Pneumonia

[Jaffacake007]

Hi

I was wondering for people who have had pneumonia - how long until you started feeling better?

I went to a&e with back and chest pains. They diagnosed me with 'severe' pneumonia in my right lung. I was hospitalised for 5 nights, on oxygen and IV antibiotics. Been sent home on oral antibiotics. I've been home for a week and still have chest ache (much better than the pain) when doing deep breaths and moving. I feel better in myself and I'm less short of breath going up the stairs etc, but my oxygen levels are still low (I have bought a stats machine).

It isn't COVID related as I've done many, many PCR tests in the hospital and the doctors are baffled with how I've contracted it this severely when I'm only 26

I'm watching physio YouTube videos for breathing excersises and I'm still sleeping upright as I'm in pain lying down. Any experiences or tips would be great x

I had widespread double pneumonia a couple of years ago. It mustn’t have been as bad as your was as I wasn’t hospitalised and was just given oral antibiotics.
It took me a couple of weeks from finishing the antibiotics to stop being breathless during conversation and walking upstairs and I felt ok pretty soon after that. I had a chest x ray after about 6 weeks which showed I had scarring in both lungs but a follow up appointment with the consultant reassured me that wasn’t anything to worry about. My chest sounded clear at that appointment and I had to do that test where you blow hard into a tube to test your lung function (or something!!) and my results were excellent.
So try not to worry. You’ve had a nasty dose and it will take a while to feel well again but you will lots better very soon.

@ScarlettDarling

I had widespread double pneumonia a couple of years ago. It mustn’t have been as bad as your was as I wasn’t hospitalised and was just given oral antibiotics. It took me a couple of weeks from finishing the antibiotics to stop being breathless during conversation and walking upstairs and I felt ok pretty soon after that. I had a chest x ray after about 6 weeks which showed I had scarring in both lungs but a follow up appointment with the consultant reassured me that wasn’t anything to worry about. My chest sounded clear at that appointment and I had to do that test where you blow hard into a tube to test your lung function (or something!!) and my results were excellent. So try not to worry. You’ve had a nasty dose and it will take a while to feel well again but you will lots better very soon.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, it's reassured me

How long were you on oral antibiotics? I had my IV antibiotics in hospital, finished a 5 day course and now I'm on a further 2 week course.

Trying to remind myself that although I still feel awful, I am better than when I was first admitted to hospital. I was on 4 litres of oxygen for quite a while. I didn't agree with being discharged in all honesty as my results didn't show any improvement, but they were keen to send me home - think that's giving me a bit of anxiety too

What are you sats on the monitor at home?

DH had mild double pneumonia - we thought he had pericarditis again (he gets it frequently) so it was a bit of a shock - similar symptoms.

2 weeks of oral antibiotics, but he wasn't really any cop for walking up the stairs at home without being breathless for a good 6 weeks after that.

I was hospitalised with pneumonia, on oxygen, twice as a child. It took a couple of months after each episode for me to recover. I am (and was) asthmatic though. I think it depends on the general condition of your lungs and how long after you became ill, you received the right treatment. Hang in there and just take it steady until you feel strong enough for normal day-to-day stuff. Don’t try to rush it.

I had pneumonia a few years ago. Like you, I spent 5 nights in hospital with oxygen and IV antibiotics. It took a couple of weeks after being discharged to feel significantly better. Then about a month to feel completely better. It was a horrible experience, take it easy. Lots of rest, and good food, plenty of fluids. You will recover, it just takes time.

@WaterAndRichTea

What are you sats on the monitor at home?

94% at the moment. It hasn't been higher than this yet - left hospital a week ago. In all honesty I don't know if the sats machine is the most reliable as it fluctuates a lot.

I left hospital with them on 92% whilst on 1 litre of oxygen... 89% after walking a lap of the ward.

@PinkFootstool

DH had mild double pneumonia - we thought he had pericarditis again (he gets it frequently) so it was a bit of a shock - similar symptoms.

2 weeks of oral antibiotics, but he wasn't really any cop for walking up the stairs at home without being breathless for a good 6 weeks after that.

Thank you for sharing.

I'm definitely struggling with the stairs but have noticed improvement over this week

@AnnieSnap

I was hospitalised with pneumonia, on oxygen, twice as a child. It took a couple of months after each episode for me to recover. I am (and was) asthmatic though. I think it depends on the general condition of your lungs and how long after you became ill, you received the right treatment. Hang in there and just take it steady until you feel strong enough for normal day-to-day stuff. Don’t try to rush it.

Thank you.

