Really anxious after pneumonia-anyone else?

[ScarlettDarling]

I started feeling poorly about 2 and a half weeks ago. The gp said I had a chest infection and gave me amoxicillin which did help, but after a few days when I was still coughing up bloody phlegm and having horrible night sweats, the gp sent me to the hospital last Friday,who diagnosed pneumonia in both lungs.

After 5 days doxycycline I feel lots better. I still feel really tired but not particularly unwell. I'm feeling horribly anxious though. I have health anxiety at the best of times but now my mind is spinning, wondering why on Earth I ended up with pneumonia. I'm reasonably young (40s), fit, eat well, never had any chest problems. I'm starting to wonder if I've got some awful underlying condition which is affecting my immune system! I know it sounds silly but I also had a campylobacter infection this summer which I needed antibiotics for and after no antibiotics for probably ten years, I'm really anxious about having needed three lots in six months.

I'm meant to be back at work on Monday (work in a school) which is also making me anxious. I really need to go back, to distract me from my anxiety if nothing else, but I just feel so breathless and exhausted after doing anything.

Just feel so down and anxious and want to be well again

Totally understand how you feel OP. I had pneumonia totally out of the blue back in May last year, I’m in Aus so the seasons were changing to the cooler months but I was so sick.
Never felt so awful in my life and took 8 weeks off work and wasn’t totally back to normal until about September.
However, it took a while but I fully recovered. I understand the anxiety around it too, I was horribly anxious after because women my age and younger had died from it and I kept wondering why I didn’t die. Weird. Anyway, if you’re normally fit and healthy, you should be okay.
I’m thinking about being vaccinated against it this year so I don’t get sick again.

@Aldilogue thanks for that. It's good to know that others have had the anxiety and come out the other side.

@TFthatsover OMG it sounds like you were horribly ill. That's why I feel a bit pathetic getting so anxious about this...I felt rotten for a few days but was never really ill. Glad you're fine now.

I saw the nurse practitioner today who said my chest sounds fine and my temp and blood oxygen levels are normal. He offered me steroids to help with the breathlessness but I didn't want them as side effects would stress me out too much! He also said that I'm fine to go back to work if I feel up to it so I think I'm going to go in on Friday. Part of me can't wait for some normality, part of me is wondering how on Earth I'll cope with 30 small children and no lunch time nap! I guess I'll see on Friday.

@girlofthenorth and @meluey how are you both feeling today?

Glad you are improving @ScarlettDarling - good luck for Friday ! Glad all normal . Don't worry about steroids if you have to end up taking , they made me stay awake but I was glad my breathing was getting better .
Do you still have a temperature?
I do even though fairly low grade . Even though I was told my chest was clear yesterday by nurse and bloods all ok - no inflammatory markers I feeling so paranoid . I keep thinking it will come back .. I wish I could just relax and get on with life without having hideous anxiety all the time .

No I dont think I have a temperature @girlofthenorth but I did have another sweaty night last night which does worry me. I've been having sharp stabby pains/twinges at the top of my stomach/ lower chest today and yesterday too. Something else to worry about. I'm sick of myself, sick of worrying. I understand totally how you're feeling . My anxiety is fine as long as everything is tootling along nicely. As soon as something happens, the doom cloud materialises and I start imaging the worst.

Yes @ScarlettDarling it's awful. I'm the same- I catastrophise about everything. Last night though I was really wheezy felt awful in the night ( have asthma) throat tight . Went in today as temperature also back with vengeance.
The nurse I saw said my chest is clear so no need for oral steroids again . Just told me to take my rescue inhaler when I need !!! Temperature has gone down now . But knackered - only got a few hours sleep last night !
I really hope tomorrow goes ok and the pains go- I think I've had so much time off sick I've gone into sick zone at home -all I think about it being ill! Work is a distraction!!!

That was meant to say I hope your pains go - sorry - let us know how you get on tomorrow .

Not going back tomorrow after all @girlofthenorth, my boss told me to take Friday and the weekend to rest and return on Monday. I'm dreading it in a way because I can't see how I'll cope, but staying at home is making me an anxious wreck!

When are you back at work? What did the nurse say was causing your temperature?

@ScarlettDarling oh Monday is better , I'm going back then , we can compare notes. No, the nurse didn't seem to give a fig about it and explanation was , might be original bug or might be something else...but if it carries on I'll go back .

@girlofthenorth How did work go today? How's your temperature? Hope it has settled?

My day went fine. Very breathless so found it hard work talking to the children at school all day but not too exhausted! I'd feel much less anxious if these bloody night sweats would stop! Keep thinking they could be a symptom of something scary. Guess I'll just have to wait and see if they pass and go back to the gp if not.

@ScarlettDarling oh glad it went well ..did the docs say how long you were likely to be breathless ? I guess it's to be expected a bit but you could get that checked . I think I'm on edge about that though cos I'm asthmatic . Steroids really helped me. Glad you weren't exhausted .

Well, mine was ok , I only did half a day but really struggled ! I was on light duties too...it must be just feeling tired post the virus / infection but it's really really starting to bother me now..and still got the cough ..came home and did nothing all afternoon .

Temperature definitely a problem, haven't taken it today but could feel it going up a couple of times , but last night woke up covered in sweat ! Mainly happening at night . My bedroom is really warm though and my duvet is quite warm so I don't know if that makes it worse.

