While waiting for the results of the urine antigen test, I started to feel better so I declined the use of anitbiotics. It has been two weeks since I experienced the first symptons, but I have done the usual for a bad cold (lots of liquids, rest, vitamin C, zinc, etc).
Would NOT taking the antibiotics cause trouble for me down the road? Should I be retested to make sure I am Legionnaires’ free?
Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial pneumonia that can be cured by antibiotics. The antibiotics used for Legionnaires’ disease are remarkably safe. Some patients with Legionnaires’ disease survive without receiving antibiotics.
One missing piece of info:
Was a chest x-ray ordered by your physician when the urine antigen test was done? If the chest x-ray was done, then you merely have to have a repeat chest x-ray now. If the chest x-ray shows pneumonia, then take your antibiotics as originally prescribed – usually azithromycin (Z-pak), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox).
If the chext-ray shows that your pneumonia has resolved without antibiotics, and you feel fine, then you “dodged a bullet” and should go to church this Sunday and make a donation!