My 9 year old boy was down with fever and I took him to visit a GP. The sequence of event are as follows:
Day 1: Cough and Fever developed and appeared for the first time at night.
Day 2: Highest recorded fever is 41 degree Centrigade. Took him to a GP. Doctor said that the throat was red and there was wheezing sound in the chest. Was prescribed some antibiotic and paracetemol to control the fever.
Day 5: Fever still did not go away although the fever fluctuates between 38 to 40. So took him to the same GP and was prescribed the same antibiotic as the doctor said that the throat was no more red and lungs was "cleared"
Day 8: As the cough and fever remains, the GP advised to go to hospital for a checukp. At the hospital, after some blood test and x-ray was taken, the doctor changed the antibiotic to Augmentin.
Day 11: No signs of improvement, so took my boy to the Hospital again. Xray was taken again and this time the doctor susptected it is mycoplasma and prescribed Azithromycin for 5 doses (ie 1 dose each day). Took 1st dose of Azithromycin
Day 12: Took 2nd dose of Azithromycin. Fever down to normal but fever appeared again after 22 hours of no fever. But the fever fluctuates from normal to 38.
Day 13: Fever and cough cured. But still took 3rd doage.
Day 14: Took 4th dose despite being cured. But boy showed sign diziness, tiredness and sign of imbalance (he cannot stand still with both eyes closed and remain unsteady). Took him to Hospital but doctor said he needed a rest. Doctor suspected the dowsiness was due to sign effects of promithezane. Similarly no fever and cough.
Day 15: No fever but notice insignificant on-off cough. Sign of imbalance deteriorates. Loss of appetite, vomitted and face look pale. So took him to Hospital again. The boy was examined and was asked to perform many tasks. This time was warded to due suspicion of meningitis.
Blood test was done on an emergency basis. result of blood test is negative. MRI scan was done and results of MRI is negative so tumour was ruled out. Fluid was extracted from his spine and result was negative so meningitis was ruled out.
Doctor at the hospital then concluded that the imbalance was due to post-mycoplama. The doctor explained that no medicine will be prescribed for post-mycoplsma and will leave it for the body will fight itself. The doctor explained that post-mycoplsma is the body's reaction to mycoplasma by attacking its own brain. So with time, as the attack ceased, the boy will turn back to normal.
My questions are as follows:
1) If post-mycoplasma is the body's reaction to attack its own brain. Why in some (or most) cases of mycoplasma, the body did not attack the brain ?
2) How does the body decides when to attack the brain and when not to attack the brain ?
3) How does the body knows when to stop attacking the brain ?
4) What will happen if the body continue and did not stop attacking the brain ?
5) How do we ensure that the body will stop attacking the brain ?
6) Is this phenomena of of body's reaction to attack its own brain due to side effect of azithromycin or due to the anti-body produced by the body to fight the mycoplasma ?
Your opinion is gratly appreciated.
Thank you.
Day 1: Cough and Fever developed and appeared for the first time at night.
Day 2: Highest recorded fever is 41 degree Centrigade. Took him to a GP. Doctor said that the throat was red and there was wheezing sound in the chest. Was prescribed some antibiotic and paracetemol to control the fever.
Day 5: Fever still did not go away although the fever fluctuates between 38 to 40. So took him to the same GP and was prescribed the same antibiotic as the doctor said that the throat was no more red and lungs was "cleared"
Day 8: As the cough and fever remains, the GP advised to go to hospital for a checukp. At the hospital, after some blood test and x-ray was taken, the doctor changed the antibiotic to Augmentin.
Day 11: No signs of improvement, so took my boy to the Hospital again. Xray was taken again and this time the doctor susptected it is mycoplasma and prescribed Azithromycin for 5 doses (ie 1 dose each day). Took 1st dose of Azithromycin
Day 12: Took 2nd dose of Azithromycin. Fever down to normal but fever appeared again after 22 hours of no fever. But the fever fluctuates from normal to 38.
Day 13: Fever and cough cured. But still took 3rd doage.
Day 14: Took 4th dose despite being cured. But boy showed sign diziness, tiredness and sign of imbalance (he cannot stand still with both eyes closed and remain unsteady). Took him to Hospital but doctor said he needed a rest. Doctor suspected the dowsiness was due to sign effects of promithezane. Similarly no fever and cough.
Day 15: No fever but notice insignificant on-off cough. Sign of imbalance deteriorates. Loss of appetite, vomitted and face look pale. So took him to Hospital again. The boy was examined and was asked to perform many tasks. This time was warded to due suspicion of meningitis.
Blood test was done on an emergency basis. result of blood test is negative. MRI scan was done and results of MRI is negative so tumour was ruled out. Fluid was extracted from his spine and result was negative so meningitis was ruled out.
Doctor at the hospital then concluded that the imbalance was due to post-mycoplama. The doctor explained that no medicine will be prescribed for post-mycoplsma and will leave it for the body will fight itself. The doctor explained that post-mycoplsma is the body's reaction to mycoplasma by attacking its own brain. So with time, as the attack ceased, the boy will turn back to normal.
My questions are as follows:
1) If post-mycoplasma is the body's reaction to attack its own brain. Why in some (or most) cases of mycoplasma, the body did not attack the brain ?
2) How does the body decides when to attack the brain and when not to attack the brain ?
3) How does the body knows when to stop attacking the brain ?
4) What will happen if the body continue and did not stop attacking the brain ?
5) How do we ensure that the body will stop attacking the brain ?
6) Is this phenomena of of body's reaction to attack its own brain due to side effect of azithromycin or due to the anti-body produced by the body to fight the mycoplasma ?
Your opinion is gratly appreciated.
Thank you.