Mycoplasma 'walking' pneumonia

[misspollysdolly]

Just wondering if there's anyone around who can help me with some fairly specific questions I have about this condition...? TIA. MPD

[PinkPoncho]

My son had 'walking' pneumonia- or 'atypical pneumonia' the hospital called it, when he was two. I can remember quite a bit of it, mainly they thought it was a virus for a while then finally diagnosed it after an x-ray (which they should have done at the start). He responded well to antibiotics. Is there anything I could help with? The other sign which helped them diagnose it was a rash on his trunk.

[misspollysdolly]

Hello pinkponcho - thanks so much for replying. The thing is, my DD - who is 12 - had this over Christmas. Or rather it wasn't confirmed to be either officially 'atypical' or mycoplasma but my own research/guy feeling is that this is what she's had. Like your DS I saw two doctors before Christmas both of whom said it was 'just a virus' even though she had a permanent temperature (up to 40 degrees at times) and an ever developing chesty cough. When the temp was brought under control with pain meds she said she felt pretty well and didn't report any illness apart from the obvious. On day nine of the persistent temp I took her to see the GP at my parents house (by now away for Christmas) who ordered a chest x-ray which showed pneumonia. Everyone surprised/shocked including doctors as she was just so well. She too has responded very well and straightforwardly to antibiotics and returned to school on Friday - two and a half weeks after it started. Phew!

A bit of specific googling and some insider knowledge on my part leads me to almost 100% believe that she has had walking pneumonia. My question to you, is did anyone else get it or fall ill around the same time? If so how long before/after your DS? I'm asking because the websites (trustworthy IMO - netdoctor/webMD) suggest it has a very long incubation (15-25 days from contact with source, ie DD). Today - having thought we'd all escaped, DS (age 6 and asthmatic) has started with a temperature and a dry cough. Aaaaarrrggh! Here we go again (potentially)!! What a nightmare!

So my actual proper question I guess (sorry for long waffly message) is should I see the dr sooner rather than later and how much do I state my belief that he's been in contact with DDs pneumonia bug and may have it too...? Do I spend another week with an ill child being told it's just a virus or go to GP armed with a sheaf of print-outs but running the risk of looking like a mad hypochondriacal mother? I am also a teensy bit worried for myself as I have moderate-severe asthma and was also relieved for myself to have avoided this bug. Now seems that it might not be so simple....

Sorry for the long post, but the context is important, you'll agree.

[misspollysdolly]

bump

[DeWe]

I think that there isn't a "pneumonia bug" as such, just an ordinary cold/cough bug that sometimes turns into pneumonia if the conditions are right. So he could easily have it without getting pneumonia.

[misspollysdolly]

This has generally been my understanding too, but there are some bugs that are known to cause pneumonia - mycoplasma is one example, haemophilus would be another. One of the links I've looked at with interest is this one

[PinkPoncho]

Hi sorry I only got back now- at the time we just had ds and no, no-one else got it. It's interesting to hear more about it, i think it's also called "walking pneumonia' but I'm not 100% about that. I just know that he had oxygen when first taken in and after a while did start walking about so they sent us home. only to get ill again and develop a 'mycoplasmae' (I think) rash on his trunk, got an x-ray and re-admitted.

I can see how you must feel, not wanting it to get worse but thinking they might just say a virus. I think if you're worried maybe go see the GP, you can always return again if it gets worse.