Pneumonia recovery - how long does it take to feel normal ish?

[Pneumoniabluemonia]

I’m recovering from mild pneumonia. I think I’m on week 3 and still feeling extremely tired. can’t walk up gentle slopes or stairs.

I am absolutely shattered from walking 4000 steps around town. I could cry from the exhaustion.

Was just wondering if anyone knows how long it’ll take to get back to walking a sensible amount per day? (I’ll be happy with anything from 7000 steps per day)

And if there’s anything I can do to make recovery better / faster?

I am mid 30s and a healthy runner. I’ve been absolutely floored by this but gaining weight at a rapid speed which is hurting my joints.

The lack of movement is affecting my mental health as I love walking in forests and on the beach - especially this time of year

Anyone? ☺️

I was 29 when I had it. Took about 6-8 weeks to stop feeling breathless. Maybe longer actually as I was a month off work.

My cousin was dating a physiotherapist at the time and she did give me some exercises to open up and help heal my lungs. You could probably find something online.

I had mild pneumonia at 26. I was very fit at the time, cycling and running regularly. Pneumonia is not “mild”. I was lucky and my gp warned me it would take 3 months and it did. 4000 steps is an awful lot for someone in week 3 post pneumonia. You can’t speed up recovery, you’ll only delay it.

fwiw, I had covid in 2020 and was far iller than when I had pneumonia but went on to beat every single one of my running pbs in 2022 (including London marathon). You will get your fitness back

Thanks both! I shall google lung exercises and see what I can find but probably won’t do them for a while until I’m 100% sure I’m ready.

@LoveSandbanks I found this out the hard way after doing too much and setting myself back a week. I am my own worst enemy sometimes.

Loving the positive fitness stories though! That has cheered me up a lot. Thank you

The exercises she game me were all gentle and done lying down but we're done to help recovery and open up the lungs so I did them from very early on, while still on antibiotics etc.

@DanceTheDevilBackIntoHisHole Sounds very good to do! I’ll have a look. Thank you so much for replying!

I was 6 months before I felt properly better. About 8-10 weeks before I could walk upstairs and not be an utter wreck.

I had a really nasty virus about 8 years ago that involved pleurisy I think, but it may have been pneumonia. And other stuff. Awful. Worst I've ever experienced.

That took 3 months to feel normalish again, and then I would say I was back to full health after about 12. That final 9 months didn't hold me back at all but things were more of a struggle.

You really need to do what you can, when you can - but be sensible. I was hospitalised with severe pneumonia in May. I did only slow walking initially, three times a week for maybe half an hour. But I mean slow. I was hitting 3,000 steps after a month, 4,000 after two, 5,000 after 3 and then I started working back to my normal training so was doing (very) light weights for some sessions rather than only walking. If you have a heart rate monitor I would suggest you use that to keep the heart rate no more than 70-75% of max. I found it really helped me to know when I could push and when I needed to go slower or take more rest after a session. I am only just now getting back to normal exercise intensity and it is a lot harder than it used to be. Wishing you well, Pneumonia is pretty rough.

Thanks everyone. Just started my 3rd round of antibiotics ☹️

What a horrible illness

I’ve had it twice. The first time I was mid thirties and I had it for ages (6 months-ish), although I was never ill enough to be completely out of action. Recovery took about 6 months or maybe even longer and my lungs/airways have not really been the same since.

The second time, I was more acutely ill, but my recovery was a lot quicker, I’d say about a month.

So I don’t think that there are any rules about recovery times - it varies from person to person and between illnesses too.

It took me at least two months to be able to do my normal steps again. Don’t push yourself. You’ve been very unwell and your body needs to heal.

i think recovery time depends on several things, such as severity of illness, general health/underlying health issues, age, trying to do too much too soon, etc.

Twenty years ago, I saw GP for cold symptoms with a lingering cough. Chest X-ray confirmed pneumonia and I was sent home with antibiotics. Felt 100% better within a few weeks.

Four weeks ago, I spent ten days in the hospital with pneumonia plus a pleural infusion. Home now on portable oxygen, with three new medications, including an inhaler, and regular appointments with a pulmonologist. Just taking a shower wipes me out for hours.

I don’t drink, don’t smoke, eat healthy and (used to) exercise, but probably not as much as I should have. I also have chronic anemia and Hashimoto’s, both of which seem to be affecting my recovery. No pain, no coughing, just really tired.

I had severe pneumonia when I was 7 months pregnant and went to the GP three times and told to use olbas oil to clear it up. Eventually having to have an ambulance sent in the middle of the night because I couldn't breathe. I was hospitalised in a separate room which only my husband to visit and only then if he had to be gowned up and have gloves and mask on. This was pre-covid.
There was talk of delivering my baby as an emergency because of how low my oxygen levels were but thankfully, all my oxygen went to her leaving me with very little. Amazing what the body does.
It took me a good 6 months to get rid of the rattle and breathlessness. I was advised by the consultant at hospital to keep my torso warm and wrapped up and do the lung exercises, especially over the colder months, as it can take up to 3 years for all the effects to stop. Hope you feel better soon.

I had pneumonia last winter, had the first course of antibiotics & thought it had cleared up, but it came back & I had a second course of antibiotics. Then 4 weeks later it came back again over Christmas, I didn't manage to get dressed for over a week, had the doctor come out who prescribed more antibiotics & steroids which started to get rid of the infection. My mouth was hung in sore blisters, my throat was so swollen & sore I lived on jelly & ice cream for a good couple of weeks. Even the walk from the toilet to my bedroom wore me out, I felt like I was going to pass out, I lost about 2.5 stone in weight, had no energy & looked grey all the time. I fell like death for a good couple of weeks.

It was a good 6 months for me. I wasn't hospitalised which I guess means it was "mild" but it didn't feel like it! I have honestly never felt so awful in my life. It's a horrible illness. Take it really easy and don't rush recovery.