Bronchitis and cephalexin 500mg

08 April - pain in left ear started 10 April to 13 April - continuous pain 14 April - swelling started 15 April - went to clinic, doc confirmed cellulitis and prescribed antibiotic Cephalexin 500mg and Ciprodex drops, both for 7 days. Doc mentioned if the outer ear is swelling then go ER. 17 April - nerve pain started from behind left ear moving to the left jaw side. 19 April - face muscles moving one side thus making it difficult to breathe and eat from left side, no issues with left earing but a lot of pain. Severe pain on the left, left eye feeling trouble. Started taking advil and tylenol 21 April - blisters on ear started appearing 22 April - went to ER hosp due to increase in pain. Bp was 133 73. Doc checked and confirmed it is shingles or Ramsay Hunt Syndrome through blood test and by her current symptoms. Doc prescribed Gabapentin 100mg for 14 days and valACYclovir 1000mg for 7 days. Got an appointment for ENT specialist for May 7. 24 April - face still same with all muscles pulled to the right. Severe pain on the left, left eye having trouble so taking eye drops plus taking advil and tylenol. Also started doing facial muscle exercise at home. Water intake increased due to strong medication 25 April - Visited ER and doc prescribed Gabapentin 200mg for 14 days. Doing everyday thrice the facial muscle exercise 26 April to 6 May - Medicines have been effective along with facial exercise which has improved the muscle movements and reduced the nerve pain. 7 May - Met with ENT specialist and they checked ear, nose, throat and eye and said that she is going through right treatment and has improved. Prescribed Gabapentin 200mg for a month since it has helped in overall healing. 16 May - still taking Gabapentin and will take till 15 June as prescribed by doctor. Ear has healed and all the facial nerve issues gone.
This incident was troublesome since it was diffuicult to predict initially since it was just a pain in the ear. The blood work done due to swelling and nerve pain behind the ear helped in understanding what the real issue is (Ramsay Hunt Syndrome). Anti viral and steroids along with facial massage exercise helped in the whole process. Another personal reason was God since the faith was strengthened in her weakness. God healed her within a month. Praise be to God!
Hope all this helps if you going through similar or worse. GOD BLESS.

Before anyone tells me to just go to the emergency room, i already did. that's why i'm resorting to reddit. (for reference im an 18 year old female. 5’7 and 132 pounds. only medical history is two seizures in 2023 diagnosed as PNES) i smoke weed every day and vape, alcohol consumption maybe once a week if anything. i’m on birth control and take seroquel 50mg every night. it started a little over a month ago. i've been working two jobs so i figured it was the usual back pain. fast forward to about two or three weeks ago, and i can't get through a shift without crying or taking otc pain relievers. about 5 days ago i woke up in agonizing pain, throwing up, shakes, all that shit. went to the emergency room, assuming it could be appendicitis. as i'm walking in i can feel this round ball/organ rubbing up against my right lower stomach, a little lower than my belly button. The ER staff gave me a CT scan and all the other standard tests. my appendix was clear and so were my ovaries, however i was told they can't see everything with only the equipment in the ER. the only thing that was found was the smallest abnormality in my pee. i've had a kidney infection and excruciating utis run in the family so i'm no stranger. there are zero issues with urination, a little constipation but this pain is completely on the right side. this is not that i'm almost 100% sure. they put me on antibiotics and gave me 350 mg naproxen for the pain and 500mg cephalexin, said to come back in a few days if it still hurts. it's been almost a week and the pain is the same if not worse. i'm scared and i don't rlly know what to do or what this could be, any ideas are much appreciated :/

31F, 125lbs, prediabetic, hypothyroidism (taking synthroid), nonsmokenondrinker. Not sure what else to add lol
But hello, I was just kind of wanting to get another thought on this leg wound I got about 3ish weeks ago. I think it's healing but I'm not completely sure... my mom thinks it still looks infected.
Backstory is that I was picking up a board from the recent storms here in Nebraska (4/26) and I lost my grip and dropped it on my leg, not realizing there was a nail sticking out. Luckily I did not puncture myself, but I did get a small scrape. I immediately cleaned it and bandaged the wound (it bled a tiny bit).
Wound looks like it's healing, it's red and itchy but it's not spreading or anything. Seemed to be closing up too. I kept it clean, was keeping it covered, etc. And then Tuesday May 7th, I pull off the bandage and I noticed I had a second wound next to the original and it was definitely infected. I think I wasn't letting the wound breathe enough and I think the bandaids irritated my skin causing a second wound. The original wound did not seem to be infected from what I could tell.
I immediately contacted my doctor who prescribed cephalexin (2x for 5 days, 500mg) and I finished that Sunday May 12th. Obviously I stopped using the bandaids and switched to gauze pads and I'm letting it breathe when I can. It cleared up the second wound... but now it looks like the original wound might be infected now??
There is no yellow discharge coming from the wound, but there is yellowish discharge on the gauze pad when I remove it. There is a clear discharge coming from the wound which I know is normal and part of healing so that doesn't concern me. I know some yellow discharge could be normal, but this seems like an odd amount and the wound is still pretty red, and it's a bit itchy/stingy. There is a small amount of bleeding as well but it comes and goes and it's flaking a little bit. The second wound seems to be healing fine.
I contacted my doctor this morning (5/14) and I'm just waiting for a response. Thank you!!
I'm including a picture of the bandage from this morning, it's mixed with neosporin so hopefully it's not hard to see. It seemed more yellow in person. Main wound is on the left (with the drainage around it) and other one is right. Here's the link to the pictures, lemme know if it doesn't work!

