Please no mean comments, wheeze and breathless

[emilylouisex1]

Please no nasty or comments about my anxiety as I am aware my anxiety is bad, this isn't actually my anxiety as doc took one listen said early stages of pneumonia, anti biotics immediately.
I went to an appointment unrelated to my pneumonia today it was a cancellation for a condition I have and didn't want to miss it as next year was the next available appointment in the summer. I went and they could hear my wheeze and shortness of breath when speaking so they decided to put a monitor on me which said my oxygen was normal (not sure how as I cannot breath) my heart rate was 120-140 and my temp was 37.7 - they wanted to call an ambulance due to the strong wheeze I have and that I may need an x ray (my x ray was clear before I was diagnosed with pneumonia weirdly enough) - my heart rate eventually went down to 101 and was stuck there from when I decided to leave, they said an ambulance was coming but was a 4 hour wait and I didn't want to waste any doctors time as I know I am riddled with anxiety these days. I'm back home using my oximeter and my levels say they are 91-94 so wondering if mine is a bit faulty, I'm so worried as I'm so wheezy still and I'm on day 3 of anti biotics, doc said day 3 should be a turning point. I'm super breathless but yet when I was at my appointment my oxygen was normal so I don't understand, they said they aren't worried about my breathing as oxygen is normal, they are worried about the wheeze and the fact I am not better yet along with heart rate staying above 100 even at rest (my oximeter does show this aswell) it's 90-100, I know no one is a medical professional here so please no mean comments but has anyone experienced this? Im so so worried and the wheeze is so loud and sounds like foil crackling it's so horrible and anxiety inducing🥲

You’re not being anxious. You need to get that checked out. Oxygen level of between 91-94 if that is not your normal level is concerning. Do you have someone who can take you to urgent care or a and e?

I'm sure if your o2 levels were good at the check up and are good on your oxi meter then it's working fine.
I would just keep on top of your antibiotics and if you're not feeling even a bit better by the third day call your GP again.

I'm sure if your o2 levels were good at the check up and are good on your oxi meter
Levels of 91-94 are not good

Accurate O2 readings can also be positional. If you are sat slumped/scrunched up then you may not get a good reading.

One of the dangers of everyone having access to sats probes these days is that most people can't actually interpret the numbers in the context of the clinical condition. Doesn't really matter what the sats are if you're wheezy, tachycardic and short of breath - better to get reviewed before the sats start dropping.

Yeah stuck at 100 at the moment, just checked again and it said my oxygen was 99 but then went down to 92 and straight back up to 99 so I just can't understand it

If it were me I think I’d just phone my GP and ask advice.

Bearing in mind it’s now too late for that I’d phone 111 and ask their advice.

It could be that they tell you to come into the out of hours GP for a check up. Can you get there ok?

Sat up straight and my oxygen is all over the place it's up and down so I don't know if it's faulty as appointment my oxygen was the one thing that was perfect, I can't understand why I have a temp and my heart rate is incredibly raised for some reason

Are you having difficulty breathing in, getting a full breath in, feeling like you can’t fill your lungs? Does your chest feel tight? Any of those and you need to call 111 at the very least. I personally wouldn’t mess about and would go to UTC but I’ve got asthma and I know when I’m in trouble - I’ve been in A and E on oxygen three times in the last year. It might be a bit more difficult to determine what is ok and what isn’t when you’re not so used to it but even so, I’d say if you’re feeling like it’s difficult to breathe then you need checking.

the sats on the probe may have nothing to do with your oxygen level - there are other things that affect the reading. When sats are reflecting the oxygen levels they can also stay relatively normal right up until someone completely collapses, particularly in someone young and generally healthy. They're generally the first monitor to stop giving useful information when someone is ill too. It sounds like you've already seen an HCP today who was worried enough to call an ambulance - why not take their advice rather than searching for opinions from a bunch of people who can't see you or hear your breathing?

