the past 2-3 years me my wife and 2 year old daughter have had bronchitis at least 2 times each in the past 2 years only when we have been in thailand, me and my daughter have it now although we have been back in uk now for 2 weeks we still have it , when we arrived back i got antibiotics for myself and my daughter, we are still taking them but the infection has not cleared up from any of us, the pharmacist in thailand said many people contact it because of air conditioning ?

any thoughts on this ?

btw ive been on 500mg of amoxicillan and it is still as bad as ever, have had it now around 5 weeks.

That's exactly what I think it is - AC.

My GF has it now and it's been already 3 weeks. Whenever she feels better, if we turn on AC, she gets worse right then, so it must be it.

hi .its got to be the air/con when i stay in lots of different hotels i got the same trouble. and also terrible sore throats. james hat yai

I get it a lot too, mostly in English winter time. Chronic bronchitis can come and go and I occasionally have a period of 2 or 3 months when I am coughing up sputum every 30 minutes and the horrible bit (sore chest/hacking cough) comes back once or even twice during that period. I go back and forth to Thailand and plane journeys are a fertile source of viruses.

If antibiotics are not working then it is most likely a virus (which it normally is) rather than a bacterial infection. You just have to grin and bear it I'm afraid - lots of fluids to thin out the sputum and paracetemol if you need to cut down on headaches or hacking chest pains.

Extract from NHS website:

"Your GP will not routinely prescribe antibiotic treatment as bronchitis is nearly always caused by a virus. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses, and prescribing them when they are unnecessary can, over time, make bacteria more resistant to antibiotic treatment. Your GP will only prescribe antibiotics if you have an increased risk of pneumonia. If you are prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis, it is likely to be a five-day course of amoxicillin, oxytetracycline or doxycycline.

Where in Thailand are you/do you go?

In many areas (e.g. Bangkok + surroundings, Chiang Mai) the air quality is very bad, so air pollution could be the culprit.

Regarding a/c, a lot depends on how clean it is. Check and if necessary clean the filter. if you are staying in hotels etc, more of a problem as there can be organisms in the central a/c.

Taking zinc can help prevent respiratory problems/shorten their course. You can buy a preparation called Redoxan at any pharmacy, contains Vit C + zinc. Zinc throat lozenges are extremely effective but not available in Thailand AFAIK, next time bring them with you.

Where in Thailand are you/do you go?

In many areas (e.g. Bangkok + surroundings, Chiang Mai) the air quality is very bad, so air pollution could be the culprit.

Regarding a/c, a lot depends on how clean it is. Check and if necessary clean the filter. if you are staying in hotels etc, more of a problem as there can be organisms in the central a/c.

Taking zinc can help prevent respiratory problems/shorten their course. You can buy a preparation called Redoxan at any pharmacy, contains Vit C + zinc. Zinc throat lozenges are extremely effective but not available in Thailand AFAIK, next time bring them with you.

thanks sheryl, i will buy them today, it must be viral if it is still here , ive been on antibiotics 2 weeks now, daughter has finished her course allready and still has it also, the last hotel we stayed at i did notice the air con was old and had lots of grime around the air wents so maybe thats where the problem came from, we travel all around and usually stay in pattaya, bangkok or up home in isaan though we have new air con up there .