Will this chest infection ever go?

[mumof3teens]

Now had it for 5 weeks. Had 4 different types of ABs.and currently on steroids for 5 days. Keep feeling as though I am getting better then feel worse again. Drs said to ring this week if not 100% better, so will be off there again. Started in one lung then in both now just in the one again. Really getting me down now. Anyone had anything similar please? (and how long did it take to feel well again?) Thanks

[frasersmummy]

Mum was very ill with chest infections on and off for several months at the beginning of the year .. so much so she was rushed to hospital several times with blue lights

We discovered it was a vicious circle, because of your chest infection you cant take in oxygen properly which makes you tired and you cant fight the infection.. it gets worse you take in less oxygen etc

Mum was given oxygen at home and this made all the difference.. was quite a lot at the beginning but as she got better she got less and less and is now nearly off it completely

hope this helps

[mumof3teens]

Thanks very much for the reply frasersmummy. Was she on lots of ABs? I don't feel terrible, but it is very debilitating isn't it? Glad your Mum is ok now.

[nellie12]

have you given a sputum sample in? (I'm hoping they have requested one) If not I think this should be your Gp's next step. It needs to be done 48hrs after your last ab though. hth.

[mumof3teens]

Hi Nellie12. No, they haven't yet. DS1 (med student) said that should be next step. Finished last ABs last Thurs though. Would that be ok to test then - did you mean anything OVER 48 hrs or does it nedd to be within 48 hrs (thick emoticon)?

[nellie12]

Its 48 hrs after last ab taken - so the ab has cleared your system. So yes if gp takes one now it would be fine. I would be asking for an urgent appointment tomorrow because it can take a few days for the result to come back. But dont be fobbed off with more ab's and no sample sent off.

[mumof3teens]

Thanks for that. I assume it would show what ABs are needed to shift that particular bug? Don't know why they didn't do that a couple of weeks ago. Had chest x Ray which was normal.

[mumof3teens]

Thanks for the advice. Just back from Drs. Gave me co-amoxiclav but I asked for sputum sample to be done, so have done that and results ready Fri. Dr said will clear eventually

[nellie12]

oh well he's done the sample for you so it should show up whether your bug is sensitive to co-amoxiclav or not. Hopefully it is.

[mumof3teens]

Just phoned Drs and sample back 'normal'. What on earth do I do now? Really fed up with feeling bad. I have woken up sweating the last 2 nights and am now off my food ( v unlike me!) I have asked to speak to the Doc, so he is ringing me at 5. What do I ask? Have private healthcare (although have never had to use it fortunately). Should I ask for referral? Ds1 went back to uni and has flu and Dh has nasty cough and sore throat - v unhealthy family.

[mumof3teens]

Anyone? Dr said to see him tues when ABs finished and he will refer me if not better. I feel really knocked out by these tabs. Really nauseous with a horrible taste and Diarrhoea. Keep hoping they will shift the ci tho'. Someone just told me I look thinner ( hardly eaten since been on steroids now these ABs) so not all bad

[mrstimlovejoy]

no real advice but i've got a chest infection at the moment am on antibiotics,this is my 4th infection in as many months.dh wants me to go back to drs and ask for a chest xray,i'm asthmatic aswell so that doesn't help.i've not slept for about 4 nights now tonight my mil has had my dd [4] and my dh is working away so i'm trying to relax and will get an early night.
hope you are feeling better soon xx

[beesonmummyshead]

I would ask for a chest x-ray as well. It might help identify the cause and why the infection is not clearing.

I talk from experience as a few years back both of my parents had recurrent chest infections which would not clear with anti-biotics. My mum's chest x-ray helped them decide how to treat her effectively (i'm not sure ho sorry) my dad's showed up something more serious, but again led to treatment.

I hope you feel better soon.

[mumof3teens]

Thanks for the replies mrstim and beesonmummyshead. I had a chest xray 3 weeks ago, which was normal. I rang NHS direct this am, as the abs made me so Ill and they said to stop them. Feeling less sick now. I know some ci's can linger for weeks and nhs said it could be a virus, but just want to get to bottom of it now. Hope you soon feel better mrstim.

[mumof3teens]

Just back from Drs (again). He said it's back in both lungs. Said ABs are probably not making any difference at all. Asked me to have blood test, Salamol inhaler and had referred me to chest consultant. He said he thought it could be either a bit of damage to lung which was harbouring bacteria or a Bronchial x something, both of which could be treated. Am really fed up and concerned now

[mumof3teens]

Anyone any calming words for me please?

