Patient Comments: Pneumonia - Describe Your ExperiencePlease describe your experience with pneumonia.
Comment from: pfehrman, 55-64 Female (Patient)
Published: March 29
I seem to get pneumonia frequently, but I also have sarcoidosis, which seems to predispose me to pneumonia. I've lost count because I've had it so often. It also appears to be more prominent in the spring. I'm currently experiencing pneumonia symptoms and they are moderately severe right now. I'm having lots of trouble breathing, the phlegm is excessive and very thick, and chokes me. I've had a very sore throat throughout this process and when I cough, I can barely catch my breath. My pleura seems to be affected now because not only does it hurt to breathe, it hurts around my ribs as well. I've had many sarcoid friends from my support group die of pneumonia, and we're all very familiar with this process. Just keeping out of the hospital and staying alive can be a challenge sometimes. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Comment from: JOHN, 7-12 Male (Patient)
Published: July 18
I started with headache, conjunctivitis and little fever. Then, the chills became more severe and the fever rise to 102.5F. The second day I got vomit and tiredness. I had the fever and chills for 4 days even though I was taking Ibuprofen and Amoxicillin. After all those symptoms I went to the Doctor and he sent me a X-Ray to confirm what he thought. I was pneumonia in my lower right lobe. The doctor gave 3 shot of penicillin and also prescribe Bioxin twice per day. He also talked me to use the nebulizer 3 times per day and take some cough medicine (Robitussin DCA or Mucinex as needed for cough). Now I am getting better and I was lucky to find it early. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Related Medications: Ibuprofen | Amoxicillin
Comment from: duke.para7, 35-44 Male (Patient)
Published: July 14
I was diagnosed with Laryngitis, and was told that there was a slight problem. With my Sinuses. After the consultation I was given a prescription to take, which I did that altered what I was experiencing. My throat started to clear, the coughing capacity decreased but its intensity increased. This means that there was a decrease in the quantity of white sputum, but a change to smaller amounts of yellow chunky sputum. There was also an increase in stinging chest pains which moved around, not being in the same place, but sometimes in the left chest, then the right, and from time to time simultaneously on either side of my sternum. When the pains hit centre chest, I was under the impression it had something to do with my heart and got concerned. This sparked my return to consultation. I was told that it was sinus and was treatable. I was so concerned that I insisted on an ECG or X-ray as confirmation. The doctor ordered the X-ray to be taken. After viewing the X-ray I was diagnosed with Pneumonia. I have now been put on the antibiotics. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Comment from: Anne, 55-64 Female (Patient)
Published: April 19
In the past three years I have spent 17 months cooped up in my apartment due to pneumonia. The first bout lasted seven months. When I finally changed doctors, the first thing the new doctor told me was that both of my lungs were collapsed from the infection. X-rays confirmed this. I was put on Dalacin C and Sulfatrim, plus 50 mg of prednisone for 60 days. It took seven months to get almost back on my feet. The second round of pneumonia was 12 months later. The X-rays supposedly revealed no pneumonia. The doctor said both lungs were filled top to bottom. I can hear all the crackling. Stupid, stupid, stupid, X-ray people. I'm back on the same antibiotics and prednisone routine. The third round of pneumonia occurred nine months later. It took about 4 ½ months to recover somewhat. I had the same drug regime. The X-ray said no pneumonia. This time, the prednisone gave me every side effect in the book, including possible cataracts. My oxygen levels always go down, but I am able to bring them back up over the months. The body cramps from the prednisone are death defying. Yet anything less than 50 mg prednisone will not work. When I could not walk more than three steps and could not speak more than three words, my doctor still did nothing. My doctor does not believe in doing any blood work after I am better. She only believes in CBCs. How lucky can I get – not. Was this comment helpful?Yes
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Pneumonia - Symptoms
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Pneumonia - Prognosis
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Pneumonia - Treatment
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Pneumonia - Diagnosis
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I had a severe chest pain one day at work with lightheadedness and tingling in fingers. I had had a bad cold about two weeks earlier, but it had cleared up. The pain lasted about 15 minutes then subsided. I went home, ate a normal supper, took a hot bath and went to bed. Within one hour I was chilling all over my body and became extremely nauseous. I had no clue what was wrong and just endured all of this with a fever. I did not have a thermometer, but knew I was very hot. In the early morning we went to a walk in clinic. They thought I might be having a heart attack, due to the fact I am 53, a woman, and had had the chest pain, and had really no sign of a cough or anything. After blood tests and x-rays, however, it was determined I had pneumonia. They gave me intravenous IV antibiotics in the hospital and then let me go home with another antibiotic prescription. I go back to doctor in two weeks.