Lung infections.

[Lealee]

How long does it take for chest pain to disappear when you have a lung infection?

I started antibiotics on Wednesday but the pain doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

Also am I right in thinking that a lung infection is pleurisy?

[Hidden]

Sorry Lealee it takes a while..how many days have you got? Do you have steroids as well? why don’t you phone the BLF helpline for advice..or your surgery..

Do rest, plenty of fluids and a hot water bottle for the pain xx

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

I have steroids in my rescue pack but the GP only gave antibiotics when I went. Paracetamol doesn’t do anything for the pain and when I lie down it’s really bad. Unfortunately I can’t take time of work x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Phone in tomorrow to say you start on your steroids rescue pack.

If it is pleurisy I strongly advise you not to work..x

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

I’ve only taken the steroids once but they didn’t work and I ended up in hospital. What are they supposed to do?

I’ve got to go in tomorrow but I’m considering booking the rest of the week off x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

They are anti inflammatory, will dry out the mucus so the antibiotics can get in there and do their work. Better to take them when you are on antibiotics.

If you had taken them on their own they wouldn’t have killed the bacteria..

What do you have 40mg a day??

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Are you breathless? Try to phone your respiratory nurse first thing and get advice..

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

Yeah, I’m getting out off breathe quicker than normal x

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

The steroids are 6 in the morning.

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

I have steroids in my rescue pack, saw a new dr and she just gave me antibiotics

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

So that is 30mg a day not a high dosage..it will also help with breathlessness maybe she didn’t notice you had rescue steroids..do phone for reassurance x

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

It seems impossible to get through to a dr, when I called to make an appointment a week ago the first available app was 2 December! I had to go as a walk in and wait around x the specialist said to start steroids and antibiotics when I feel an infection. It’s just hard to tell when I have one. I thought I pulled a muscle and had a cold at first x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Do you wheeze, do you feel/ hear fluid on your side?

Yes it feels like we pulled a muscle but it is the infection..

Sound advice from your lung specialist..mine said the same but we doubt of course we are not doctors..

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

Wheezing a little, it feels like I’m not getting enough air in if that makes sense? The GP said she could hear my lungs bubbling and crackling...

I’ve been to the dr before thinking I had a chest infection and they said they couldn’t hear anything and it made me feel like I over reacted.

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

If you can’t get an urgent appointment go to A&E after work..don’t risk any complications..xx

[Knicho in reply to Lealee]

Mine can never hear the infection so have to take my word for it based on other symptoms so if you feel you have one you may be right.. I have so much other noise in my lungs the infection can’t be heard 😂

[Lealee in reply to Knicho]

I’ve noticed some don’t even go to your skin to listen to your chest, the one today listened through a vest and thick shirt!! I offered to remove the shirt and he told me he had a special stephascope (excuse the spelling)!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I went to A&E last time I had pleurisy..I was teaching French to my night class after a whole school day and there was a GP in there. I was coughing and holding my side so he said to me you go to A&E after class, I think you have pleurisy..imagine teaching from 7 to 9 pm, taking the bus to the Chelsea and Westminster..by the time I got home it was past midnight I was exhausted.

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

Last time I had pleurisy the chest pain was so bad I couldn’t take a full breathe, GP told me to take 8 steroids and if I didn’t feel better in 6 hrs to go a&e. I got admitted and put on a nebuliser, stayed overnight and the took artery blood which bloody hurt!

I’m lucky I’m a 5 minutes walk from the hospital! I could imaging getting the bus!

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Ok so you know the score..glad you are close to the hospital!!! Yes the night bus on top of it..I didn’t move for a week..

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

I’ll start my steroids tomorrow and see how it goes. It comes in very handy living so close as I’m very accident prone lol 😂 I hate London nights buses! I’m considering booking time off and properly resting x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

I’m glad you’ve got them handy..yes you do that..hope you get some sleep. Take care..keep in touch xx

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

Me too 😊 I’d love a good night sleep! Take care x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Thank you Lealee xx 😊🤗

[O2Trees in reply to Hidden]

It actually is possible to pull a muscle if you have an infection Fran - from coughing so much when your body is frail. Even possible to fracture a rib, happened to me. It can take about 6 weeks for the pain to totally go. I think if it hurts more if you laugh or sneeze then the pain is likely to be muscular, but then Ive not had pleurisy.

