Biaxin and medication

A great medication. Having COPD I take it rather frequently, no side effects, no adverse reactions whatsoever. It keeps me from getting pneumonia, clears up my lungs, and has much less severe side effects as Cipro and Levaquin. I guess all medications have side effects for some. I think this is a dream antibiotic.

I was told at the doctor's office that I had bronchitis and I was given Biaxin 500mg x 2 a day (generic form is Clarithromycin), I took it the first day wasn't sure if the side effect was from the bronchitis or from the medication. By the 2nd day, I took the first pill, after that it was downhill from there. I suffered anxiety, metallic taste in mouth, severe nausea, dizziness and vertigo. I feel completely horrible. I stopped taking the medication yesterday and I still have vertigo and nausea feels awful. The side of effects are worse than the sickness itself! Never again will i take this horrible pill!

I was prescribed biaxin for bronchitis a little over a week ago. I took the first two pills and the next day I had a sore tongue with red patches and ulcers all over it and I felt like I had bladder infection. I didn't stop taking them. I took 2 more of the pills and woke up the next night with severe depression and anxiety. I stopped taking the pills altogether and I haven't slept good, it has been a week. I have anxiety every day, panic attacks and nightmares in the night. I am extremely moody, irritable, I have crying spells for no reason. This is really scary, I will never, ever, ever take this medication again. The doctor gave me lorazepam to help with the anxiety and told me it would take 2 weeks to leave my system, one can only hope and pray......

I have many of the same symptoms as everyone else... miserable stomach pain, diarrhea, terrible headache and heartburn. this drug is awful. I've never had this sort of reaction to an antibiotic before. Today is only day 4 and i'm afraid to take the pills. Has anyone heard that the side effects get better as your body gets used to the drugs?? I'm in the middle of taking exams and I was worried about this throat and ear infection interfering with my studying. I think I could have managed the infection better than these drugs.

I am on Biaxin for Laryngitis and an upper respiratory infection. I went to the ER because I felt I couldn't clear my chest congestion and I was miserable. He prescribed me 500mg of Biaxin twice daily. I have just taken my 4th pill. Day 2 over. I have the stomach aches like everyone talks about. They feel like im starving, but I know im not because I just ate. Strange. The taste in my mouth is disgusting no doubt. It's a metallic taste, but not too bad. I keep drinking flavored waters and sucking on candies and that helps with the taste. I have had mild diarrhea today, twice. I actually have, previous to taking this medicine, a heart racing condition known as PSVT. I take medication for it to slow my heart down and lower my blood pressure. So far, thankfully, I have had no reaction in my heart to this medication but I am worried. I will keep this updated as it seems that most people started having more problems in days 3 and 4. hmmm. I have taken the Z-pack several times, (im always sick it seems like) and have never had any problems with it. I used to take amoxicillin, but it never seems to work on me. I think my body is now resistant do to taking it so often. I also take Zoloft for anxiety, so im pretty worried, ha ha, that I might have this severe depression or anxiety attack problem a lot of people seem to be having. Ill wait and see. I called the pharmacist tonight to tell him about my stomach problems and he said (Walgreens Pharmacy) that it was not an allergic reaction and would probably be fine, but to consult my doctor just in case. I will call tomorrow and update this if I end up having any other reactions or if he prescribes me something different.

I took Biaxin when it first came out on US market in the early 90's - never linked it to nightmares then as it was my first time to take the medication. I was prescribed Biaxin this past Tuesday and ended up with the generic (same difference). After 60 hours - five 12 hours doses, last night I had a 'recurring' nightmare that I have not had since I took the product 15+ years ago. Anyone else find this effect?

I have been on Biaxin XL 500 mg - 2 pills taken at the same time once a day. Today would be the 4th dose. I was sure to take the pills on a full stomach. My sinus infection seems a little better but I'm feeling totally lousy. I've had a headache and I haven't been able to sleep at all for the last 3 nights. I lie there with a pressure in my chest. Even after missing only 1 night of sleep I felt horrible and I'm sure it wasn't only from missing the sleep. Biaxin is definitely affecting my whole body. I've been on antibiotics before and never had any kind of reaction like this. I had called the pharmacist and they said that this is a very potent antibiotic, hard on the body but best on the market. True it may clear up an infection but at what cost. After reading all these side effects I'm definitely calling my doctor today and asking for a different medication. Thanks for this website.