[beesonmummyshead]

oh mumof3teens I am very sorry for you I have no words of advice except it is good that something is being done now. But it sucks whilst you wait for the treatment to start working. Are you in any pain, or just thoroughly knackered?

I have no idea what could be causing it, but I do know that AB's stop working when the body has too much of them, so perhaps a break whilst other treatment s sorted out will be a good thing. then if you get stronger ones from the hospital your body will have recovered a bit.

Bees.

[mumof3teens]

Thanks for that Bees. Am not in any pain. Feeling slightly warm but much better than I did when taking the last ABs. Am feeling anxious which really doesn't help I know but am on my own for 2 days for the first time. I just don't want the infection to take a hold whilst not taking ABs. I know ci's can take a long time to get better - my DS1 is a 5th yr med student and saw someone yesterday on a gp placement with a similar story to mine. My DR thought I probably caught it on a cruise as it started 10 days after I got back - was perfectly well until then. Thanks for your good wishes.

[mumof3teens]

Does anyone know how the strain of bacteria can be picked up and treated if I cannot cough up a sputum sample from sufficiently far enough down into the lung? My sputum sample showed it was from the upper respiratory area only.

[mumof3teens]

Went to see consultant yesterday. Still 'crackles' in lungs, but as I am feeling much better wants to leave things for 2 weeks to see if I get completely better. Anyone else left with 'crackles' in their lungs following chest infection and if so, how long did it take to clear and did it clear on it's own? Thanks.

[mumof3teens]

Anyone please?

[oxcat1]

If you have crackles in your lungs then it is likely that you still have inflammation and secretions. It's very important to try and keep your lungs as clear as possible as anything sitting in your lungs could get infected again, which would put you right back where you started.

You coudl try some basic chest physio techniques to try and clear the secretions off your chest. Thisseems a good leaflet, and the exercises involved are not too difficult or too arduous. You don't want to be coughing and coughing and wearing yourself out, but at the same time you don't want gunk accumulating just waiting to get re-infected.

Hope that helps. Get well soon!

[mumof3teens]

Thanks oxcat1. That is really helpful.

[mumofom]

Hi I too have had a chest infection now for about 5 weeks. I am on 3rd Anti biotic as first two have not cleared it. Was at GP on Tue and he said there are still crackles in right lung. He prescirbed a Salbutamol inhaler and sent me for a Chest X-ray (no results of that yet). He also took bloods and I had to hand in a Sputum sample (i have to phone for the results of that this pm). My mind is running wild with all sorts of reasons this is lasting, but it is comforting to know that i am not an isolated case (not that i wish anyone else to have this, but you know what I mean). I see your posts were a bit back - how are you now, I really would be interested as I am going crazy with this, I have a four year old and I just want to get better. x

[NellyNoNorks]

You poor thing. I had a similar chest infection last year; it went on and on and on for about 8 weeks. I saw about five different GPs at our practice, all of whom gave me antibiotics of one type or another and told me to come back if it didn't go away.

What did the trick for me was finally seeing a really good GP. He took me seriously (unlike the others, who just said: yeah, yeah, there's, lots of it around) and listened to my chest, where he detected something amiss. He took bloods (which showed an infection of some sort), and sent me to the chest clinic for a chest x-ray to make sure I didn't have TB. By the time I'd staggered to the clinic, I felt so ill that thought I was going to die before they could see me. A truly horrible experience.

The GP rang to say that the x-ray showed a shadow on my lung. He then prescribed a month's worth of heavy duty antibiotics, which finally did the trick (foul as they were). I took a probiotic with them. I saw the chest people again after six weeks, and they said the shadow had gone, but I would need antibiotics at the first sign of any kind of chest infection in future, along with a flu vaccine.

These things are horrible. I hope yours clears up soon.

[mumof3teens]

Hi mumofom and nnn
I have had 5 ABs, steroids, chest x Ray (normal ), sputum sample (normal, although from upper respiratory flora apparently, so may not have brought phlegm right up from lungs ) and inhaler. Steroids really set me back as did co-amoxiclav. Had a blood test on 9th sept which showed esr of 63 (high apparently) which said indicative of infection. Second one last week showed it down to 16 (up to 15 normal apparently). Felt much better this week although have done too much and tote easily. Also still feel a bit tight round the chest and still have Phlegm and cough in mornings (see my other post). A friend in the village is on her 3rd week off work with a ci (and I haven't been near her!) and another friend has had one for 2 weeks. I hope you get better soon mumofom - my sons are older, so I cannot imagine how awful it is for you.