I finished taking Cephalexin 500mg, (2 times a day for 5 days) about a week ago, and at the end of taking it, i had some bad side effects like anxiety, fatigue, body soreness, nausea, bad stomach acid issues, and dizziness. Ever since then, ive been feeling like shit. I thought maybe the UTI didnt go away, so i went to get my urine tested but it came out negative so now im at a loss. Ive been having on and off random body soreness, like lower left back soreness. its probably like a 4/10 for pain but still making me worried. Ive also had stomach acid issues on and off, as well as anxiety. I just need opinions on what would help, and if i should go to a doctor? I dont know if maybe my body is just tired from the antibiotics and still recovering, or if the UTI got worse and now I have kidney problems/infection. Hopefully I am just overthinking it all and its not anything serious. Let me know please.

Hello everyone,
I apologize for the long post, but I'll try to keep it as concise as possible. I am (22M) urgently seeking help and insights regarding my escalating health issues. I've never felt so desperate; it feels like I'm on the brink of losing it. Since October 2022, I've been experiencing an overwhelming list of symptoms that continuously worsen. I've been diagnosed with Methane SIBO (38 ppm) through the Trio Smart Breath test. Despite trying numerous approaches—such as various herbal protocols, taking probiotics, adjusting my sleep schedule, quitting smoking, eliminating carbs and alcohol, starting acupuncture, and experimenting with carnivore and keto diets—nothing seems to work. Despite these dietary and lifestyle changes, I still feel terrible and it doesn't even feel like I'm moving in the right direction.
Additional symptoms include:

• Brown/Red biofilms? Around stool. (Since January 2023)
• Severe brain fog (If I have 2 hours a day no brain fog i'm happy)
• Insomnia
• Constant fatigue!!!!
• Hair loss (200-300 hair a day/ losing hair from legs,head,arms,everywhere)
• Tingling and numbness in feet, hands, legs, and body
• Shortness of breath
• Photophobia: Bright light causes eye pain and redness
• Anxiety and depression (I live my life around my sickness)
• Muscle spasms throughout my body
• Visual disturbances: Seeing random flashes of color and quickly fading colors
• Difficulty concentrating and challenges with thinking and reasoning
• Physical weakness and light-headedness when sitting
• Chest pain and palpitations
• Mucus in the throat
• Increased susceptibility to illness
• Irritability and mood swings
• Feeling of being lost
• Stress intolerance: Neurological symptoms exacerbate with stress

Here’s a quick timeline of events that may have influenced my current health:

• June 2022: Trip to Thailand; possible food poisoning.
• June 2022: Contracted COVID-19.
• August 2022: Antibiotics for strep throat (tested positive for strep).
• November 2022: Antibiotics for bronchitis (doctor suspected based on symptoms).
• January 2023: Stronger antibiotics for persistent bronchitis (doctor suspected a significant infection).
• March 2023: Vermox treatment (doctors suspected worms from Thailand visit).

Diagnostic Tests I've Undergone:

• Colonoscopy: Everything normal
• Endoscopy: Everything normal
• Stool Tests: Including GI-MAP and others
• Trio Smart Breath Test: Positive for Methane SIBO (38 ppm)
• Spectracell Nutrient Testing
• A Lot of Blood Tests: Everything normal
• Calprotectin Test: Result of 286 µg/g
• Radiography of Lungs (2022): Everything normal
• Sinus Scan: Everything normal
• ECG

Protocols Tried:

• Intermittent fasting
• Keto diet
• Prokinetics for moving MMC
• ADP Oregano + Allicin or ADP Oregano + Atrantil
• Canxida Remove protocol by Eric Bakker
• Triphala for bowel movement
• Currently taking: Biofilm Phase-2 Advanced.
• Coconut KefiCelery Juice/Probiotics