I started Biaxin for a strep throat infection. I took it for a total of 20 days as I had back to back infections. The first time I took it I just had the metallic taste reaction. The second round which was just a couple of weeks later things were much worse. By day three I could not sleep and was having traveling pains all through my body. One day my neck hurt, the next day my back, my arm etc. The worst is the anxiety and inability to sleep. I called my doctor and she said to taken ambien for the sleep problems. I finished all ten days taking ambien the whole time because if I tried not to I would wake up feeling totally alert and activated and unable to get back to sleep. Those initial two hours I would get were filled with nightmares. It has been a week since I finished this medication and I still have severe anxiety and sleeplessness. I tried to wean myself from a half a 12 mg ambien to a 1/4 but with this I am still waking up with the same issues and having trouble getting back to sleep. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this problem and how long it took to get this drug out of your system and back to a normal sleep pattern. I feel anxious during the day as well, but am managing. This drug is really terrible.

I went to the doctor's office recently because I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection...and it turns out I did. My doctor prescribed me biaxin and told me that I should stay on this for at least 3 weeks until the infection clears up.. When I first started taking this medication, everything was fine....but now things seem to be worse.. I am on week two of this medicine, and my sinus infection has developed into a terrible cold.. I have a funny smell in my nose(I don't know if it's because of the cold or the medicine) I have an AWFUL metallic taste in my mouth, sometimes I have severe abdominal cramping, and for the last two weeks I've had difficulty sleeping.. I will fall asleep around 12:00 p.m but find myself awake by 4 am and then I have trouble falling asleep(when I do sleep I have terrible nightmares).. Almost every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I have this nasty taste in my mouth... I do find that when I eat certain foods it helps to stop the metallic taste.. I have adhd/ocd and I have noticed that this has gotten much WORSE since I started taking the medicine...I feel space out all the time and dizzy and my vision is blurry.. I have a funny smell in my nose right now and difficulty breathing sometimes.. I am about to call the doctor and find out if I should stop taking this, or just keep taking it for the next 5 days.. I just can't handle it anymore because I feel like I'm going insane.. I don't even know as of now if I still have a sinus infection.. Please do me a favor-if you are considering taking this medication please avoid it at all costs because it will make you feel like complete crap.. There are other medicines that you can take I am sure.. I don't even know why this is on the market....it's worse than the birth control pill!

I was prescribed Biaxin XL 4 days ago for sinus infection ( 2 -500mg tablets taken together once per day). The side effects were worse than the infection for me. I became extremely anxious and panicky, nauseated, sweaty, tired but unable to sleep and I lost my sense of smell and had a terrible metallic taste in my mouth. By the third day, I could tell the infection seemed a little better, but then I took my third dose and within 30 minutes I got the shakes, suffered diarrhea with terrible stomach cramps, vision problems, loss of appetite and a terrible anxiety/panic attack where I felt that I was losing it. I had to leave work to get home quickly. My blood pressure kept going higher and higher and I started to get teary. This was one of the worst days of my life. I have stopped taking this medication and have replaced it with amoxicillin. Today I feel much better and blood pressure has gone down. I will never take Biaxin again. Continuing on this medication for 10 days could have led me to suicide. If you feel these things when taking any medication, stop taking it right away and speak with your doctor and pharmacist. When I contacted my doctor;s office they said it should not make me feel anxious. They should obviously do more research on the drugs that they prescribe. I hope no one else experiences these terrible side effects.

I was prescribed this medicine after having a cold/flu like symptom.Just to show you how powerful this medicine is all I took was my first dose (2 a day) and for the next 7days I have never been the same.I had to go to the ER 3 times, I vomited several times and passed out on one occasion, my blood pressure dropped, was given IV, could not sleep for several days thought I was going insane, did not feel safe by myself, sudden weakness, constant cold feet, diarrhea.Blood work showed nothing but I was given anti-anxiety medication to calm me down and make me sleep.Please take my advise NEVER EVER TAKE THIS MEDICATION IT SHOULD BE BANNED a good doctor should not prescribe this medicine

I'm on my seventh day out of 10 with BiaxinXL 500mg for pneumonia. I take 2 pills at supper time and so far so good: only 1 diarrhea 12 hours after the first dose. No metallic taste at all. I do drink a lot of water as is recommended when you have any infection to help your body eliminate it. I sleep well and after only 2 days of treatment my secretions were clearer. I took Advil for the first four days to help me with the side effects of the disease. I take medication exceptionally because,fortunately, I am rarely sick but I will take all of the pills prescribed by my doctor because I don't want to deal with some super resistant bacteria later on.