Going back to GP tomorrow so will ask . Yes scares me too but most things do at the mo so don't take that as a benchmark ! I have been told by three different health professionals that it can go on for a long time but I'm still not reassured !

How long would you leave it before you went back to see someone about it ? Or would you not bother ?

How are you feeling @meluey

How you getting along @ScarlettDarling ? I've had my second morning at work , really tired but an improvement on Monday ..I'm lucky I only do about 21 hrs hands on a week and a few more behind the scenes but not full time . I'm on reduced hours .
Went to the GP yesterday and he told me to not worry about the sweats at all, be patient and it'll go eventually .

Hi @girlofthenorth, I'm doing ok, thanks for asking. It's my day off today so apart from going shopping I've taken it quite easy. I'm not feeling over tired, still quite breathless but the nurse practitioner said that's because pneumonia causes inflammation in the lungs which obviously takes time to subside. I have an x ray in a few weeks time which I guess is to check that the inflammation is gone.

I haven't had night sweats for the last two nights! Well, not full on soaking sweats anyway. Fingers crossed they might be going. I'm reassured that your gp isn't worried by your night sweats! If I'm still having them in a couple of weeks I think I'llask for bloods to be done.

I'm finding work is helping with my mood and anxiety. I'm always better in routine and it gives me less time to think and worry. I'm still on anxiety overdrive though...constantly feeling for swollen glands etc. I'm just ridiculous.

I'm glad work is ok for you. How long are you on reduced hours for? I Not long til the weekend now! Fingers crossed we'll be feeling loads better by next week.

@ScarlettDarling you are really on the mend I think! My night sweats are still happening! My DH thinks it's my duvet so I'm going to try a cooler one tonightbut last night kept waking up sweating!
Half days again next week then back to normal. Let's keep fingers crossed !

@girlofthenorth How are you? Hope the temperatures and night sweats have improved?

I think I'm feeling pretty much normal now, though still anxious. I'm still clammy at nights but not had any drenching night sweats for a while so that's good. I'm still poking and prodding for swollen glands and still worrying that's there's something dreadful behind getting the pneumonia in the first place but I'm trying to stay rational and keep busy.

Hope you're feeling lots better and a bit calmer

A good think to remember is the body's natural way of healing and removing infection is heat.

Every heard the saying sweat it out.

Try and think of it positively. Hard I know.

Hi @ScarlettDarling you sound like you're really on the mend ..really glad you are feeling nearly normal . Try not to worry . Easier said than done I know !
I mean I didn't even have pneumonia , just a common or garden chest infection and am still feeling rubbish ! Maybe my age , I'm 48. Maybe it gets harder as to get older to recover? My DF 85 though, who did have pneumonia , is doing quite well .
I'm still sweating too at night , but I have stopped taking my temperature during the day as just trying to forget about it . Feeling so flaming tired though ..so that and the sweats at night make me on edge. @stayathomegardener you speak wise words ..it's just that they've been going on so long ! Am even wondering if having the infection has messed around with my very peri menopausal !

@stayathomegardener Thanks for that. That's the sort of thing I'm trying to tell myself... anxiety is such a bugger though and it's sometimes hard to be rational.

@girlofthenorth So sorry you're still feeling rubbish. Are you sure you didn't have pneumonia? Unless you had chest scans or x rays to rule it out then you can't be sure you didn't have it. The first doctor I saw said I had a chest infection. It wasn't until the second doctor sent me to the hospital for a chest x ray and then a scan for a clearer picture, that pneumonia was diagnosed. It could explain why it's taking you so long to feel better.

@ScarlettDarling the same thought has crossed my mind.. I had an X-ray which was clear. Though a similar thing happened in May last year when I had a chest X-ray which was clear and then it wasn't till I had a CT scan that an infection was found ( though by that time it was resolving) .

I still have a cough too though not able to bring anything up. Had a nearly normal Thursday today - pottered at home walked the dog, did half a days work which is what I do on Thursdays but when I got home I was shattered!!

Wondering if I should go back to GP.... I don't think they can say anything new to me now though..

I had pneumonia when I was 25! Random, have never suffered with chest infections or anything. My friend currently has it...33 and otherwise pretty healthy. I've heard of loads suffering pneumonia and nasty chest infections this winter too, far more than usual. Pneumonia is awful, it does leave you wiped for weeks so do take care of yourself. Get some counselling for the health anxiety too if you can. Hope you feel better soon.

@Allcrimps thanks for that. Yeah, it's my health anxiety that's the real problem, I know that. I've done CBT which didn't really help although medication has been a great help.

@girlofthenorth How are you? Hope your week has gone well and that you're feeling stronger? I'm feeling back to normal now. I've got an appointment for a follow up chest x ray next week, I assume to check that the pneumonia is fully cleared up, then I'm going to try and put all this behind me.

Hi, just to say that I know that the night sweats are annoying and uncomfortable, but I try to remind myself that it's my body's way of trying to discharge all the crap from the infection...I don't know if that's entirely the case but it makes me feel better anyway!

@Scarlettdarling feeling so tired still!! With sweats at night not going away although I think I've had two nights without. Have done two normal days at work and been in bed all eve afterwards! I'll get there - I do feel a bit better every day and I've started exercising more now which makes me feel better. Glad to hear you're feeling normal and hope the tests go well .