70 YO F with bronchiectasis - I developed double pneumonia 3 months ago and completed 2 weeks of IV antibiotic treatment in hospital and at home 2 months ago. Is it normal for recovery from pneumonia to wax and wane, to be "nonlinear"? I was getting better 2 weeks ago, the fatigue was starting to lift, I could do short walks and housework. Now the exhaustion has descended again and I just want to be on the bed. My oxygen levels are normal, I have no fever, no cough. Just extreme fatigue. I will be calling my specialist, but frankly I'd really like to hear from other people who had severe pneumonia. Did you get a little better every day never looking back? Or was it two steps forward, one step back? Did you feel like you were improving, and then felt the awful fatigue again? Many thanks for anyone's wisdom and experience!
Recovery from pneumonia: 70 YO F with... - Lung Conditions C...
Recovery from pneumonia
a few years back I spent 10 days in hospital with pneumonia, my consultant did tell me that it can take 2 years to fully recover, and as a lung infection can cause scarring I might not get back to we’re I was before I caught it.
More like one step forward and two back for me! It took a really long time to get back from it and as I got a little better I'd overdo it and shoot right back to square one. I had it five times over two years (don't know if double or single) followed by endless infections & antibiotics. The culmination is added to my asthma Small Airways Disease and CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) so now permanently chronically fatigued so I sincerely urge you to take very good care of yourself, be good to yourself and please don't overdo it every time you have that "wow I feel so much better today". Find ways to pace yourself .
You could do what I did, I took loads of tonics, vitamins and minerals because my immune system was shot to pieces and needed rebuilding over time. I even bought Manuka honey highest strength and took a coffee spoonful several times a day like a medication or on my morning toast then medium strength as I rebuilt. Now, years later I have local honey in the pantry for winter use, still take vitamins, minerals and supplements (to help with the fatigue as well as immune system). This was 2009-2013
One of the most useful aids I've discovered which works for me is a supply of effervescent vitamin c 1000mg. I drink some when feeling iffy (sore throat, feverish, coughing more & change in sputum colour) plus an antiseptic throat spray if throat is raw/sore and incredibly those prevent stop succumbing to infections. Some members use zinc lozenges.
I'm not suggesting that you have CFS for one moment, just warning that it can happen. My job was high stress which I'm sure didn't help (stress lowers immunity along with cigs, excessive alcohol, antibiotics and poor diet).
I hope this helps in pacing yourself, same for long covid recovery and if you suspect a chest infection dont hesitate to contact your gp or specialist
Great reply as always P. The first thing I thought was maybe Eoram25 might have overdone it. Recovery is not quick and it's important not to measure yourself against others who have had pneumonia. I think with exercise, quit while you're ahead. Don't carry on until you are tired/exhausted. And supplements are good, especially vitamin C (which sadly I can't take as it's dangerous for me) which along with zinc is very effective.
Ask your GP about a pneumonia vaccination - they are sometimes called lifetime vaccinations but lots here including myself find they need another one. Ive had two now, the last one in 2018 and if I get to 2028 I wouldnt hesitate in requesting another. Also are you prescribed azithromycin three times a week? This is frequently prescribed for ppl with bronch - also for those with severe copd. But with bronch, taking a small amount of antibiotic regularly counters the propensity for bugs to multiply in your lungs. Good luck with your recovery and take it gently. 
Thanks J, I forgot about the pneumonia vaccination. I had it finally in 2013 at annual respiratory review, the nurse read medical records and wondered why none of the GPs or hospital offered the jab. If they had my history & present could be very different. I take winter Azithromycin 250mgs and it's been a lifesaver for me. NICE guidelines used to be (dunno if it's changed) that all with bronchiectasis should be offered it along with bi-annual reviews, rescue prescription & sputum testing when necessary.
I'd hate anyone else to be hit with CFS! (With it I tend to waffle on I know). I worked like billio on Friday scrubbing winter algae off rendering & paving slabs, garden & house prep for valuation then Saturday in bed, half Sunday in bed and hopefully summoning up the energy to get going today. It's such a flipping drag.
I do hope you and Rita are doing well 🤗
Im good P, Rita not so much. She has a bad knee and in the process of trying to diagnose what is happening to cause so much pain. She has an xray on Friday - maybe arthritis, then probably a steroid injection. Crossing fingers. as not nice for her plus she likes to walk and is really missing it.
Never worry about "waffling" re the CFS - there will always be ppl with the same thing who don't know whether to mention it or not. Something like that makes it so much harder to deal with lung diseases. So on Friday you didnt take your own advice!! Hopefully you're back to normal now. xxx
Thank you for sharing your experience - I am sorry that the lung infections have been so hard. I did contact the pulmonologist and he says he does not think the reversal of my recovery or the extreme fatigue I am suffering have anything to do with the pneumonia I had.
hi Peege, Try to avoid honey. It aggrivates our throats.
I'm much the same as u.hit and miss during recovery frm bad lung infections.dont overdo it,slow down,sleep/ rest whn u need to.some people take probiotic after antibiotics.ilike to take suppleness to build immunity back up x
Thank you very much Patk1! Did you eventually recover fully or partially? How long did it take? I completed antibiotic treatment on March 2.
When my friend had pneumonia she was like this for over a year even though she had the pneumo vaccine she was very poorly. It seems like a long recovery and I would follow peege in taking supplements. As everybody says dont rush it and take plenty of rest x
Yes, it is very normal to have fatigue popping up like an unwanted guest at any old time. You’ve got it- one step forward, two steps back and on good days two forward, one back. It could be weeks, months or a year before you’ll feel your old self again. A good diet, sleep and happiness all help. Just be gentle on yourself. I had pneumonia four times and have bronchiectasis.
