Chest infection viral or not?

[emilylouisex1]

How do you tell the difference between a virus and bacterial infection in your chest? I've had a cough for two weeks and didn't think anything of it until this morning when I started getting pain and wheezing, even my therapist heard it and advised I contact my doctor asap.
So I did...saw my doctor and they said my temp, bp, heart rate are normal and she couldn't hear any wheezing in my chest. She gave anti biotics as a pre caution if still suffering by the weekend and I hate taking them but worried if I don't I will get worse. When I breath out it's a long wheeze, it really baffles me how she didn't hear it when she listened to it. Can a virus cause wheezing? She also said the pain is probably costochondritis from all the coughing...

@AutumnFroglets I only have the blue one currently but have an asthma review on Monday, don't know how il manage with how weak I am. I'm panicking that this is getting worse as I have a headache, my face feels so swollen albeit it isn't by looking at it, I can't move I am bed bound. Would the chest x ray have confirmed if it was an infection or not?

Try not to panic as that can exacerbate asthma. If you are struggling to breathe (for whatever reason) and your blue inhaler isn't helping then please call the NHS number or go to A&E.

EDIT - xrays are not infallible. Plus your lung condition can vary day by day.

It's more the fact I have a low grade fever now and feel generally unwell than breathless...just feel like I'm deteriorating worse rather than getting better

I've ended up on steroids and antibiotics as an asthmatic with the same symptoms. Don't let them dismiss your breathing issues. Many GPs can be quite dismissive of asthmatics. I much prefer discussing with the asthma nurse.
what I was told by both 111 and the GP I eventually managed to see, was that if the tightness in my chest/difficulty breathing gets worse I must go straight to a and e. You don't mess around with asthma.

Thanks everyone, I've just got of the phone to 111 who said a doctor will call me within two hours, my oxygen levels are essentially perfect as I've checked but I do feel very rubbish and wheezy. Temp is 37.5 and flashing orange at me but honestly I feel way hotter than this, I'm so flushed

I have exactly the same but had high temp for the first week, had antibiotics and they did nothing.
It's been 4 weeks now so I will be phoning the doctors as my chest is still crackling and wheezing and I'm coughing still quite a bit.

Sounds exactly like me but I haven't had anti biotics yet and I have a feeling they wouldn't give as my chest x ray was clear, feel awful

Coughing up lots of stuff now that looks like this and wheezing is much much worse

My DD was like that and ended up on two types of antibiotics last week. Glad to hear you have done the phone call, hope they get back to you soon. Don't underplay your breathing.

Thank you. Still awaiting the call, I really hate taking medication but I have such bad headache and feel so so unwell all of a sudden it does make me think it may be an infection now as I've had it for a good few weeks

@emilylouisex1 have you had a call back

Yes I ended up going to see an out of hours GP - turns out I have early stages of pneumonia, really shocked as my x ray was ok a few days ago, doctors even said they can't believe it themselves but my right lung is filled with fluid. Waiting for a callback now as they prescribed some nasty anti biotic with dangerous side effects citrofloxcin, I refuse to take it as the side effects are bad not like normal anti biotic ones. Joint issues, seizures etc. I'm trying to get them to let me take clarithromycin - came out in hives but I don't think it was the anti biotic as I'm still very itchy after stopping them over a week ago now. I think it's because I'm unwell that I came out itchy and hivey. Definitely not taking that one though no way. My body reacts to simple medication like paracetamol so that one is a no for me

@emilylouisex1
Oh no!
Thank goodness you've been seen

Oh wow @emilylouisex1 !! So pleased you managed to see the OOH GP.

For reference my DD was prescribed (for pneumonia) Clarithromycin for 5 days and co-amoxiclav for 7 days. We also had to get her some anti nausea meds. It's taken her the full 7 days before starting to feel better. Still coughing like mad, very weak, but we can see her improving every day.

Hope you start feeling better soon

@emilylouisex1 I have to have clarithromycin because I have penicillin allergies and Ive always not been able to have a 2 nd lot within a short space of time because it won't work so they give me Erythromycin . Lots of antibiotics have nasty side effects for some people but you will need a good strong 1 for pneumonia.

Yes started on clarithromycin now, did take it two weeks ago but stopped due to hives that I'm still getting now so I know I'm not allergic, doctor is gonna call me back just so I can let them know I've started clarithromycin instead as no way am I taking that other one with those kind of side effects, nausea ok but seizures?!?! Joint pains that can be permanent? No way. Those are common side effects too! so many articles online about it I'm suprised that anti biotic is still on the market! - hopefully I improve soon had this for a month now😭

@emilylouisex1 I hope you get better soon now you know what's wrong and can get on the antibiotics to clear it .

Word of warning, Ciptofloxaxin is first line PO ABX currently for the bacterial pneumonias going around for a reason. It works. Not all antibiotics work on all bacteria. Therefore you may have to take a longer course or multiple courses of different antibiotics and this will increase your risks to side effects and allergic reactions.

Yeah I know, I haven't took it, I've took clarithromycin instead and I feel fine so wasn't an allergic reaction, think because I'm so ill my body is just having random little things. I do worry about resistance as I've been given anti biotics probably around 15 times this year and a lot of the time they've told me to stop as labs confirmed no infection. I so hope I haven't developed a resistance.

Also doc initially wanted to give me clarithromycin but because I mentioned hives he said no, but again yes I've took it and I'm ok! No hives haha, strange really but my body always acts strange when I'm sick

Oh for goodness sake. I've started itching, surely this can't be an allergic to reaction?! Clarithromycin has been the only anti biotic I have been able to tolerate for years!!

Have the doctors called you back yet?

When I was very ill as a child I reacted badly to penicillin, after that I was labelled as allergic. Thirty years later it's been deemed i'm no longer allergic, I was just very very ill when I reacted, so I can see why you tried taking them again. But now you know that you are allergic unfortunately. You might need that putting on your medical records.

It goes away not long after it starts though, I feel totally normal again no itching, but they haven't called me back yet, still waiting, I took the anti biotic kinda late so not sure whether I need to wait until tomorrow to take the next one now or take it at midnight (will be 8 hours then) I did a bit of research and saw eczromythin I think it's called treats pneumonia so not sure why they couldn't prescribe that instead of that citrofloxin one

@AutumnFroglets 111 called me back, they said because the rash comes and goes and is not extremely itchy and I'm not covered in a rash (she said if my body is covered that's when they worry about a reaction) so I said no no it's little bits here and there but nothing extreme, she's said to pick up some piriton tomorrow, she said it should subside after 3 days but if it doesn't so long as my body is not covered it is ok

@emilylouisex1 can you take piriton with pneumonia?
I only ask as I've been suffering for 8 weeks with allergies after I was very unwell with pneumonia. I was told I couldn't take anything for it and have been suffering since.
I could honestly cry most days.

I do hope you get better soon!