[Hidden in reply to O2Trees]

I’m sure..difficult to judge..

Lealee has already been diagnosed with pleurisy which is why I thought she’d better get checked..

I had pleurisy twice, awful side pain but also noisy you can hear the fluid..sometimes needs draining..

[Hidden in reply to O2Trees]

Sorry O2Trees, Just noticed you had fractured a rib it must have been very painful. Hope you are fully recovered xx Fran

[O2Trees in reply to Hidden]

The rib injury was years ago Fran, so done well healed now, but thanks for the thought x

[Hidden in reply to O2Trees]

Xx

[O2Trees in reply to Hidden]

And xx to you too

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I thought it was originally a pulled muscle and I told the Dr that but she said it was a lung infection. I hope I haven’t fractured a rib I’m only 36 so defo not frail yet lol!

I’m going back to the Drs today, sleeping is an issue now because laying down is too painful, I have even taken today off!

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Glad you took today off. Better to get it sorted..hope the doctor is helpful xx

[O2Trees in reply to Lealee]

Horrible, hope it improves asap Lealee

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I’m taking the steroids now, the Dr said He thinks I’ve bruised or inflamed my chest wall. I have no idea what that means but he’s given me codeine so that I’m more comfortable and can sleep. And of course lots of rest x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Take good care of yourself Lealee x

[O2Trees in reply to Lealee]

Possibly bruising could be caused by your coughing? And being inflamed is generally part of any infection we get I would think.

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I think from the coughing, it’s extra mucus to struggle to clear so I cough too hard I guess 😊

[O2Trees in reply to Lealee]

We all risk doing that Lealee. Has anyone mentioned Active Cycle of Breathing to you? I might have missed this above. It's a form of physiotherapy you can do yourself to help manage mucus clearance. It uses huffing, a much gentler way to bring up the mucus. You can find ACB demonstrations on youtube.

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I’ll have a look, willing to try anything! The coughing makes me light headed. Thank O2Trees x

[O2Trees in reply to Lealee]

This is standard managment technique for managing bronch - someone from your healthcare team should have mentioned it to you. x

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I’ve only had one group session at lung physio to be honest I was pretty freaked out, I was much younger than the other people and some had oxygen. I was supposed to have a one to one appointment but there’s a massive waiting list c

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

You told the doctor you started steroids Lealee?? Just thought you should check with your pharmacist or BLF tomorrow as codeine represses coughing and steroids will loosen the mucus I am not sure they should be taken at the same time..

At least you can have a good sleep tonight xx

[Lealee in reply to Hidden]

I told him but I’m not sure he was fully listening (and he was coughing and sniffling). I’m just going to take the codeine at night so that I can sleep. Not really a fan of pain killers but I’m not good without sleep lol x

[Hidden in reply to Lealee]

Ok good idea xx

[O2Trees]

As I understand it, lung tissue itself does not contain nerves so can't feel pain Lealee. Pain is from infection or inflammation of membrane surrounding the lungs, the pleura, i.e. pleurisy - or it can come from intercostal muscle strain. If you're worried have a chat with your GP - phone appointment if necessary. Or call the BLF as suggested by HL - 03000 030 555 office hours.

[Lealee in reply to O2Trees]

I would have been on the antibiotics for 7days Wednesday so if I’m still in pain I may go back to the dr or call BLF.

Thanks for the advice x

[Knicho]

Hi

I've finished 14 days of antibiotics this week and I still have pain when I lie down and when I cough I think it can take quite a while to clear up especially if you've had a bad infection and coughed a lot! Wold still go to your GP though x

[Lealee in reply to Knicho]

The pain lying down is the worse, it’s hard to get comfy and then I move in my sleep and it wakes me up. X