Current Situation:
My journey continues to be fraught with confusion and setbacks. The only solution my doctor offered was to avoid doing the dishes after eating for my reflux and to take antidepressants, classic... I've been prescribed 50mg of sertraline daily. I'm taking the SSRI mainly because I'm tired of hearing 'anxiety' mentioned by every doctor. While the medication makes me calmer and less stressed, my physical condition remains unchanged.
Recently, I took steps to see a gastroenterologist, believing that a specialist might better understand my condition. Unfortunately, the wait times in Canada's healthcare system meant an 18-month delay, prompting me to seek private care. Even privately, I faced a two-month wait. I finally met with a gastroenterologist today in Montreal, only to feel more lost than before. He dismissed the Trio Smart Breath test I took for SIBO as irrelevant and labeled the GI-MAP not usable, contradicting previous medical advice I had received. Furthermore, he diagnosed me with Giardia Lamblia, despite my tests for parasitic pathogens coming back negative, and recommended a 10-day course of Flagyl/Metronidazole (500mg three times daily). Initially, I was hopeful that my SIBO diagnosis would lead to the common treatment protocol of Rifaximin and Neomycin for 14 days, but now he tells me it's not SIBO? This new recommendation is particularly concerning because my first doctor back in 2022 prescribed two antibiotics and Vermox for conditions that turned out to be misdiagnosed, which did nothing but harm my microbiome. I'm hesitant to take Flagyl, knowing it could further damage an already compromised system. What should I do? I mean, I really feel bad; what can it be?
​
I've been noticing a decline in my health every day, and unfortunately, there's been no sign of improvement. It's becoming increasingly unsustainable to live with these debilitating symptoms. I'm considering using up all my savings to seek further medical opinions in the U.S. because healthcare in Canada feels inadequate and delayed. I'm desperate for advice: I need help understanding my GI-MAP results. Additionally, I'm unsure whether it's a good idea to go to the U.S., return to Thailand, find another GI across Canada, or undergo more tests. I've already tried numerous treatments, but nothing seems to work.
Could anyone kindly offer their insights into my GI-MAP results? I'm wondering if there might be something that the doctor hasn't picked up on. Any additional perspectives or interpretations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help and understanding.
Test results link : https://imgur.com/a/JL2E8LN

Hi everyone,
My girlfriend and I were in close contact to my roommate who has strep throat, we both got prescribed antibiotics through our own insurance and got them filled at different pharmacies.
I (26M 215lbs 6'3) have Amoxicillin 500mg capsules to be taken 1 capsule every 12 hours for 10days with a total of 20 pills. ( 2x a day)
My girlfriend (25F 130lbs 5'6) has Amoxicillin 500mg capsules to be taken 1 capsule every 8 hours for 10 days with a total of 30 pills. (3x a day)
My GF asked her aunt who is a pharmacist and she said normally they don't do the 2x a day for amoxicillin it's usually 3x a day (my roommate also 3x a day but Cephalexin). She also suggested that I swap with my GF since I'm feeling the symptoms more and I have way more health problems in general as well as being significantly larger than my gf. Thoughts?
Quick health background, I've recently been taking a lot of antibiotics this year and I'm a little nervous about the harm that it can cause from overuse. I'm a little more paranoid then usual as I am leaving the country for a few weeks on Wednesday and I need to be sure I'm healthy and recovered by then. A lot of the things I've read said I should be over the worst of it within 72 hours which is before I leave.
In February 12 I took Cephalexin and Prednisone for a sinus infection by my ENT.
In April 2 I took Cephalexin again for a skin infection I had from an urgent care.
Today I got prescribed Amoxicillin for the strep throat.
Ive read about the dangers of overuse of antibiotics and having bacteria become resistant so I'm a little nervous about taking the larger dose (the 30 pills instead of 20 if we swap). But I do know amoxicillin is not the same as Cephalexin.
P.S. I bought some Probiotics with ll. Rhamnosus to help with my gut.

I been have problems with my scalp for 4 years. My scalp be very itchy, smell bad, and very painful sometimes I get small little white bumps on my scalp. I also have thick scabs that are hard to get up. I been to three different dermatologist. One of my doctor want to put me on accutane I didn’t want to do accutane. These are some of medications they put me on. What are some medications that help that not listed. I’m give another dermatologist a try.

Hello,
My 10 year old male Australian Shepherd broke his nail completely off about 24ish hours ago. I have a couple leftover 500mg Cephalexin from the last time he went to the vet (about 3 weeks ago). When I run out of those, am I able to give him my own 500mg Cephalexin that was prescribed to me? I cant afford another vet visit right now, and from what I have read on google, it seems to be the same drug. But I definitely want to be sure before I give it to him.
Thanks!

Age: 16 Gender: Male Height: 189cm / 6,2 feet Weight: about 100kg (Idk if this useful but my previous post was removed because I didn‘t include all that stuff)
So this might be a silly question but I don‘t care about that. I got prescribed an antibiotic called Azithromycine because of some trouble breathing and yellow mucus in my throat. My doctor didn’t diagnose me with anything, but she said that it isn‘t pneumonia. Im thinking it might be bronchitis but idk. She didn‘t prescribe me any antibiotics at first but upon telling her my mucus was yellow, she did.
First of all I‘ve read online that even if the bronchitis is bacterial, you usually shouldn‘t take antibiotics unless the symptoms are severe, which they currently aren‘t. Secondly I have some heart trouble. I don‘t have anything severe, I sometimes have supraventricular tachycardia and a few premature ventricular contractions every other day. Though I‘ve had periods of time which lasted a few days, where every other beat was a premature ventricular contraction, but only really while resting. I am on 8mg of Candesartan since I also have hypertension (I know I‘m overweight but the hypertension was even worse when I was lighter) Also, my cardiologist told me that I had a mild a case of aortic valve insufficiency, which according to him about a year ago, isn‘t clinically relevant.
I‘ve read that Azithromycine and Macrolides in general can cause a prolonged QT interval and that because of this reason people who have a prolonged QT interval in the first place, shouldn’t take it. I know that this is silly and that I am overthinking this whole thing, but my question is: If I take Azithromycine while having the cardiac symptoms I‘ve listed above, will my risk of prolonged QT interval and/or dangerous cardiac complications be higher than in healthy people or not? And also, could my symptoms that I normally experience worsen or intensify, meaning that I could experience more severe episodes of tachycardia or premature ventricular contractions? Also, is there an alternative antibiotic to Azithromycine or Macrolides in general?
I told this doctor about my cardiac histroy, so the Azithromycine should theoretically be safe to take. But since I normally don‘t go to this doctor and she didn‘t really seem like she was listening to me and seemed really stressed, I am not too sure, if I can fully trust her.
If it matters: I am supposed to take 500mg once per day for the next three days.
Thank you!