They have said that my lungs in general are fine and I'm not asthmatic etc. I have no other health issues, I've never really been ill to this extent. I think that was their reasoning for sending me home which is fair enough.

@StiggyZardust

I had pneumonia a few years ago. Like you, I spent 5 nights in hospital with oxygen and IV antibiotics. It took a couple of weeks after being discharged to feel significantly better. Then about a month to feel completely better. It was a horrible experience, take it easy. Lots of rest, and good food, plenty of fluids. You will recover, it just takes time.

Thank you, so glad you're feeling better now. It felt awfully scary being on oxygen to be honest. I was in absolute agony when they made me lie on my back for a CT scan, I felt like my chest and back were going to explode. I think I'd much rather give birth again I was warned that it will take a while to feel back to normal. It's the achy chest feeling that worries me slightly and I really cannot lie down. Sleeping upright is taking its toll.

Trying my best to take it easy but with a 15 month old it's quite hard I'm a teacher and definitely not ready to return to work yet. My sick note runs out this week but I'll be asking for another.

Defo take time to recuperate op. I have had pneumonia quite a few times now (unfortunately). It really takes it out of you - you need time, and rest to recover - it takes longer than you think (and would like). As others have said, you will be fine, but don’t rush it.

I had this a few years back in my early thirties. It took about four months to feel better but I also developed a pleural effusion so needed two litres draining from my lungs twice. It was horrific. I was in perfect health, absolutely no explanation. I have scarring on the lungs and it still hurts me doing extreme high intense sports or when it’s very very cold. I’ll never understand how it happened but there were points when I thought I’d die. You’ll get there. Just don’t rush yourself.

@Purplecatshopaholic

Defo take time to recuperate op. I have had pneumonia quite a few times now (unfortunately). It really takes it out of you - you need time, and rest to recover - it takes longer than you think (and would like). As others have said, you will be fine, but don’t rush it.

It's truly awful isn't it!

Thank you x

@Bex268

I had this a few years back in my early thirties. It took about four months to feel better but I also developed a pleural effusion so needed two litres draining from my lungs twice. It was horrific. I was in perfect health, absolutely no explanation. I have scarring on the lungs and it still hurts me doing extreme high intense sports or when it’s very very cold. I’ll never understand how it happened but there were points when I thought I’d die. You’ll get there. Just don’t rush yourself.

I'm a bit concerned I may have the same... the consultants in the hospital explained that it might lead to pleurisy and need to be drained. I might be being a bit of a drama queen and panicking too early.

My main concern is that I'm not coughing, so nothing is coming up - surely that means the infection is just lingering there?

How did you know that you had a pleural effusion? Was it diagnosed with the pneumonia or later on at a follow up appointment?

Has anyone had their pneumonia without coughing? Just wondering if I'm feeling worse because I can't get rid of the mucus

And has anyone seen a physio when they were diagnosed? I saw one in the hospital for 5 minutes who told me to 'keep taking deep breaths' and there was nothing else he could do because I wasn't coughing anything up...

I don't remember coughing when I had double pneumonia and it cleared just fine (with treatment obviously!). There's also medicine which can help sort of dissolve the mucus so it clears faster, but not sure how often it's prescribed in the UK.

@CheshireChat

I don't remember coughing when I had double pneumonia and it cleared just fine (with treatment obviously!). There's also medicine which can help sort of dissolve the mucus so it clears faster, but not sure how often it's prescribed in the UK.

Oh that's reassuring! Glad it cleared up well for you interesting about the medicine, I'll mention it at my check up and see what they say.

The doctors and nurses all just seemed either confused that I wasn't coughing or kept warning me 'the coughing will come soon!'

I'm probably unusual as it was mostly asymptomatic despite being quite serious, but no coughing.

I didn't coughing when I had Covid either, just afterwards!

cough

I had severe phenomena when I was 30. Totally out of the blue, no history of chest complaints etc and my youngest was only 11 weeks. I ended up in A&E after a few days and was admitted for 5 weeks in total, I was however discharged home after 3 weeks on oral antibiotics but spiked a temp and was readmitted again.

I just wanted to say that your experience sounds very similar to mine. No cough at all, which confused everyone. I was unable to lay down, felt like I had a couple of concrete blocks on my chest at all times. They attempted to CT scan me but the first time I was physically able to lay down. They thought I was scared of the CT scanner. I wasn't, I just couldn't lay down, the pain was immense. It was only a good week or so later I managed to and the got diagnosed. They all seemed a bit shocked due to my age and lack of medical history.