Op has pneumonia, her SATs were good at her appointment, 94 is not an unusual reading for someone in her condition, I would be worried if it was consistently 91 but she hasn't said that.
She's fighting an infection and on antibiotics, she has a very slight temperature for an adult, all these things can and will elevate her HR we also don't know her typical resting HR but her symptoms are not a mystery.

I'm just always at the doctors I struggle to know what's anxiety and what's not! I don't want to waste anyone's time but I am aware I have pneumonia currently

@TomatoSandwiches I thought so too that's why I'm hesitant however my resting heart rate is usually 50-60bpm

If a doctor or medical professional phones an ambulance it's perfectly reasonable to follow their advice, they don't phone them out for fun.

@TomatoSandwiches yes I do suppose you are right. I'm there so often. Just didn't want to feel embarrassed if they send me home and I'm all a ok which is of course what I want but I will feel silly for going, only thing I'm worried about is the wheeze mainly tbh, it's so loud and frightens me that it hasn't got better, albeit I do feel more able to do things today I still have weird vitals that are up and down

When you call 111 they will tell you if you are wasting their time (and the answer will be no you are not - followed by advice to come in or advice to see your GP tomorrow).

The only thing I’d suggest you’ve done that isn’t ideal is left it too late in the day to call your GP who is local and easier to get to for an appointment.

Please call 111 now, as it’s cold out there, so the sooner you know how to proceed the better. I’d not be keen on leaving my home late at night for a medical appointment!

I'm supposed to be visiting family tomorrow, a two hour train journey, haven't seen my mum in about 10 months now 🥲 really do want to go!! So I may just visit a&e

Yes I would ring 111, or go to A+E if you are prepared to wait. If you have a temp and fast heart rate as well as a wheeze and shortness of breath then I would be worried about the infection not responding to antibiotics and getting worse. Things can change in terms of your oxygen levels at your appointment and your levels now, although it could also be your sats probe/positioning/many other things.
You could do with a repeat chest x ray and some bloods taking to check your inflammatory markers. Hope you get sorted and feel better soon!

Thanks so much. I did call 111 but it's taking a while and I am supposed to be seeing my mummy tomorrow who I haven't seen in so so so long it will break my heart if I can't go, she knows I'm sick but she said she wants to look after me and she hasn't seen me in so long.
I think it's best to go a&e so they can just tell me there and then if the anti biotics are improving this or not

So I went to a&e and it was packed like crazy, people arguing, people stood up and when I got to the nurse she checked my vitals and said oxygen is perfect, temp is good 37.2 and the only thing that's high is the heart rate at 120, she asked how many days I have took and I said 3 and then she said well you haven't even given it long enough to work and I said ok so do you think I should be here because it's packed, I'm tired, I'm just concerned and she said well I can't tell you what to do but I don't think you've given it long enough to work yet and I said ok I am just gonna go seems like I'm ok. So I left, I think my heart rate is so high because I'm anxious and I'm sick 🤷🏻‍♀️

I feel so silly now. 😭

You did the right thing. Better safe than sorry.

And now you can get some sleep knowing that they are content with your health as it is, and finish the course of antibiotics, and hopefully over the next day or two things get better.

Next time you feel unsure about your health try and decide to seek help during the day before your GP closes. That’s the only thing that wasn’t ideal in this scenario. It’s quicker and more convenient and they know you.

Hope you feel better soon. These bugs are doing the rounds and they are awful.

Thank you. This was at the checking in bit, you speak to the nurse first who checks you in then you wait for doctor, the way she was speaking to me I just knew I didn't need to be there, I've woke up today and I'm feeling terribly rubbish. I think I'm just unwell and it's going to take time. Will wait for the course to finish before I contact a doctor

You might need steroids. Your lungs can get damaged if you don’t treat an infection properly. If your breathlessness gets so bad you can’t say a sentence without stopping for breath between words go to Accident and emergency ASAP

Go see your mum. If you're still worried you can see a gp while your there. I'm no doctor but usually when I've had chest infections and pneumonia the only thing that help fixes it is steroids and inhaler along side the antibiotics