I'm on Biaxin for a MRSA staph infection. And I have had the worst anxiety. Heavy breathing and insomnia. I wake up all the time in the middle of the night and in the morning my hands shake and I have so much anxiety related energy. I do not like this medication.

I'm on day 1.5, 500MG Biaxin. I've been prescribed this medication for Bronchitis and a sinus infection. I just took my 3rd pill and I feel just fine, I was having some heat type fever flashed just before taking the 3rd pill but it's gone away. I've had some pains in my stomach which turned out to be a my body getting rid of the infection....spent a few minutes on the toilet but seem to be better now. The taste in my mouth is very bad, I woke up in the middle of the night with a watering mouth as if i was going to throw up but seem to be good as of now. I'm feeling better thus far.

To start off i'm a 16 year old male, I had a very bad sinus infection that crept up on me. I left school at 10:00 AM and went to the doctor, she prescribed Biaxin 10 days 500mg a day I took the pill around 12:30 after eating some soup. The first day I took this medication was not "horrible" I was still feverish from the sinus infection and was just generally not feeling well...

By day 2 I was starting to feel not as great about it, I experienced for the first time the "horrible taste" that everyone else seems to experience, and quite frankly it sucked. All day any food I ate would burn through me within a half an hour of eating, I had to use the bathroom constantly and my stomach would hurt between trips. My sinus infection was beginning to clear up at this point, but I just didn't feel like myself, I attributed it to being sick. I went to bed and woke up several times throughout the night, in between I had very vivid dreams, fortunately they were not nightmares.

Day 3 I began to get all teary eyed for no reason, I don't remember the last time I cried so this was kind of confusing to me, I woke up very dehydrated and realized my bed was soaked through with sweat, I still didn't feel like myself and began to research the side effects of Biaxin. My stomach settled for the most part but I had those other symptoms to deal with.

Day 4 I felt normal for the most part, at points in the day I would get extreme vertigo, nausea, stomach pain, intense sweating at odd periods and once again the tearing eyes came back. Got a bad nosebleed during the day, but that was because I was blowing my nose so much. I told my mom that I wanted to stop taking it and she said I still had to (I was on a 10 day pack)

Day 5 Nausea, more extreme sense of vertigo, did not feel like myself, felt dazed and confused, sinus infection has degenerated into a cold, but the cold isn't budging. Stress of life is getting to me a lot more than usual

Day 6 I am really stressed, I keep getting nauseous, cant think straight, constant headaches, dehydration no matter how much water I drink, food goes right through me, overall it's a bad scene, tearing eyes have stopped however, more depressed than usual, later that evening (I took the meds on a full stomach) after I ate dinner I was sitting in bed finishing a paper for school when I was hit by a bout of vertigo and nausea so bad that I couldn't even get to the toilet before I began throwing up, this throwing up opened my nose bleed again so it became difficult to clean up... I told my mom I was done taking the medication at this point.

In review, my taste is severely altered, food doesn't taste as it should, I'm still dizzy (on day 8 now but not taking it anymore) still headache and the vertigo is finally starting to fade. I lost almost an entire week of work at school because I was unable to retain the information in class (im normally a good student).... totally screwed totally stressed and the Biaxin is just making the stress harder to handle... I'd give it a 0 out of 5...

Any questions shoot me an email at - ******

I took biaxin for 10 days in early June for a sinus infection. The side effects I noticed at the time were the yucky taste in my mouth and extreme fatigue. However, I also lost my sense of smell. It's been almost two months, and now I can smell some things, like ground coffee or ammonia, but not the more subtle scents, like flowers, light cologne, etc. At the time I was taking the drug, I discovered I couldn't smell vinegar; now I can smell it faintly. I visited my nurse practitioner yesterday, and she thought it might be a residual effect of the biaxin, but didn't find anything about loss of smell as a side effect. She advised me to wait one more month, and if the sense of smell hasn't returned by then she'll refer me to an ENT specialist. I'm just wondering if anybody else has noticed a loss or change in their sense of smell. (Smell and taste are closely related, so it's logical that it could be a result of the biaxin, since I experienced the yucky taste that so many people complain about.)