Got prescribed cephalexin 500mg, twice daily for 5 days. Only side effects i noticed at first was soreness and fatigue, which i could manage. Fast forward to my last pill, which i took 14 hours ago, I started having really bad anxiety, horrible acid reflux, dizziness, and nausea. I also notice that its slightly harder to swallow, but not too terribly bad. I was wondering if anyone else had similar effects while taking cephalexin, and what i can do to help this, and if its something i should be concerned about. Im unsure if i should go to a doctor, or wait it out, as ive heard people complain of many side effects while taking this antibiotic. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I adopted her about 2 years ago now. She is a 48lb Lab, about 4-5 years old (dont know exact age)
Early on I did have to get her a hypoallergenic collar, but I didnt notice anything else.
This spring her belly started to get red. Partner thought it was hotspots. It spread to her armpits. Then I noticed on her snout around her nose and her neck. I treated it with hot spot spray and it did help sorta. I ended up getting a cone becuase she was getting sick licking herself with the hotspot stuff on.
Finally I decided I needed to see my vet. They said it was allergies and not hot spots. They sent me home with Apoquel 16 mg Tablets and Cephalexin 500mg Capsules
They said to see how it goes and possibly she will need Apoquel regularly if it gets worse again. Well I ran out and it started to get worse again.
I remembered I did change her food to Coscto brand around the same time the allergies started. But she hasnt had any stomach/bowel issues. Still, I switched to Hills Science diet for two weeks. No improvement, infact things got continue to get worse.
So now Im looking to call my vet. But if they want her on Apoquel 16 mg Tablets, that is expensive. Like $100 a month. That is going to really hurt, we (my partner and I) dont have a lot of expandable income.
Is there anything else I can do? I concerned this is going to be costly to manage and that will really hurt us financially. I know dogs are expensive, but on top of other regularly dog stuff, another $100 a month hurts.
I dont know why after 2 years, this has happened. Spring brings tons of pollen, but that isnt new. She hasnt had this issue before.

I adopted her about 2 years ago now. She is a 48lb Lab, about 4-5 years old (dont know exact age)
Early on I did have to get her a hypoallergenic collar, but I didnt notice anything else.
This spring her belly started to get red. Partner thought it was hotspots. It spread to her armpits. Then I noticed on her snout around her nose and her neck. I treated it with hot spot spray and it did help sorta. I ended up getting a cone becuase she was getting sick licking herself with the hotspot stuff on.
Finally I decided I needed to see my vet. They said it was allergies and not hot spots. They sent me home with Apoquel 16 mg Tablets and Cephalexin 500mg Capsules
They said to see how it goes and possibly she will need Apoquel regularly if it gets worse again. Well I ran out and it started to get worse again.
I remembered I did change her food to Coscto brand around the same time the allergies started. But she hasnt had any stomach/bowel issues. Still, I switched to Hills Science diet for two weeks. No improvement, infact things got continue to get worse.
So now Im looking to call my vet. But if they want her on Apoquel 16 mg Tablets, that is expensive. Like $100 a month. That is going to really hurt, we (my partner and I) dont have a lot of expandable income.
Is there anything else I can do? I concerned this is going to be costly to manage and that will really hurt us financially. I know dogs are expensive, but on top of other regularly dog stuff, another $100 a month hurts.
I dont know why after 2 years, this has happened. Spring brings tons of pollen, but that isnt new. She hasnt had this issue before.

Finally went to the ER for the pain and they gave me a CT scan, found an infection site that lit up on the scan around my navel. I have been taking antibiotics for a week straight and I feel 100% HEALED. No pain to touch, no nausea, queasiness, nothing. I am drinking hot coffee, spicy chips, you name it
The ER doc said it was cellulitis, I’m not sure if it adds up bc I’ve been having this pain for 2 months and I know cellulitis to be fast/ aggressive/ primarily showing up on the legs and on ppl who suffer from obesity. But I’m convinced at this point I had some type of abdominal infection that PPIs , bland diet & manuka honey & ginger would never have fixed . I needed antibiotics (cephalexin 500mg 4x a day for a week to be exact )
I’m sharing this because it might help someone who is suffering with no relief and at a loss…get a scan. It could be an infection
Also tested negative for h pylori 3 times so I know it wasn’t that . And took pantoprazole with no help

Just that. I’m currently on Cephalexin 500mg twice a day, and I just took Adderall XR 15mg. I didn’t look into interactions before I took it, and I’m worried the cephalexin will hinder how much the Adderall is absorbed.

