Covid-19 Pneumonia Recovery

[sleepycocoa]

Hi again,

I want to thank everyone for their replies on my last post, they were all helpful. Last week I went back to my GP and she again referred me to A&E - I stayed for the night on oxygen and the next morning they told me they believe I had COVID-19 (I believe it was covid pneumonia?) as they could see ground glass opacities in my lungs. They said it isn't 100% that and it could be any other infection but they are treating me as a positive case.

I was sent home with 8 days of doxycycline and was given stronger inhalers. Tomorrow is the last day of my antibiotics and I'm concerned because, although I am able to calm down my breathing and coughing better, I still don't feel like I've really made any progress and I'm worried the antibiotics haven't worked. I still can't sleep on my side/back and I still can't walk around my flat without struggling to breathe and coughing. When I google pneumonia recovery it says it can take weeks for the coughing/breathless to calm down... is that the case here? How do I know if the infection is really gone? If I have to go back to A&E again I think I'll cry...

Sorry for (another) long post but I was wanting to know if anyone else had experienced this or had any advice? To be truthful it's scaring me a bit and I cannot contact my GP until Wednesday.

Thank you all.

[2greys]

If you had Covid-19, then recovery will take even longer, perhaps as long as 6-12 weeks. I am at 8 weeks of recovery, with an additional chest infection last week and still have a long way to go yet to get back to where I was pre-infection. Were you given any steroids tablets to calm down the inflammation?

[sleepycocoa in reply to 2greys]

Unfortunately I wasn't, I was only given the antibiotics and inhalers

[2greys in reply to sleepycocoa]

Time to phone your GP and ask for to speak to a doctor (probably a phone consultation) to express your concern with ongoing symptoms. If you are wheezing then you must tell him, as that is usually a sign of inflammation.

[Jamesmum]

Hi there, from what I hear, the recovery period is quite drawn out... You may be rid of the Covid but it's the damage it does whilst you have it that rakes it's toll and draws out the recovery... Sorry wish it was better news, but you can be made more comfortable during your recovery so get on to your GP and insist on maybe increased steroids or similar to ease the inflammation... Good luck xxx

[anng18]

Hi Sleepy,

In January, after 2 lots of doxycycline, I had to see my respiratory nurse, who brought in the advanced nurse practitioner, as my breathing was so bad. I was given a double dose of doxycycline and a 7 days course of steroids. It worked, although it took a further 3 months for my breathing to return to my 'normal'!