how long is it before there is any improvement in meningitis

[brendamay12]

[kel80]

Would love to know the answer too xx

[daffodil]

Sorry -cant answer this -depends on what type and how severely ill you have been and of course ,we are all different in our recovery times.Viral meningitis seems to get less "smpathy" from medical professionals,but from what Ive read here some are just as severely affected afterwards.I had bacterila M. and septicaemia and am very lucky to be here .

Meningitis Trust helpline may be able to advise you and will give all sorts of ongoin gsupport -counselling,1-2-1 contact,grants for equipment or therapy.

From my own experience of bacterial meningitis I am still affected badly ,nearly 5 yrs on,but not everyone is.Many make full recoveries -though these people dont tend to be on forums as they are busy living their lives again fully!

You will find lots of encouraging stories here,also some upsetting ones,but it helps to know others have been through similar experiences.We may think our own experience is bad,then we read someone elses and feel humbled to be complaining!

Do keep looking on forum and on MT website forum also.

[Vespalover]

I had Viral Meningitus and it has taken 6 months to feel nearly normal but still get very tired, struggle to control my body temperature and am yet to start ecercising again as headaches when I overheat.

[Gra661]

Yes we would all love to know. There no set rules and it would depend on the type of meningitis you have had. From my point of view having had viral meningits I hate to say it it takes time. I contracted it in Jan 2011 was in hospital and off work for 5 weeks before a phased return to work under strict orders to rest. Rest is the key word. As for the blinding headaches and pains they do subside in time. I do still suffer from time to time with emotional things and a weakness to my left side, but i feel that I am one of the lucky ones who didn't have it too bad.

Never over reach yourself always and I mean always take your time and you do improve. With me 18 months on there are still times that you feel awful, but its your body that will always tell you what you can and can't do.

As daffodill says keep looking on the forum its surprising what you can find out and at the end of the day we are all here to help each other.

[paul1224]

i had bacterial meningitis 23rd November 2003 still having physio and hydrotherapy now

plus lots of other problems

i also would like to know the answer but just taking one day at a time

i feel lucky i am still here my docs are always saying i died twice so keep going and just dont rush the steps

[sophiesicknote]

No clear answer..having read about the many different experiences of others, and my own, no two people seem to have the same timeline or rate of recovery.

Your symptoms will reduce but to what degree only time will tell but they do improve, vm better than bm.

I had vm Jan 2011, Was hospitalised twice and had severe headaches, tinnitus, exhaustion, memory loss, phototropism and acute noise sensitivity for many months. These slowly diminished but I have been left with some symptoms; however these are managed through good diet, rest, recognition of triggers and managing the triggers (no more loud nightclubs or music in car for me!!!).

A key factor in helping me has been raising the awareness of my family, friends and colleagues to the long term effects of meningitis...through this forum and the meningitis trust, (helpline, website and literature are brilliant).....knowing that there are others out there who know exactly what it is like (if u can't see an illness can't be there attitude I've had the misfortune of experiencing..) has been reassuring and also helped immensely.

The best advice I received...be kind to yourself.

[MNClaireD Partner Meningitis Now]

Just to confirm really, what many of you have said. There is no specific time-frame for recovery and no two people will be the same.

Recovery depends on many factors, for instance, the type of meningitis you have had, the severity of the disease, your own body’s recovery process and whether you have any chronic or underlying health conditions.

Some people may make a full recovery within a few weeks from a mild case of meningitis. In many cases, it is more likely to take a number of months and sometimes years. During this time, the after-effects usually improve and most people do go on to make a good recovery.

For a few, the after-effects of meningitis may be long-term, requiring support and adjustment.

We are often asked “how long will recovery take” on our helpline. One of the difficulties we have is not being able to give a definite answer. If we were able to tell someone, with certainty that they would feel back to “normal” within xxx weeks or months, I think it would reduce a lot of the stress.

Best wishes

Claire