Pneumonia??

So I went back to my GP despite her trying to send me on a Costa del NHS holiday. She now reckons I've got pneumonia, but I'm really not so sure - 1. I'd have thought I wouldn't have been walking to the GP if I did and 2. I've have the pneumonia vaccination so it couldn't be could it? Is she just trying to scare me into going to Costa?

I had a chest X-ray at the walk in centre and have to go back to the GP for the results tomorrow morning. What exactly is pneumonia and how is it different to a 'normal' chest infection (which I'm on 2nd lot of antibiotics for) - and how do they treat it?

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Hi Ratty

The vaccine doesn't stop you getting Pneumonia but as my consultant told me it stops you dying from it. If you look on NHS choices website it explains what it is.

Catherine

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Yes, you can get pnuemonia after a vaccination. I know someone who has had several and still had ITU admissions with pnuemonia etc. Also know someone else, walked into GP who sent them straight to A&E for good reasons it turned out but they wanted to go shopping.

Sorry don't mean to scare you either but it can be quite serious. Not sure exactly how it is different to a chest infection but think pnuemonia is in alveoli i.e. deeper into lungs and chest infection more in bronchi. It often shows as white areas on chest xrays.

anyway, hope it goes ok tomorrow with the GP and you feel better soon

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pneumonia

ratty you can get a 'walking pneumonia', one example is mycoplasma pneumonia where you are actually looking pretty OK considering how poorly you are. Very common in kids. I've noticed women and young people are very good at plodding along quite happily with a pneumonia and either coping or compensating really well before crashing. I've nursed pneumonias of varying degrees, but no matter how well you are it's not to be taken lightly.Good luck with your X-ray and hope you feel better soon x

[Skee-skee]

The Pneumococcal vaccine helps prevent infections caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumonia can cause a variety of infections including pneumonia.

Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of different bacteria, viruses, fungi etc.

This means the vaccine only protects you against one particular type of pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumonia.

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I had pneumonia at the beginning of the month, and was walking around nice and fine, and it was only noticed when i landed in costa and the docs did a random sputum test just to make sure and it came back as me having it...they then decided that the pneumonia had potentially been getting worse and worse in my body over a few weeks which is why i eventually went splat and landed in costa. The only way i would even possibly know I had pneumonia rather than a bit of stroppy asthma is the pain i was getting in my back/chest area...other than that, i woudlnt have noticed a difference!

x

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I think Charlie, it's pretty much as you describe, it's been looking like my asthma's been getting worse and not responding to the steroids as normal, so now I know why, but hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick. Got the pain you describe which is possibly the worst thing actually because it hurts to breath anything other than shallowly, and that's obs not too good for me.

She said I also had something else beginning with P (an actual 'p' sound) but I didn't note what it was and can't remember which she said was something to do with the inflamation in the lungs and chest walls and pain too - anyone know what it might be?

Got to go back tomorrow (that's it, broken my record for GP visits in a week!) but she's okay with me not being in Costa for now which is a huge relief.

Thanks for all the information here - I learnt a lot I didn't know and thanks for the suggestion of the 'Choices' website - didn't know about that one and there's lots of info there.

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Ratty, remember not to get yourself into a nasty habit with breathing to shallow as the docs will pull you up on not breathing right and will start nagging you for that next lol...the pain is intense and worse if your cough, i hate it!!

I think the 'p' word your looking for is pluresy (i cant spell to save my life) but i think that is an infection type thingy within the chest wall section area part...i would defenitly look it up though as to be honest i think im rambling ... just know that it is also painful and a pain in the bottom!!

i think id rather be at the GP lots that in costa to...theres a poster up in my GP surgery saying, us GP's are here to help, visit us as much as you like ... prevent unnecessary trips to the hospital!

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I had pneumonia with pleurisy when I was 8 months pregnant with our second daughter. When I saw my GP he listened to my chest and then peered at me and said you look far too well!! I remember that at the beginning it didn't feel that much different to a chest infection and I distinctly remember going to Tesco and doing some shopping! I think i did get much worse after that but its all a bit of a blur now (13 years on).

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Ratty, nothing useful to add as I know nothing about pneumonia of any sort, but just to say I hope you are getting better and haven't landed back in Costa!