DH Has Pneumonia. Is this normal? Scared!

[Frazzledmummy123]

3 weeks ago, my dh got a stabbing pain in his ribs which he and his gp thought was a pulled muscle and he was taking painkillers every 4 hours. A week later, he started to feel flu-like symptoms with it and he saw a doctor who told him it was muscular.

Last week, he developed a bad cough and fever and at a&e was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. He was given 2 double dose anti biotics to take for a fortnight and cocodamol for pain relief. He also had a CAT scan which showed a lot of fluid in lungs, hwnce the 2nd lot of anti biotics.

He has been at home and pain relief seems to have been doing the job. However, this morning he has been in more pain but he says the pain has moved further upwards, and is very nauseous. He has had an appetite until now and not has nausea before.

Is this worrying that it appears worse, or is it a good sign the pain is moving upwards? His blood pressure is normal.

I am scared for him and dont know if this is normal or not? We expected pain, but not when was better yesterday.

Call 111describe symptoms they will advise if he needs to be checked out

The antibiotics could be causing the nausea but if he feels worse and the pain is different it would be best to see a doctor.

Yup - 111 for sure.

111 or 999 tbh, pneumonia can be fatal.

I'm surprised they didn't admit him from a&e, it sounds like he needs IV antibiotics.

Take him to a and e

Is the pain worse or just in a different place? Is he still feverish/flu-ish or does he have a low temperature? Is he still drinking and going to the loo? If worse/high or v low temp/not peeing then A&E imo. Otherwise 111 for advice.

111 will advise he goes back to hospital

Yes go back to hospital and be firm about being seen/another lung scan

Not to scare you, but pneumonia can be extremely serious and can progress quickly, as my DH found out earlier this year when he ended up in ICU for a month. He's fine now, but only because (after a 5 hour wait) he walked through the doors in a&e and demanded to be seen. A few hours later he was intubated.

This is v unlikely to happen to your DH, but I would advise not to take any chances if he feels like he's deteriorating

Vast majority of fit and healthy people don't need admission..there's a severity score called curb65

Fluid in the lung is a common result of pneumonia. It settles on the diaphragm due to gravity. The diaphragm is supplied by the same nerves as the shoulders, so shoulder pain is relatively common if thats what op means by upwards

See ur local urgent treatment centre/minor injuries if are worried

Majority perhaps, but my fit, healthy, open water swimming husband nearly died out of the blue.

If he's fine they will establish that and send him home. But better to make sure.

Thanks everyone. He is now en route to a&e to get checked out.

Glad he's going to get checked

How is he?

I really hope they take it seriously and he's okay, OP.

Hope he's ok! I had pneumonia but was admitted with IV antibiotics and oxygen. Was a long recovery!

I was admitted with pneumonia almost 2 years ago. Good luck to him 💐

think it was worse for everyone else around me as I was so unwell I just mainly slept (upright).

He has been admitted to hospital and out in oxygen and an iv drip. Also given morphine for the pain.

I am just glad he is in the best place as no way was how he was earlier normal and I can't believe I nearly put it down as just 'a bad day'.

Can I ask, how long was your recovery?

I hope he recovers soon. 💐💐 I think I was in for a few days and was wiped out afterwards. It’s left me with a weakness for bronchial infections but I’m on immunosuppressants so was always going to struggle to recover properly.

@Frazzledmummy123 I came down with it mid October, went back to work in Jan, but really struggled. He might have had it caught earlier though if he didn't need admitting. I was in a few days. GP sent me in thinking I had sepsis too

The codeine will cause nausea

@Frazzledmummy123 wishing your DH the best and a fast recovery. Glad he's in the best place now, it can be really scary how quickly things can go downhill

Having just recovered from my first Pneumonia about 3 weeks ago (l spent 11 days) in hospital l can say that pain from Pneumonia is often hypoxia... a lack of oxygen in your body. I bought an oximeter off Amazon for a tenner and it helped me keep tract of levels. Sounds like he may need hospitalisation.

Hypoxia doesn't remotely cause pain! As Drs we don't recommend people use their own sats probes unless formally trained by a respiratory team - lay people don't know what's normal, what's not normal, if the trace is reliable or its just poor finger perfusion etc and we don't want people sat at home with false reassurance as they're self monitoring. If you feel unwell enough to consider checking your oxygen levels then you are ill enough to warrant seeing a doctor not self managing

So glad he’s been taken in. I had pneumonia a couple of years ago and spent two days in hospital. It sorted it out and I was so much better within about a month after.