Age 33
Sex f
Height 5’4
Weight 216lbs
Race hispanic
Duration of complaint 2 weeks
Location inside nose, eyes, lips, possible cheeks and forehead
Any existing relevant medical issues I have been dealing with acid issues that made me drop significant amount of weight within 2 1/2 months (30lbs)
I have the cold sore virus and thought my infection was a cold sore and left it alone for 10 days before seeking help.
I am on the first 24 hrs of treatment:
Im on antibiotics right now:
-mupirocin 2% twice a day -ofloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.3% 4 drops per eye 4 times a day -cephalexin 500mg twice a day
Taking omeprazole 40mg and famotidine 40mg for the stomach issues now too.
I just got my first staph infection late March after using sample make up at a store. I was blowing my nose days later with oaper towels and it was super rough and hurt. I suppose i gave myself micro cuts and an infection happened. It spread to my eyes and mouth. Culture hasnt cone back yet since ut was done friday so i was told maybe wednesday.
Im hoping its not MRSA. I had a culture in Feb for something unrelated hut theybchecked for all harmful bacteria and i didnt have anything.
So i know its from that make up sample, a lot of people used it that day.
Im worried about the spread to my body and other parts of my face i dont know how to wash my face now or with what. My forehead, cheeks and chin feel a different texture, like a layer of nastiness that just comes back within a few hours of washing.
I was never a carrier and i dont want to be one forever. Is it really forever? Or just MRSA?

This is a bit of a long one, sorry in advance.
I'm a 33 year old female - allergies to Penicillin, Doxycycline, and Sulfa Meds (specifically Bactrim). I've been diagnosed with GERD, Hypothyroidism, Eczema, POTS, and a few other illnesses.
In March 2023, I visited a podiatrist for what ended up being toenail fungus who took issue with some redness on my right big toe that was - at the time - just around the nail. Practically immediately, she told me I had Cellulitis and needed to go on antibiotics (Note: I did not have pain, heat, or swelling so I'm not sure where she got cellulitis from other than the redness). Because I have allergies to - at the time - penicillin, I was hesitant to risk another anaphylactic reaction and asked if I could just try some at-home treatments first, like epsom salt soaks. The doctor didn't love it, but said fine and to come back if I started having issues.
Well, in mid March 2024, I ended up with an extremely painful toenail on that same big toe. It was a little achy on a tuesday, had started having pus by thursday and I was concerned enough to seek medical care by Saturday. I went to Urgent Care, they said it infected, prescribed Cephalexin 4 times a day for 5 days and had me see the podiatrist ASAP. The antibiotics cleared up the infection (I admittedly didn't pay attention to the redness) and two days after I finished the antibiotics, I went back to the podiatrist. She was still insisting I had cellulitis, despite the fact that the redness had not changed AT ALL from the visit back in 2023, and said that I should have a Total Nail Avulsion where they'd remove my right big toenail altogether and that the procedure would get rid of the redness. I agreed to the procedure and had the nail removed that day. The podiatrist did not kill off the nail with phenol because she was convinced I had cellulitis/infection and said the procedure wouldn't work until the cellulitis was gone.
Fast forward to the two-week follow up appointment
The toe is still red. It is still not painful (outside of the healing from the toenail removal), it is still not hot, it is still not itchy - it's just bright red. The doctor prescribes Azithromycin (1G dose, consisting of two 500mg pills) due to my antibiotics allergies. This was on a Tuesday; I take the antibiotics on a Wednesday. By Saturday, the redness seemed to be even worse and not reacting to the Azithromycin, so I went back to Urgent Care. Urgent Care said they didn't think it was Cellulitis either because it wasn't hot, didn't hurt, wasn't streaking, but prescribed Clindamycin (300MG, 4 times a day for 5 days), just to be safe with instructions to go to the ER if it turned purple.
My toe seems less red at moments and more red at others - I don't know what could be going on, but I truly don't think it's cellulitis like my podiatrist keeps insisting. It's not hot, it doesn't hurt, and it really doesn't itch. I have Eczema and probably Reynaud's (have not pursued a diagnosis yet). I also have POTS and was told several years ago that I potentially have Venous Insufficiency. Could this be tied in to any of those?
What do you all think it could be?
Here's a link to an imgur with some photos of the redness (ignore the dates on the photos; that's for my own record keeping) - https://imgur.com/qKVWVER