I ended up with an infection in the fluid between my diagram and my lung secondary to the pneumonia. Sorry, I can't temper what they called it.
After 3 weeks I was sent home on oral antibiotics having been on IV antibotics and IV fluids but spiked a temp within days and was sent back in for another week or so as my infection marker (CRP) was so high.

I felt like shit for months afterwards to be honest. I was ill in the July and it wasn't until the following February I felt 'ok'. I was warned I would get lots of chest infections but 11 years on I have been totally fine. Even took up running and have run marathons.

You still sound very poorly though. Don't be afraid to seek medical help. The oral antibiotics won't be as strong as the IV ones, so risk of relapse is higher. Are you keeping an eye on your temp? That should be a good indicator of infection. Ask for blood tests to check your infection markers. Remember you can go downhill again quite quickly as your body has already taken a battering. Is anyone at home with you? You need to rest and pace yourself.

I hope you have a speedy recovery, I have honestly never experienced anything as bad before or since.

@Hairyfairy01

I had severe phenomena when I was 30. Totally out of the blue, no history of chest complaints etc and my youngest was only 11 weeks. I ended up in A&E after a few days and was admitted for 5 weeks in total, I was however discharged home after 3 weeks on oral antibiotics but spiked a temp and was readmitted again.

I just wanted to say that your experience sounds very similar to mine. No cough at all, which confused everyone. I was unable to lay down, felt like I had a couple of concrete blocks on my chest at all times. They attempted to CT scan me but the first time I was physically able to lay down. They thought I was scared of the CT scanner. I wasn't, I just couldn't lay down, the pain was immense. It was only a good week or so later I managed to and the got diagnosed. They all seemed a bit shocked due to my age and lack of medical history.

I ended up with an infection in the fluid between my diagram and my lung secondary to the pneumonia. Sorry, I can't temper what they called it.
After 3 weeks I was sent home on oral antibiotics having been on IV antibotics and IV fluids but spiked a temp within days and was sent back in for another week or so as my infection marker (CRP) was so high.

I felt like shit for months afterwards to be honest. I was ill in the July and it wasn't until the following February I felt 'ok'. I was warned I would get lots of chest infections but 11 years on I have been totally fine. Even took up running and have run marathons.

You still sound very poorly though. Don't be afraid to seek medical help. The oral antibiotics won't be as strong as the IV ones, so risk of relapse is higher. Are you keeping an eye on your temp? That should be a good indicator of infection. Ask for blood tests to check your infection markers. Remember you can go downhill again quite quickly as your body has already taken a battering. Is anyone at home with you? You need to rest and pace yourself.

I hope you have a speedy recovery, I have honestly never experienced anything as bad before or since.

Thank you for sharing your experience - it does sound very similar to mine!

In all honesty I was irritated with the doctors because I just knew I wasn't well enough to leave the hospital but they openly told me that I was young, I have no previous health problems and that they needed my hospital bed. Before discharging me, my infection markers were doubling daily. I only recently found this out after visiting my GP. They sent me home when my infection markers were 180. I had so, so many blood tests the phlebotomists couldn't draw any more blood from me, they were even trying my feet. My canular became loose and they couldn't replace it because they couldn't find a vein so I missed 2 doses of IV antibiotics in hospital.

Thankfully my most recent blood test shows that my infection markers are down to 60 so a good decrease. Totally relate with your experience with the CT - they had to physically lift me on and off and I was screaming in pain I'm actually glad I wasn't allowed visitors because if my family saw me in that much pain they'd have been so upset.

It's just a bloody horrible illness isn't it? I'm hoping it will clear very soon and that heaviness feeling will go away!

Nothing to add really, but it sounds horrendous, hope you're feeling better soon

I almost died from pneumonia at your age. I was completely healthy one day and felt like I was at death’s door the next. My symptoms were horrendous pain with each breath and being violently sick.
Two doctors attended my home (two days running) and said I had gastric flu. The next time I rang they refused to come out. My husband found me collapsed shortly afterwards.
I was in hospital for five weeks and it took a long time to recover.
I had sepsis in 2016 and was on life support in icu. I had pneumonia then too but it was the least of my worries and was almost treated as an afterthought and I wasn’t in any pain with it when I woke up from the coma. I think everyone is different.

I had pneumonia a good few years ago and I was acutely sick for 6 weeks and then it took another 3 months of inhalers and steriods to recover. It was one of the longest recoveries I ever had.

@Susannahmoody

Nothing to add really, but it sounds horrendous, hope you're feeling better soon

Thank you x