Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Any doctors on here? So worried about DH :(

26 replies

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 19:23

my husband was suffering from a viral infection after Xmas which never improved so he went to the doctors and was told it was now a bacterial infection. He was given antibiotics but when he finished this course, he was feeling even worse and also suffering from night sweats. He then went back to the doctor who gave him a different antibiotic to try and he was sent for a chest X-ray. He has just completed his course of antibiotics and is much improved but he is still having the night sweats (less severe) and he received a call today from his doctor saying that there were signs of scarring on the lungs but this may just be due to the infection so they'd like him to go for another X-ray. I'm so worried about this and I wondered if you could advise what these symptoms point towards, if there is anyone here qualified enough to know? Thank you

OP posts:

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 19:58

I suffer from health anxiety and the worry of this is just too much to bare

OP posts:

3luckystars · 31/01/2017 20:01

Was it pneumonia? (I'm not a doctor but my daughter had it and it took her AGES to recover)
Sorry your duh is unwell.

3luckystars · 31/01/2017 20:02

DH!!!!

(Hope that made you laugh!)

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 20:19

He wasn't at any point given a diagnosis of pneumonia but I wonder if it may have been as it's been very severe?

OP posts:

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 20:20

Thank you for responding to my post. Since giving birth to DD last year, I've struggled with anxiety so this is exacerbating my symptoms too. I'm hoping that maybe if it was pneumonia, that could account for all of these symptoms.

OP posts:

3luckystars · 31/01/2017 20:27

The tiredness after having a baby can really increase anxiety, of course you are worried. That's natural!

I hope an actual doctor comes on here who knows what they are talking about and can advise you on what will happen next. I hope your husband feels better soon x

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 22:18

Fingers crossed someone comes along. Thanks for listening in the mean time. My minds on overdrive thinking worst case scenario.

OP posts:

Twopeapods · 31/01/2017 22:45

It sounds like pneumonia. I had it and the sweating was horrendous and it has caused scarring in the lung as it was so severe. Has his symptoms improved?
I was sent for a couple x rays to see if everything was healing.
If his pneumonia was severe it may have caused him to be in sepsis which is serious but can be treated at home if caught early enough.

I am not a doctor. Just from my own experience.

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 31/01/2017 22:56

Thank you Twopeapods - really hoping it's been pneumonia he's had as it seems like one of the less severe possible causes for all of this and it does seem to add up. Was your sweating specifically at night? He's not been sweaty through the day but at night it was horrendous! It is all improving. He's eating after weeks off food and he's not coughing so much at all. He's feeling stronger so I'm hoping these are all good signs. The night sweats still persist but not to the same degree as they were a week ago.

OP posts:

Twopeapods · 31/01/2017 23:17

Yes the sweating was horrendous at night especially in the first 3/4 days. My PJs, pillows, bedding were all soaked through. And I remember feeling quite shocked by it. But I was also hospitalised because severe sepsis and they pumped me full of fluid which helped me feel better, so make sure your DH has plenty to drink as it will make him feel better.
I developed pleurisy and the pain was horrendous. All the doc said was take painkillers so watch out for that. Does the infection seem to be under control? He might have a few weeks of tiredness and rest ahead of him.

olympicsrock · 31/01/2017 23:21

They are checking that he hasn't got TB. This can present as your husband has done. Probably not but they are excluding serious things.

Twopeapods · 31/01/2017 23:24

After hospital I was 1000mg of amoxicillin plus another yellow antibiotic twice daily followed by another 509mg dose of amoxicillin. Don't google night sweats. It will only say cancer when I really do think your husband has had a bad infection and pneumonia, and it sounds like your doc was on the ball. It's just infuriating when the communication about diagnosis and treatment isn't discussed right.

Ruhrpott · 31/01/2017 23:25

Sounds like the same symptoms my husband had with pneumonia. Night sweats and coughing were his main symptoms as well as being weak. He needed two different antibiotics till one worked and he slowly got better.