Hello! I’ve been experiencing mild UTI symptoms for 1.5 weeks now and it’s the first time UTI has lasted so long for me. In the past UTIs were sharp burning, pain, strong urgency, and I can barely sit. Those UTIs tested positive with blood in urine, I took my course of antibiotics and they cleared within a week.
This time, my urine tests (culture and microscopy) came back negative with only high white blood cell counts, indicating inflammation but no UTI. I got put on 5 days of antibiotics (apo-cephalexin), but due to diarrhea and bloating I had to stop after 4 days.
Days after the antibiotics were hell because the symptoms came back (incontinence, urgency, pressure, mild urethra discomfort). It’s by no means severe but it’s uncomfortable and I can’t concentrate on work or anything else.
I scheduled a meeting with a urologist because my GP was not sure exactly what’s wrong. Between my symptoms coming back after the antibiotics and the appointment, everything some how got better for about 24 hours. No symptoms, no discomfort, but I met with the urologist anyway. He recommended Hiprex with probiotics and cranberry capsules. I have been hearing good things about all of these so I thought I’d get started on them right away.
When I got the Hiprex I took a full tablet and experienced slight, sharp stinging kidney pain, this may or may not have been because of the Hiprex, but I never had this before so I’m keen on believing it was. I looked online and found out that Hiprex can take a bit to get used to, so this is what I’m doing currently:

• probiotics before breakfast.
• half tablet of Hiprex (500mg) with two cranberry capsules (1g) in the morning after breakfast and at night after dinner.

And the reaction I have to these currently are:

• mild urgency and incontenence
• moderate pressure and urethra discomfort after peeing
• cloudy urine

Basically, my symptoms are back. I just thought I’d make a long term post documenting my experience on the medication and see how long it takes me to get use to it. I’m confident that it will pass but I’m not sure how long.
The current plan is to up the dose to 2g Hiprex/day after 1 week. I also ordered some D-mannose and oil of oregano, but I’m not going to incorporate them yet.
Please comment to share your experience with Hiprex! Are these symptoms normal? How long did it take you to get use to them? Thanks in advance :))
PS: I’m not sure if this is related, but I do also take ferro-grad C, an iron+vitamin C supplement. Also, Hiprex tastes like crap lol
Update:
So today the symptoms got really, and I mean really annoying, on top of them I had to do an ultrasound during my lunch break which required a pre-2 hour chugging session with no pee relief, which put me in HELL because I was at work. The clinic for ultra sound was a 8 minute walk away but I took an Uber because if I took one more step my bladder was going to explode.
So the symptoms faded after the ultrasound, which got me to think maybe these were side effects from the pill. To confirm, I didn’t take my night dose today and I’m feeling totally ok with no symptoms, which confirmed that the Hiprex was causing all the urgency, pressure, difficulty voiding, etc.
I also noticed something else: during the ultra sound, I was asked to empty my bladder. Because I was on the blink of bladder death (/s), the pee came out like water fall and afterwards I was symptom free and so relieved. I think the previous urgency and other symptoms was due to my inability to completely void my bladder. I know this sounds a bit silly, but I think trying my best to empty in one go is the best thing to calm these symptoms down.
So anyway, I’m going to even lower my dosage now to 500mg a day (250 in the morning and 250 at night) and see if that works. Honestly I didn’t expect Hiprex to be such a pain in the hooha to work with.
Tonight just as a precaution I’m taking 3 D-mannose (NOW brand, 500mg per) capsules because I skipped Hiprex and want to give my bladder a rest. It’s been 30 min since I took them and no side effects yet, fingers crossed. I read up that some people also had horrible side effects with D Mannose, but I won’t know my case til I tried.
Will keep updating!
1 week update:
Good news! All my symptoms subsided and I no longer experience (almost) any side effects on Hiprex. I’m doing:

• probiotics before breakfast.
• half tablet of Hiprex (500mg) with two cranberry capsules (1g) in the morning after breakfast and at night after dinner.
• I bought size 000 gelatin capsules from Amazon and put the 1g Hiprex tablet in there. No more bad taste on my tongue and this might have helped to take the side effects away.

And I’m feeling great! Except for the rare occasional urgency. I think I’ll stay on Hiprex for 3 months and see where this go. So far nothing that used to trigger UTI is triggering it (missing water, sexy time) and I have to say Hiprex is helping a lot!!
Just so someone else might see this: my urologist mentioned that, if you’re experiencing symptoms like:

• Pressure
• mild urgency
• difficulty voiding
• slight burning/stinging/discomfort AFTER you pee
• cloudy urine
• basically mild symptoms…

…it might just be inflamed urethra instead of an UTI, because bladder and urethra takes a while to recover after you stop antibiotics. Even if you have high counts of white blood cell in your urine sample, that only indicates inflammation, not UTI. Get a urine test (dip and culture AND microscopy) done, if you feel really uncomfortable, talk to your doctor and get back on antibiotics, and try Hiprex or cranberry capsules (d-mannose but low dosage).
If you experience:

• pain or burning DURING urination
• blood in urine
• BAD urgency
• cramps/heavy pressure in the pelvic region
• basically BAD symptoms…

This is much more likely to be a UTI. See your doctor and at least get on antibiotics ASAP.
If you feel sharp pain or DULL AND CONTINUING (that get worse when APPLYING PRESSURE) in your:

• Abdomen right below the ribs on either side
• mid-lower back on either side
• flank on either side

You might have a kidney infection. Anyway see a doctor and get a urine microscopy done as soon as you can, get on antibiotics.
I also learned from my experience that even for the same medication (in my case, antibiotics), difference brand might cause difference reaction. I had App-Cephalexin prescribed the first 2 of my UTIs, I had no symptoms or side effects while on and after the course (5 days, 500 mg 2 in morning and 2 at night). But this time my doctor first prescribed Ibilex, a difference brand of the same antibiotic, it caused me heavy dizzy spells and such bad stomach reaction I had to stop taking it. I was scared I might get C.Diff because of the constant watery diarrhea.
Anyway, I will keep updating if my UTIs come back in the future. Thank you for reading this super long post, and I wish everyone good luck battling cUTIs!

