Meggie

[asker2]

I had a heart attack in 2006 and have 2 leaky valves I have been well since until the start od 2019 when I had an episode of Afib and was in hospital for a few hours as it resolved itself 2nd visit last April was in hospital and was found to be on too high a dose of Thyroxine this was reduced (75mcgs daily) and was well until 3 days ago .I got out of bed and felt I was going to faint. my pulse was rapid and irregular I spoke to GP on phone said I had a bug..next day I called NHS111 taken to hospital and diagnosed with a possible chest infection sent home witn antibiotics I am very fatigued and live alone don,t drive and wondering how long the fatigue will last . any advice from others who feel the same .

[JaneFinn]

Hi asker, I’m sorry I don’t think I can be any real help to you, but I did want to say hello and that I’m sorry you’re feeling so unwell. It sounds like you’ve been having a tough time.

I’m wondering if the hospital doctors this time did or advised anything about the AF you’re experiencing now? It sounds like they’re not too worried about that as they’ve sent you home, which to me is good news at least

Any one of the things on your plate right now (AF, chest infection, antibiotics, plus any other conditions you have) could be making you feel fatigued, let alone a combination of them. But I’m afraid it’s hard to tell how long that will last. If it were me, I’d be asking myself things like: ‘Am I feeling any better than I was, or am I feeling worse?’ And ‘Am I specifically worried about symptom, that doesn’t feel explained or understood by the hospital/GP?’

That would help me decide if I needed to ring my GP for advice.

I’m not sure from your post how long you’ve been out of hospital and feeling like this, but you shouldn’t hesitate to ring your surgery to talk to a GP if you’re at all concerned.

I’m sorry I’ve not got any helpful wisdom here, but sending love and hoping you feel better very soon. X

[asker2 in reply to JaneFinn]

Thank you for responding. I went into hospital on Friday and was sent home 4 hours or so later ...? Chest infection...I do feel moderately better ,so likely I am anxious as that is my personality ...I will take a day at a time .you have been very encouraging. Thank you 😊

[JaneFinn in reply to asker2]

That sounds promising And taking it a day at a time is a good plan - there’s comfort knowing if you’re feeling worse you could always ring your GP or 111.

Hopefully with some good rest and relaxation, the antibiotics will do their job and you’ll start to feel much better x

[irene75359]

I am recovering (slowly) from pneumonia and you may find the following helpful (from the NHS website)

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Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home with rest, antibiotics and by drinking plenty of fluids. More severe cases may need hospital treatment.

Unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise, you should always finish taking a prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you feel better.

If you stop taking an antibiotic part way through a course, the bacteria can become resistant to the antibiotic.

After starting treatment, your symptoms should steadily improve.

However, how quickly they improve will depend on how severe your pneumonia is.

As a general guide, after:

1 week – high temperature should have gone

4 weeks – chest pain and mucus production should have substantially reduced

6 weeks – cough and breathlessness should have substantially reduced

3 months – most symptoms should have resolved, but you may still feel very tired (fatigue)

6 months – most people will feel back to normal

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I have finished my course of antibiotics but am still having to have a sleep every day and have so little energy. I have copied the above, not to make you despondent but to alert you to the fact that it can take a long time until you feel back to yourself. This is my fourth bout in two years so I am an old hand at it now! I would hasten to add it has never taken me six months, I felt back to completely 'normal' after a couple of months.

Hope you feel better soon, my best wishes.