc. I feel that the severity of my symptoms goes beyond what a naturopathic doctor can do for me but seeing one is something I've considered.
​
If somebody could please help me, I would be so so grateful. This is truly ruining my life.

(40f)About 20 days ago I woke up and felt what I thought was a sprained neck muscle on the right side of my neck. The neck started to swell and I felt large lumps in it. No pain no fever. I went to the Dr and she said swollen lymph node due to a virus (no medicine) about 10 days later the pain has no subsided so I went back and they thought I might have been bitten by something. They did a CT scan which they said showed swollen muscle and lymph nodes but no abscess although it looked like an abscess. They started me on Augmentin. After 5 days on Augmentin all the pain was gone but swelling still there. I went for a follow-up and they admitted me into the hospital after a second CT Scan showed fluid. At the hospital the ENT said he couldn't drain it because there was just a small pocket of fluid. They recommended IV antibiotics. They released me today as the swelling has gone down. 2 more different antibiotics. One Dr said I had mastoiditis which is scaring me, but most of them said they were not sure what this is. These are the results from the most recent CT Scan. No fever ever during any of this and Normal CBC (WBC 9) Normal lactic acid
FINDINGS: There is soft tissue density collection with central fluid posterior to the right parotid gland inferior to the right mastoid air cells on image 32 of sequence 3 measuring 4.4 x 3.6 x 3.3 cm.
There is no significant opacification of the mastoid air cells.
There is no evidence of acute fracture or dislocation of the facial bones.
The skull base is incompletely evaluated and otherwise unremarkable. There is partial opacification of the bilateral maxillary sinuses. The ethmoid air cells are clear. The sphenoid sinuses are partially opacified bilaterally. The frontal sinuses are clear. The mastoid air cells are clear. The globes remain intact. The soft tissue structures the orbital fossa are normal. Limited evaluation of the soft tissues of the face . The visualized portions of the brain are grossly unremarkable.

• I contracted COVID for the first time symptomatically (but very mildly) in early October this year.
• Ever since - I have not felt the same. Acid reflux, chest pain, sensitivity to pollen (which is new for me) and asthma like symptoms (no history of allergies or asthma).
• In the first week of December, I felt irritation at the back of my throat and chest tightness while at my work office and came home at lunch time. The next day I woke up struggling to breathe and felt I was having an asthma attack and took some ventolin.
• My doctor did viral swabs the next day and I had human metapneumovirus and was very sick for a number of days. We believed it was becoming a chest infection - I took antibiotics (Augmentin Duo Forte which I have had many times before) and it made my tongue swell some 9 hours later. We tried an alternative (Doxycycline) this time it made my tongue swell in 2 hours. After that - all foods I put into my mouth made my tongue swell, and ever since the 5th of December - my tongue swelling has not abated.
• I've seen an immunologist and she has tested my C1 and C4 and said I am negative for Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema. She has me on 40mg of Loratadine a day (though I am now trying Phenergan) and I am currently on steroids. She wants to do some scans once she is back from holidays since the Angioedema has not resolved.
• In the last few days, my swelling has now involved my face and lips. It seems to be getting a tiny bit worse everyday. I am wondering if this is bradykinin mediated rather than histamine mediated - in which case the medications I'm on are probably not doing much.
• Possibly of note is that my older sister wakes up with lip swelling often (2-3 times a week), though hers goes down with antihistamines, or sometimes on its own. She's had this for 10 years.
• I have never had any allergies before covid. All Ige is negative for allergies.

I refuse to give up. There are people who have "idiopathic angioedema" and live with swelling for many years - with no known triggers. I fear mine is the worst kind because there is no treatment for it (antihistamines and steroids don't work, and since it is not one of the genetic conditions, there is no real treatment).

1. Has anyone else had this?
2. Would anyone here who has done their research, agree that long covid is potentially still wreaking inflammatory havoc on my system, and that once I treat the ROOT - i.e. long covid, possible viral persistence or spike proteins, that this too, will go away?

Thank you in advance! Hope you are all healing and sending blessings!

• I contracted COVID for the first time symptomatically (but very mildly) in early October this year.
• Ever since - I have not felt the same. Acid reflux, chest pain, sensitivity to pollen (which is new for me) and asthma like symptoms (no history of allergies or asthma).
• In the first week of December, I felt irritation at the back of my throat and chest tightness while at my work office and came home at lunch time. The next day I woke up struggling to breathe and felt I was having an asthma attack and took some ventolin.
• My doctor did viral swabs the next day and I had human metapneumovirus and was very sick for a number of days. We believed it was becoming a chest infection - I took antibiotics (Augmentin Duo Forte which I have had many times before) and it made my tongue swell some 9 hours later. We tried an alternative (Doxycycline) this time it made my tongue swell in 2 hours. After that - all foods I put into my mouth made my tongue swell, and ever since the 5th of December - my tongue swelling has not abated.
• I've seen an immunologist and she has tested my C1 and C4 and said I am negative for Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema. She has me on 40mg of Loratadine a day (though I am now trying Phenergan) and I am currently on steroids. She wants to do some scans once she is back from holidays since the Angioedema has not resolved.
• In the last few days, my swelling has now involved my face and lips. It seems to be getting a tiny bit worse everyday. I am wondering if this is bradykinin mediated rather than histamine mediated - in which case the medications I'm on are probably not doing much.
• Possibly of note is that my older sister wakes up with lip swelling often (2-3 times a week), though hers goes down with antihistamines, or sometimes on its own. She's had this for 10 years.
• I have never had any allergies before covid. All Ige is negative for allergies.

I refuse to give up. There are people who have "idiopathic angioedema" and live with swelling for many years - with no known triggers. I fear mine is the worst kind because there is no treatment for it (antihistamines and steroids don't work, and since it is not one of the genetic conditions, there is no real treatment).

1. Has anyone else had this?
2. Would anyone here who has done their research, agree that long covid is potentially still wreaking inflammatory havoc on my system, and that once I treat the ROOT - i.e. long covid, possible viral persistence or spike proteins, that this too, will go away?

Thank you in advance! Hope you are all healing and sending blessings!