Hi, hopefully this is the right place to ask this sort of question, but I just got an email from Walmart pharmacy letting me know my prescription is ready — problem is, I never got a prescription.
I haven’t seen a doctor in months, not to mention I’ve changed my name and moved from where this pharmacy is actually located. The prescription? Cephalexin 500MG. Seems to be an antibiotic.
But now i’m worried - what do I do to correct this? Obviously I’m going to call the pharmacy, but some people say I should treat it as identity theft and call the police and all that… I don’t know what to do. Like I said, I’ve changed my entire name, so it’s under my old name anyway, but should I still treat it as identity theft?
ETA: Just called the pharmacy and they confirmed that it was for someone with my same DOB and accidentally got filed under my name, so no identity theft for me! Lol

(Sorry this is such a long post) Hello I'm new here and I'm a 43 year old female from the US. On March 26, I went to my doctor because I thought I had the starting of a UTI. She said the in office test showed microscopic blood in urine and some leukocytes. She said all signs of a UTI. She put me on a 7 day course of Cephalexin (500MG capsule, 2x day). After the 7 days I still felt like maybe I had the UTI. I felt an urgency to pee and just a bit of soreness near my urethra opening not while using the bathroom but after (wasn't painful but more uncomfortable and annoying, like it was irritated). I waited a week to see if things might just be in my head, but finally felt I should go get it rechecked. So I went back to my doctor office on Thursday (April 11th) and this time I saw the PA. She said my urine test looked good just with a trace amount of blood. She looked to see if my other test 2 weeks before was sent for cultures. It had been and showed that nothing grew, so she told me she didn't think it was a UTI, but she would send this one out again and if it grew something they would start another antibiotic. I left feeling kind of confused leaving the office because I really thought it was a UTI. The next day Friday (yesterday). I was having to pee all day long, multiple times an hour. I have health anxiety and it was making me feel so anxious, because it just didn't seem right. I was barely drinking anything, and I was going was more than normal. By 6pm I started keeping track of every time I went. Between 6pm and 10:30pm I went 11 times! I was getting shaky and dizzy (most likely from feeling so anxious), but since diabetes runs in my family my husband thought it best we go to the ER and just get it checked. I felt so silly going to the ER and saying I'm here because I'm peeing a lot. But the doctor and nurse on staff were so kind. The first thing they asked if I was diabetic so that must have been their first thoughts too. I showed the doctor my times I'd logged of how often I was peeing and he said yes that's too much. They assured me they would do full blood work and make sure my kidneys were functioning good and check for any signs of infections and of course a urine test. He said "We test it under a microscope so it's more precise than in the office". They ran all the bloodwork and urine test and said everything came back looking great. Good kidney function, no electrolyte imbalance, no dehydration, my sugar levels were all good. Urine test came back showing everything looked good no nitrates, no leukocytes, no protein, no glucose. The only thing that came up flagged on any of the test was trace blood in urine, but the doctor said it was barely any and nothing to worry about. He told me I had overactive bladder and prescribed me 14 days of Oxybutynin (10MG) and told me to follow up with my doctor and have her prescribe me more., and also said he was putting me on the lowest dose so it might need to be upped. They gave me one dose before I went home and it helped! I didn't keep going pee and I was able to sleep through the night! But by around 7pm tonight it started again. I was having to pee over and over. *sigh*This brought the anxiety on again too :( The dose they gave me at the hospital was at 1:30am. So I didn't want to take it at 7pm tonight since it's a 24 hr dose. From 7pm until I took the medicine at 12:30am. I had gone about 11 times again. I feel so overwhelmed. I'm so glad the medicine seems to help, but all of this seemed to come out of nowhere. I just thought it was a simple UTI that would get cleared up. Like I said before I have bad health anxiety. I just game off 2 really rough months, January and February of this year, with horrible gallbladder attacks and had surgery to have it removed on February 27th. Just as I was starting getting all healed up and back to my normal self this happens. I have no bladder cramps just feels like right at the opening where I pee is irritated a bit maybe from peeing so much and feels once in awhile like maybe a spasm in the urethra tube right down near opening. And when the medicine wears off I just have to keep peeing. But I still feel anxious it's something serious and my mind goes to the worse that it's bladder cancer or something :( It is really messing with my anxiety. Anyone else have overactive bladder come out of nowhere? Will I have to stay on medicine the rest of my life? I really don't like having to take medicine for a long time so I feel really discourage at the thought of this never going away. Any advice or encouragement would greatly be appreciated! Thank you!

