Advice needed - re chest infection and a&e on New Years day

[jasperc163]

Sorry bit long but would really appreciate some advice. I am 6 months pregnant and have had what appears to be a grumbling chest infection for 2 months. After the 2nd lot of AB's i felt a bit better though still had a cough. Then last week DD came down with a virus and i got worse again. Saw GP on monday and she said still signs of chest infection,plus infected tonsil and temp. Given 3rd lot of AB's.

Now on day 4 of AB's and whilst temp and tonsil better, my chest cough is worse and have been feeling very short of breath which is very scarey. I gave a plegm sample on monday but results not back at gp yesterday (and closed today of course). Even if i go back to gp tomorrow it is quite likely results wont have come back (and the sample may have been no good anyway i dont know). Either way i dont think the AB's are working as my chest is worse than when i started them and there should be some improvement by now (have now had amoxycillin, erythromycin and cefaclor)

I am exhausted, not sleeping, and worried about the baby and have a 3yr old and job to deal with once OH back at work next week. I dont know if i would be better to just bite the bullet and use the fact that gp closed to go to local hospital this afternoon (once remnants of NYs eve have been dealt with!). But i am equally worried about picking something else up whilst there as my immune system is obviously now so compromised.

help?
many thanks

go back to bed and let OH deal with the house and your 3 year old

If you are feeling short of breath - you need to be seen.

Agree with DNA - since your chest is feeling positively worse after 4 days of ABs, go and get seen.

do you have a walk in centre near you? More appropriate than A&E - unless of course your breathing in compromised... Good luck

And A&E tends to be more accidents that illness IM(limited)E...so would I would be worrying more about doing something to improve your condition than picking up something else.

Thanks all - have now realised there is an out of hours centre that my gp surgery uses at the hospital so i am going to call and try and speak to them. I think the problem is going to be that they are going to want to wait on the test results but maybe they can give me something to help with the breathing?

how are you now? did you see or speak to someone?

hi - no i didnt as the surgery have screwed up and not put their out of hours answer machine message on so no link to the service!!!
Have decided to step up the steam inhalation (which helps in the short term) and try and hold on til the morning. Someone on the preg board put me off going to out of hours at hospital if i could avoid it as she picked up c.difficile at one whilst on same antibiotics (which make you more susceptible to the bug) last year :-(
So will call GP first thing and go from there

thanks again for all the support....

oh you poor thing

rest as much as you can and get along to the doc in the morning

and report back when you can x

Went back to GP - test results still not back so not much he can do atm. Thinks anyway that it is most likely a viral bronchitis (on top of previous remnants of chest infection). Been given pholcodine and salbutamol syrup - neither of which really help tbh and coughing constantly. Have bought a warm steam humidifier for bedroom tonight and doing lots of steam inhalation but running out of ideas. Feel absolutely crap and can't believe the constant coughing has no negative effect on the baby :-(

Someone pls tell me this will get better!

A couple of years ago when I was 6 months pregnant with DS, I was off sick for 8 weeks with a chest infection (and I normally only ever have 1-2 days sick per year - these were my first sick notes ever!). Again I had a toddler to look after, and it became particularly grim over Xmas when the antibiotics made me vomit. It was the most ill I've ever felt. But it did get better eventually, and DS definitely hasn't suffered at all! So please don't worry unduly on that front although I did too at the time).

One point I would add is that my iron levels went right down when I was ill cos I'd lost my appetite. So please make sure you keep eating, and keep going back to your GP if you're not getting better. After my 3rd lot of antibiotics, my GP asked me to come weekly for checkups until it had all passed just to keep an eye on me. So don't feel like you're wasting their time.

A couple of years ago when I was 6 months pregnant with DS, I was off sick for 8 weeks with a chest infection (and I normally only ever have 1-2 days sick per year - these were my first sick notes ever!). Again I had a toddler to look after, and it became particularly grim over Xmas when the antibiotics made me vomit. It was the most ill I've ever felt. But it did get better eventually, and DS definitely hasn't suffered at all! So please don't worry unduly on that front although I did too at the time).

One point I would add is that my iron levels went right down when I was ill cos I'd lost my appetite. So please make sure you keep eating, and keep going back to your GP if you're not getting better. After my 3rd lot of antibiotics, my GP asked me to come weekly for checkups until it had all passed just to keep an eye on me. So don't feel like you're wasting their time.

Corriewatcher - that is scary :-( 8 weeks!
I am in a relatively new job and already trying to prove myself before i go on mat leave so the thought terrifies me.
Was yours viral ? Or did it take time to get the right AB's? What were you taking?
I have once again had about 2 hrs sleep and am getting really desperate - the minute i lie down i start coughing (steam humidifier on all night but didnt seem to make any difference).

Thanks re iron - i am already supplementing but getting levels checked in a week or so anyway.

Jasper, I'm sorry you're still going through the mill. It sounds horrendous

I guess if it is viral it ought to go away by itself but it must feel like forever, especially if you can't sleep.

I hope you start to improve soon xx

how are you jasper?

Hi there
A little better but cough terrible. Saw GP this morning and test results finally back. It turns out i have the Hib bacteria (that causes meningitis in babies). Luckily DD had a booster for this so thats a big relief. I don't think its so common in adults?

So now on 4th course of AB's - back on amoxycillin again (which is meant to deal with it), at double dose this time.

Fingers crossed...

oh you poor thing jasper - I do hope you get all this cleared up asap.

I dont know anything about the Hib in adults (nor children for that matter, other than it is part of the booster)

Good luck and keep us posted x