Iwannasnack · 31/01/2017 23:28

It sounds like there were some patches on your DH's x-ray. These are most likely caused by infection (pneumonia) but you can't always tell from just an x-ray. If this happens then we normally get a repeat x-ray around 6 weeks later to check it's resolved.

OrlandaFuriosa · 31/01/2017 23:31

When I have had pneumonia in both lungs, night sweats, coughing, painful chest, severe sharp back pain, sweet sensation in the mouth, feel woozy and distanced.

Pleurisy sharper pain, at the side not in the back but lots if the sensations above.

I get both from time to time. You get used to getting them and trotting fine to the doctor early on.

MinisWin · 31/01/2017 23:49

Agree CXR to look for abnormalities initially - infection etc, including TB which has fairly characteristic appearances, then as 'scarring' noticed (presumably secondary to pneumonia) requires follow up XR to ensure resolution of these changes. This is usually done at 6 weeks. If it has persisted they will investigate further - CT chest is usual next step. Don't worry about the repeat XR - totally routine when any radiological change noticed.

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 01/02/2017 03:04

Thank you all for the replies, that has really eased my worry. Only little discrepancy is that he's been asked to have the follow up X-ray this week which will be less than 2 weeks since the initial X-ray. Will that be enough of a period of time for things to have improved? I think it sounds as though pneumonia makes perfect sense. Thank you.

OP posts:

3luckystars · 01/02/2017 05:27

The doctor told me once that "common things are common". I repeat this when I worry about health.

I have a tendency to imagine the whole carton of milk is spilled everywhere, when sometimes it's only a few drops!

Hopefully your husbands xray will give some clarity and I'm really glad he is improving. Latch on to that!

PlugUgly1980 · 01/02/2017 05:40

It's taken me 5 weeks to shift a chest infection that I got before Christmas, that left me wiped out. A week of amoxicillin and steroids did nothing and I developed terrible chest pain, which was later diagnosed as pleurisy. I had a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. I ended up having a different course of antibiotics (doxycycline) which combined with another dose of steroids worked, but I wasn't completely better at the end of the 7 day course, so I was given a further 10 days of the doxycycline. Finely shifted it, but I have never felt so ill (had temperature and sweating for weeks too) and was beginning to worry it was something more serious.

Rulerruler · 01/02/2017 05:46

I had pneumonia quite a number of years ago (it was just labelled as a chest infection at the time - was years later they actually confirmed it was pneumonia) - I had to have weekly chest x-rays for quite a while afterwards. I haven't had any lasting ill effects from the infection at all. Hope your DH makes a speedy recovery.

mumsgirl1 · 01/02/2017 05:48

Another anxious Annie here, so i can relate. The doctor would have checked for lumps and bumps and blood tests and if anything untoward showed up would probs already been in touch. Its a good sign he is feeling better and not getting worse so hold onto that. Ooh you're not sleeping either I notice from your 3am missive. You need to look after yourself, as if you are not you tend to feel worse emotionally too.
Please keep us updated. Virtual hug

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 01/02/2017 11:17

Thank you all for your responses. I am now avoiding google like the plague and telling myself that pneumonia is the most rational explanation for this so fingers crossed we'll find out more soon. Thank you. You've been a massive help and I feel reassured that everything will most likely be fine. I'll update soon

OP posts:

OrlandaFuriosa · 01/02/2017 12:40

Amoxicillin useless for me last year. Needed to change antibiotics twice. And lots of visits to doctors, breathing tests, x rays etc.

The one thing he must do is rest. I didn't when I first had pneumonia and the result was predictable and stupid,

mumsgirl1 · 14/02/2017 18:02

hi BBS
How are things with your hubby?
Hope he is better

Original poster

Bringbacksummer · 14/02/2017 19:29

Hi mumsgirl

When he got his second X-ray, he asked a doctor at the hospital if it's pneumonia that he has had and the doctor said yes. He hasn't heard anything back since his last X-ray which we're assuming must mean that all is okay. Thanks for asking. He's doing much better but working too hard again already (in a job that requires him to be out in the cold an awful lot). I just wish he'd rest more. Definitely well and truly on the mend though

OP posts:

Flip

1 2