33F, Caucasian, 5'7", 212 pounds
Current Illnesses: GERD, Gastroparesis, IBS (likely IBS-C), Hypothyroid, Vertigo, Eczema Current Meds: Omeprazole (20 mg, 1x daily), Levothyroxine (25 mcg, 1x daily), Flonase, Meclizine (25 mg, 3x a day), Miralax (1 packet daily), Triamcinolone Cream (as needed on neck eczema) Other Info: I do not smoke, drink, or do any kind of drugs (other than my prescribed meds)
This is a long one - I apologize.
Back in March of 2023, I saw a podiatrist for some joint issues in my big toe and she showed concern over redness around my toenail. It wasn't warm to the touch and it didn't hurt, but the podiatrist immediately said "That's Cellulitis, we need to start you on antibiotics". She did very minimal exam and barely looked at my foot, so I'm not sure how she reached that conclusion. There were some other issues with my toenail and she said that it would likely require a Total Nail Avulsion. She initially prescribed Doxycycline, but I couldn't tolerate it and when she suggested trying a Z-pak, I said that I'd rather try conservative treatment first with epsom salt soaks.
Life happened, I didn't schedule a follow-up. The redness never went away, but it also didn't spread. There was never any warmth, no red streaks up my leg. The only pain I had was when one side of the nail became ingrown, which we managed at home and it went away.
Fast-forward to March 2024. The left side of my right big toenail got infected - and it got bad in a hurry. Went to urgent care where they prescribed Cephalexin (500mg, 1 pill every 6 hours for 5 days) and instructed me to see the podiatrist again - which I did. The podiatarist immediately said the toenail needed to go, once again citing the redness around the nail that had been there for over a year. I caved, did the TNA, but she stated that she couldn't do any sort of Phenol or acid because of the Cellulitis that she was still convinced that I had.
I just had my three-week follow up with the podiatrist a few days ago - and again, the only thing she seemed to be worried about was the redness around the nail (Again, no heat, no pain, not spreading - even a year later). She re-prescribed the Azithromycin - one single dose of 1 gram (2 pills, 500 mg each) and wants me to follow up in three more weeks. She's booked out at least 5 weeks, so that's the best I could do.
However, even after the Azithromycin, the redness is STILL there. It's STILL not hot, STILL no pain, STILL no streaking or spreading. I truly do NOT think this is cellulitis or any sort of infection.
If it's still red around the nail in a few more days, I'm thinking of calling the podiatrist's office and asking if we can try some kind of corticosteroid cream to see if this is actually Paronychia instead of Cellulitis. I'll probably ask for Triamcinolone Acetonide cream, as that's what I already use on occasion when my eczema flares on my neck/hairline.
Any doctors here on Reddit have thoughts on the issue?
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**Here's a link to an imgur with photos that I was taking to document the Total Nail Avulsion healing, but you can also see the redness around the toenail - or where the toenail once was. Please note: It also appears a little more red due to the weird lighting in my bathroom. (https://imgur.com/a/EhuWWRH)
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I’m 19F and was told I have paronychia. I was prescribed 500mg of Cephalexin (Keflex) for 7 days, to take 4 times a day.
After I stopped taking the medication, I noticed the infected area starting to turn yellow. It had spots of brown, too, that have faded. It’s not as red or inflamed anymore. I've noticed the yellowing spread until the toenail though, and I'm confused about whether this is normal or cause for concern. I want to avoid going out of my way to make an appointment or visit urgent care again if unnecessary.
Other medications I take are 5mg Lexapro and 25mg Trazodone every day. Also, I take 25mg of Atarax (Hydroxyzine) infrequently. I’m recovering from PTSD, which caused disordered eating, so I’m not the healthiest weight (5’6, 108 Lbs), and am still working on getting my body healthy. I tend to have more health issues without noticing and I don’t want to contribute to those even further by putting more strain on my body if this is something it needs the extra help fighting. Thanks for taking the time to read through this.
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36 female, 5’4, 170, on antibiotics, baby aspirin, take prenatal vitamins and pregnant. Non smoker with a history of smoking, mostly pot. I have been sick for 2 and have weeks. Was prescribed antibiotics (cephalexin) 5 to 6 days ago. I thought I was getting better but I’m starting to fear im getting pneumonia. I have so much fluid in my lungs it sounds like whales talking to each other as I wheeze. It’s worse at night and in the morning. My lungs hurt. I am hacking up massive amounts of mucus. I thought I was getting better for a bit and today it hit me like a fright train. It went from being stuffed up with sinus congestion and pressure to moving into my lungs. The doctor seemed fixated on soar throat. I had to explain three times it’s not my throat other than around my sinuses it’s my lungs that hurt for him to decide it could be bronchitis. I thought I was getting better a few days ago as some of the sinus pressure released but last night it came back with a vengeance without the mucus just the pain. I’m so fatigued, headache but worst pain of all is my lungs which feel raw from coughing despite being filled with mucus.
So to finally get to my question. Should I be worried about pneumonia when I’m already on antibiotics? Or am I just being impatient and dramatic?