Thank you so much for this reassurance
I noticed you've joined us from the thyroid forum so a warm welcome to you. An added complication I'm sure.
As Patk1 mentions, a good probiotic is worth taking to counteract the awful effects off having strong antibiotics. They can help replace the good stuff in the gut/body that the abs kill off. Because I take 250mgs of Azithromycin on three days a week Nov - April I start taking a 20 billion capsule in October until at least the following May. I also ensure I eat pre & probiotic foods too (lists found online). Many of us here understand what it's like to be knocked for six by pneumonia &/or severe infection & the necessary antibiotics.
I've just thought of a young member Natswright who joined during the pandemic, she has a series of interesting posts on her slow recovery from covid and pneumonia. Hopefully you can find her by using the search bar. Again, welcome and good luck. P
It took me a long time to recover from pneumonia and even when I thought I had recovered, I still had 'do nothing' days, as I called them. I would get up in the morning and just know it was going to be one of those days when I didn't bother to shower and spent much of the day in my chair with my feet up.
On other days, I could get out of bed easily, put a load of washing on, lay up for breakfast and make a cuppa for my husband and myself before needing to sit down.
I didn't make any arrangements that involved going out before 11.00 am and asked for afternoon appointments when possible as, I never knew if I'd manage to get up in time or not.
I'd say it took me a couple of years to get past that stage as I was dogged with further infections so on antibiotics and/or prednisolone three or four times a year.
I'm now, relatively speaking, very well and am able to do more than I did for years. I am able to get up and get going in the mornings and I go out by 9.15am to go to my art group once a week, which would have been impossible to contemplate after the pneumonia.
As others have said, take it easy and don't push yourself too hard. Give your immune system support by eating well and taking supplements if they can be tolerated with any other meds you take now. Take gentle exercise, but don't push it!
When your pulmonologist told you they didn't think your fatigue was connected to the pneumonia, did they give any suggestion of what to do about it? Have you had another check up with a GP? A blood test would show up if you're still fighting infection and/or if anything is out of kilter eg iron or other deficiency.
I'm sure you'll get past it eventually, but it's a horrible thing to live with as it gets in the way of making even simple plans. Meanwhile, a check up wouldn't be a bad thing and may show up something that can be corrected.
All the best to you.
xx Moy
Yes, I’ve had it 3 times now and it knows the stuffing out of you, so please be careful and try not to overdo things. I know it’s difficult as when you are feeling better you want to do more but that’s when it knocks you back. Just take it in baby steps. I’m actually on low dose antibiotics now to try and stop me getting it, up to now it’s working as it’s been 2 years.
Take care
Wendy xx
Hi I sorry to hear you’re struggling. Did they do another x Ray or CT to make sure it had cleared? I had Pneumonia in 2019 in hospital for 4 days for IV antibiotics. After about a month I started to feel really unwell again & then had a high temperature & after visit to A & E the Pneumonia had returned or never actually went away so more antibiotics. It was 3 months later they found Bronchiectasis on a CT for monitoring lung nodules. They did a follow up x Ray 6 weeks later which still showed patches of infection although I didn’t feel unwell. The point I’m making is that it could still be present. As others have said try to pace yourself & take things slow. 🤞things start to improve soon.
I’ve had pneumonia a few times.
The best advice I worked out is when you feel good,don’t be tempted to catch up on the housework,just ENJOY the day.
We tend to want to catch up on everything,sometimes it’s not possible without tiring yourself out.
I hope you are feeling a bit better soon.x
I had people telling me I ought to get up and go for a walk. I ended up getting quite cross with the because it just wasn’t possible. You should. Go at your own pace and one day you will feel able to do things again. Do what your body tells you too.
Sorry to hear you have been so unwell it will take time to recover it takes some peaple 2 years for full recovery depending on the person I hope you feel better soon
Thank you so much. All of these responses have been so helpful!
I am pretty new here and don't know how to Reply All, but I want to thank everyone for their incredibly helpful responses and experiences. I was re-admitted to hospital for 2 days but there was no recurrence of the pneumonia on imaging and all labs were normal. I tried to tell the doctors that according to many many patient accounts I have read, this is the normal back and forth of recovering from a severe multifocal pneumonia. They weren't having it, they listen to textbooks not patients. They invented all manner of explanations for my symptoms, all of which were just plain unplausible. So I am home and I plan to: Take. It. Easy. I believe what happened was the long tail of pneumonia and I am going to respect its ferocity now.
Thanks again to all. This is a perfectly lovely forum. I wish we had one like it in the US.
Glad you raised this. I came looking for some advice on recovery from pneumonia and the responses you have had relate to me as well.
Mid April I got my daughter to take me up to A&E as I had pain in my right side when breathing, tbh I was going to drive but in the end I could hardly get into her car farless drove my own one.
In the week(s) leading up to that I felt 'not my usual crap self'. Having cronic asthma I can feel pretty bad at times, but this was different and couldn't put my finger on it, pure lethargic and couldn't do five minutes in the garden without being done in. Anyway, seen almost right away in A&E and xray within 20-25 mins. Into CAU and then into a ward. Followed by a CT scan the following morning. Diagnosed with Pneumonia and told that I had damage to my right lung, following day told it was worse than they had told me previously!
My infection markers were 200 although these came down over a few days thanks to the treatment I received. Antibiotics and diuretics straight into the veins, nebuliser four times a day, bloods every day as well as my usual meds. I was in for almost two weeks and to be honest felt some days better than I had for years...but...that was short lived. Since then I cough, cough, cough, get so tired at doing very little and at times get so frustrated by the slow lack of recovery. GP last week said it will take time, in fact many months before I recover. Just reading the responses has given me an insight and a bit of hope .
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