I am taking extra strength Sinutab tablets, 1 or 2 per day. The side effect, if caused by this medication seems to make me so tired. I wash the dishes, am played out. Make up my bed, am played out. Go downstairs and back up, am played out. My breathing seems to be natural. I walk for 30 minutes or more some days and I am no more tired at the end of the walk than I was after washing the dishes. Is it the Sinus tablets or is there something else
that is my problem?

I felt the same as many of you, a little heart fluttering, never have this usually with any other medications. Nervousness, but also could be caused by reading too much about the medication, etc. I felt very tired, again could be caused by sinus infection, but very lethargic, couldn't turn off brain as someone mentioned above, very good analogy, exactly how I felt. The taste is unbearable alone and then I am not sure if this is connected, but I discover a bump on the back of my tongue, which made me feel funny swallowing, after taking medication for 3 days, and called pharmacy, b/c of symptom , they told me to lay off of it, horrible feelings!

I've been on Biaxin for bronchitis for four days now, following a trip to the ER for breathing problems. I thought it was allergies. The first two days weren't too bad except for the extreme thirst and not being able to sleep (and the gas). If I happened to go to sleep I would have weird dreams and wake up again. I don't know if was the Biaxin or the hydrocodone cough syrup. With the third day, I couldn't think straight and I couldn't remember words. Could be lack of sleep, I guess. Conversations were difficult. I felt spacey. At the same time, I felt like I was on fast-forward: hurry up, hurry up, gotta go, gotta go, gotta get it done, faster, faster! This is the fourth day. I'm still on fast-forward and still dizzy and spacey. My blood pressure is up and my heart rate is down. My pulse is 55. It's time for another dose, but I'm not taking it. In fact, I'm going off all my meds except the blood pressure pills in case it's a drug interaction that's not mentioned. I'll call my own doctor in the morning and talk to him. I trust him more than the anonymous ER doc.

Biaxin Side affects were mild for the first four weeks. I've recently experience fast heart rate, headache, pins and needles in feet and hands, tremors in hands and the medicine isn't working on the infection. I will consult my doctor about stopping the use. The first four weeks were actually pleasant. No real side affects. I would take this drug again but only for a short duration.

Currently on Biaxin XL on a 10-day medication for a Pneumonia infection. Experiencing: increased heart rate, sweating all day long with no fever “Chills” and a bad taste in my mouth.
A possible side effect that concerns me is I have been sweating “night and day sweats” all day long with no fever, since I started BIAXIN XL, I asked my Dr. and I was told sweating helps the body to get rid of bacteria but today is my 8 day of sweating, Strange !!!!
I have never had a problem with side effects in the past on any medication!!!
Anyone else experiencing sweating? Your comments will be appreciated!!!! Thanks,

Being a registered nurse, I know that all medications have potential for side effects. And with this type of forum, it is important to know that people who do not have side effects often don't write in BLOGS so there is a very biased view of the totallity of effects. Having said that, I've been on Biaxin XL for 4 days. This medication has really messed with my stomach since day 1. Starting day 2 was the night sweats and vivid nightmares. Nighmares puts it lightly- it was more like night panic. Day 3 started with diarrhea. So now I'm at day 4 with all my sweat, shakes, nausea, cramps, diarrhea and I can't wait to go to bed to have more nightmares. What can happen to me next?

I've been prescribed biaxin XL before and had no serious side effects. However, I was recently prescribed this antibiotic on 1000mg once a day for seven days. I've experienced diarrhea, vomitting, pain in the chest, sleeplessness. The worst side effect is the nasty taste in my mouth...and the constant vomitting to the point where I can barely swallow my own spit. Totally disgusted with this medication.

Bad metalic taste
headaches
depression
upset stomach with cramps and diarrhea
breakouts (pimples/acne)

I've been on it for 5 months for an infectious disease caught while boating. I'm unable to stop taking the medication because the infection will spread on my legs. I'll never take this medicine again. I've asked to put on something else but the ID doctor refuses.

I also have had some of these crazy side effects but but most of them are just the effects of having an infection and I think the Biaxin perpetuates those effects. I have the Metallic taste in my mouth and the first couple days I got nuasiated after taking each dose. The sweats and nightmares too!! Wow I thought it was just something else. Let me tell you though I have not been able to sit down. Which is a good thing I guess but I guess that is just anxiety. After a couple days on this drug the side effects went away other than the metalic taste and increased energy. I cleaned my house for 12 hrs for 2 days. I am not going to complain but I find this to be very weird. Energy and motivation from a antibiotic... It does seem though that I get rare side effects from any medication I take but this is a trip. I sure which it didn't feel like I sucked on steal for a whole day!! I find these side effects to be very bizare but I guess when I need some energy I'll just take a Biaxin..well that is i'll feel better after the nausiated feeling goes away. Ha ha taking for reason other than precribed, isnt that abuse LOLOLOLOL

I have been taking biaxin for 8 days for a URI and a sinus infection. The metalic taste in my mouth is awful. I taste it all day and night. I can't sleep good. It takes hours and hours to fall asleep. I have been very depressed. I didn't even want to be around my husband. I felt strange feelings about him. Like he just gets on my nerves, etc.... I am very tired all the time. I am not a napper, but have been finding myself just wanting to lay in bed and try and fall asleep during the day. This morning I woke up with a terrible stomach ache and has been hurting all day. I have 5 pills left and have decided to stop taking them. I thought I would go online and find out if this is what is making my stomach hurt. I am shocked about what I read. At the time time I am relieved to know that the depression and imsomnia are due to this drug. I will call my doctor tomorrow and let him know that I will not take this again.

I'm on my third day of Biaxin XL 500MG and I have small red bumps on my hands and the bottoms of my feet. They hurt like blisters. The back of my throat has tiny red dots all over. It doesn't sound like the same simptoms as everyone else.

Given Biaxin XL by an ENT for 3 weeks and my throat and tongue have not been the same for three months! I have an enlarged lymph node on my neck which at first only caused pressure with no other symptoms. A ENT explained that a antibiotic for three weeks is protocol and if the lymph node did not become smaller I would be sebt for a CAT scan and biopsey. So I followed the doctors orders ... by the 18th day of BIAXIN my heart was racing so fast at night , it was very frightening. My heart would skip beats and race at other times following the first episode. Finally I finished the medication and haad no change in size to this lymph node. Finally had a CAT scan and biopsey... biopsey only showed that the lymph node was " reacitve" not benign and thta CAT scan confirmed it's size. Within a few days of stopping the medication my throat felt funny, swollen, dry and sore and my saliva would not go down easily it felt stuck in different places. MY tongue eventually had ulcers on it and would be swollen when I would wake in the morning. My mouth would feel pasty and the back of my throat was bright red. When I went back to the ENT she tried to tell me I was fine and these symproms are probably from av virus... and if they didnt go away... she handed me another script for Biaxin. I ofcourse got a second opinion and was told I probably had reflux desease and was sent to a stomach doctor . I had an EGD and ofcourse they threw in a colonoscopy because " you might as well have it done at once while your put out ". Afterward I was told I had gastritis but that it was mild and probably from the Biaxin . All in all this doctor had no idea why my throat and tongue felt the way they did. He told me my esophagus was fine.. so maybe I should see a rheumatologist because I could have an autoimmune disorder. At this point Im going on almost two months of this balogna and the run around. My internist decides to draw my blood for HIV, all kinds of Hepatitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sed rate for inflammation , CBC to see if my white cells are O.K. , folate B12 , thiamine. All come back negative and show thta I am HEALTHY. I have lost 10 pounds and have lost all of my faith in doctors. A third ENT does alargoscopy and says my throat is irritated but he doesny know why... I decide to go to a larger facility that specializes in the throat. This becoming costly my family is begining to look at me as if I am nerotic. For a few weeks previous I only eat bland food and drink lotes of water.The doctor at this facility after examining my mouth and throat says my throat looks well and my tongue is swollen "glossitis" with geographic tongue... which is something modern medicine cant figure the cause of. He tells me I probably had a very bad yeast infection in my throat from all the Biaxin and Iahve managed to fight most if not all of it off. He asks that I swish ans spit NIASTAIN for two weeks. My tongue isnt swollen any longer but Is till get patches that come and go. The back of my throat still is inflamed especially if I have anything with ketchup or mayo. Something I never had a problem with. And I still wake up with the feeling that there is a film on the back of my throat or mucus on the back of my tongue near my throat. As if something is draining, and it isnt my sinuses. This is annoying and has been a horrible experience.I hope this crap goes away completely. I will nver take BAIXIN again. I think I had a horrible adverse reaction and my good bacteria was demolished from this crap. My body is trying so hard to recover and it will but its taking a long time because of this horrible medication!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so glad that I looked at this site I was prescribed Biaxin XL for Bronchitis and only took it two days when I started experiencing stomache cramps, restlessness, and profuse sweating. I too had no interest in food and got really down in the dumps attitude wise. I have never had any reaction to any medication and so when I called my doctor after seeing this online he said that it was highly unlikley that it was the Biaxin causing this side effect and that he assumed my Bronchitis was just getting worse-I DO NOT THINK SO!!! I am now on a Z-Pack and am feeling much better but will now write this med down in all my medical documents that I am highly allergic to it since my own doctor didn't beleive that I could have those side effects. Thanks to everyone who posted.

Blisters on tongue and inside lips about 3 days after finishing medication.I can't seem to get rid of the blisters. My acute bronchitis cleared up but I would have loved to have known that this was a possible side effect;I was blaming it on the steroid pills.
It wouldn't be so bad if someone knew what to take for it.

I started taking 500 MG Biaxin 3 days ago and I'm going to stop taking it today. I couldn't understand why I had a constant headache, nausea, night sweats and am nervous. I would rather be sick due to my infection than being sick from the medication that is suppose to make me better!

I cannot believe this medicine is still being given!! I am taking it for an infection. This is my 5th day on this medication because after extreme nausea, stomach pain,diarrhea, metallic taste in my mouth, and a mild headache, I was told by the doctor's office that I should finish this medication, and that it would get better. I don't know why I listened, I will be stopping today. I actually did get better for about 2 days and now all the symptoms are back with a vengeance. I felt very sick last night after I took it and this morning even worse with extreme nausea and dry heaving. I never cry and I cant stop crying now-for no reason at all I am extremely emotional. I would much rather be naturally sick like I was before than feel like this, I am a wreck.

I just took my first dose of biaxin 1000 mg about six hours ago. It is now midnight, and my heart feels like its going to beat right out of my chest. I can't sleep, or relax. I'm all jittery. I don't know if I should continue using this medication.

On day 2, I started crying uncontrollably. Feelings of depression. I have never felt mentally unstable before, and the feeling is alarming. I am stopping this medication now! Sleepwalking. The metallic taste in my mouth is awful. Do not drink alcohol with this medication, I believe the makes the nightmares and depression worse.

Severe blisters on tongue, back pain, vivid nightmares. In no way can this medication be helpful to the public. No change in respiratory infection.

first night on biaxin, had increased heart rate, 100 resting. I woke up in the middle of night last night with severe metallic taste in my mouth, checked web for metallic taste in mouth and this web site came up for side effects of this medication, how strange.Felt better yesterday.T his is my 3rd day on, so wondering what is next. I guess its better than the infection, but I wonder if I should change after reading other comments.

I took this medication on 9/02/04 for my strep throat. Within 2 1/2 hrs I started to feel very sick, my whole body started to get tight and i started seeing things, It was very scarey, becareful when taking it...I should of been stronger and have demanded for the prescirption i usually take which is ZITHROMAX, for streap throat or any troat infection.

I was given 500mg Biaxin. After a few days I felt worse than i did when I was not on the medication. I had a headache, chest pains, problem sleeping, dizziness, nausea. It was for 14 days, I have not finished the dosage yet. Bad taste in my mouth, stomach cramping.

I was given a prescription of Biaxin 500mg to treat a severe respiratory infection. I became quite ill after the second pill. I had vomiting, diarrhea, high fever,a tremendous back pain, lack of sleep and appetite. The worst part is that it also came with a huge headache by the third day, and could not take anything for it or keep anything down, so dehydration became a factor. A call to my Dr. went with the explanation that this happens sometimes. New medication was called in. I don't understand as to why we are given all this new drugs that are so ineffective, are dangerous and more expensive. We are all little guinea pigs. I must note the three years ago I had pneumonia, which this turned out to be, and I felt better within days. Today we are not so lucky. What a shame!