Anyone had pneumonia?

[Redfox]

Get ready for long cat.

I've been really sick for the last week and a half or so. I've been to two doctors and 2 trips to the ER before getting any answers.
The first time I went to the ER I was given fluids on IV drip, steroid injection, and medications. My tonsils were swelling shut and I couldn't breathe or swallow. 102.4 fever blah blah.

They sent me home, and I went to my regular doctor for blood work follow up and a check up. I've got some other health problems going on, and I put off getting it taken care of and following up on tests. Anyway, I passed out while getting blood drawn. Guess not eating or drinking for 5 days will do that. I was brought to another ER again, and they sent me home saying there's nothing they can do.

I go to a fourth doctors opinion and it turns out I have pneumonia, some type of throat infection, and a virus of some sort. The original ER who did treat me the first time gave me meds that won't treat what I have.

I am now on a different medication(s) as far as treating what I have now.
I was told I may need to be admitted (to hospital) to get IV fluids within the next two days because I cannot swallow.

I had a few questions as far as how the second trip to the ER, they didn't do any CT Scans (I got one today), they didn't give me medications, did not give me fluids, chest x rays, or bloodwork, despite my primary physician asking them to having passed out at their office.

Is there any negligence on their part for sending me on my way and completely blowing off diagnosing me? Even attempting to look at what could be wrong with me would have been helpful. Instead they sent me home and told me to essentially drink water (very well knowing I was on an IV before because of the inability to swallow.)

The other question is if anyone has had pneumonia, and how long does it generally last? Is it reoccurring?

It wouldn't have been such a huge deal that they misdiagnosed me but they didn't even really examine me, and ER trips are expensive. Any thoughts or experiences with this type of thing would be highly appreciated.

[Jean]

Do you have insurance?

[gr8skyr]

Had it, and recovered. Ex-wife got it and died from it, along with sepsis too. Suck man. Noting to sneeze at. That really sucks because your first mis, or undiagnosis literally could have killed you. You need to get on something like levaquin or similar really nasty antibiotics it sounds like. Although those are really terrible too. I got shoulder tendinitis as a side effect when I took just a five day course of that nasty, synthetic antibiotic that doesn't break down in your system because i'ts man made!

Sorry, enough about my past woes. But when I got it I was sick for a week, got better, then really went downhill and was coughing up some bloody phlem, so I was scared and doc said I had a "good" case of pnuemonia, Good meaning bad. So got the Levaquin. Pharmacist said it was the strongest you could get before going into hospital. But sure hated the tendinitis. A guy local contracted Stevens=Johnson Syndrom from Levaquin injection for pneumonia, a one in a million complication but it was nearly fatal for him and he's pretty incompacitated.

But like the fatality story with my ex, what are you going to do, not take a pill? She went to ER and they told her to take some antibiotic and if she wasn't better in 24 hours, come back in . She didn't improve, went back to hospital right away, and died 24 hours later.

So it's nothing to mess with, and you may have a malpractice case, as you described your symptoms I would have given you a chest x-ray immediately, and I'm not even an MD! You should consult an attorney, but first focus on getting well.

After your symptoms improve, they should want to see you again for a follow-up x-ray to confirm your pnuemonia has totally cleared up. I haven't had it again, but it was only just over a year ago I got it for the first time. And it's apparently contagious too! I heard from my MD that if you are coughing you are contagious, so keep your peeps at distance.

Hope you get well soon!

[Redfox]

Had it, and recovered. Ex-wife got it and died from it, along with sepsis too. Suck man. Noting to sneeze at. That really sucks because your first mis, or undiagnosis literally could have killed you. You need to get on something like levaquin or similar really nasty antibiotics it sounds like. Although those are really terrible too. I got shoulder tendinitis as a side effect when I took just a five day course of that nasty, synthetic antibiotic that doesn't break down in your system because i'ts man made!

Sorry, enough about my past woes. But when I got it I was sick for a week, got better, then really went downhill and was coughing up some bloody phlem, so I was scared and doc said I had a "good" case of pnuemonia, Good meaning bad. So got the Levaquin. Pharmacist said it was the strongest you could get before going into hospital. But sure hated the tendinitis. A guy local contracted Stevens=Johnson Syndrom from Levaquin injection for pneumonia, a one in a million complication but it was nearly fatal for him and he's pretty incompacitated.

But like the fatality story with my ex, what are you going to do, not take a pill? She went to ER and they told her to take some antibiotic and if she wasn't better in 24 hours, come back in . She didn't improve, went back to hospital right away, and died 24 hours later.

So it's nothing to mess with, and you may have a malpractice case, as you described your symptoms I would have given you a chest x-ray immediately, and I'm not even an MD! You should consult an attorney, but first focus on getting well.

After your symptoms improve, they should want to see you again for a follow-up x-ray to confirm your pnuemonia has totally cleared up. I haven't had it again, but it was only just over a year ago I got it for the first time. And it's apparently contagious too! I heard from my MD that if you are coughing you are contagious, so keep your peeps at distance.

Hope you get well soon!

Oh my god. I am so incredibly sorry about your wife. That is the saddest thing I have heard in a long time. My heart and soul go out to you. I cannot begin to fathom or imagine. I hope you are okay and your/her family has had time to heal.

The doctor I was at today was very angry they didn't take any further steps to investigate it. She said had I continued to be treated with the wrong medications and I had not been diagnosed I could have died had it gone untreated. I started tasting blood in my throat, especially when coughing some. I explained this "heavy bubbly" feeling in the upper part of my lungs and it was ignored. I'm on some pretty heavy antibiotics right now. The steroid injection helped immensely with the right tonsils swelling.

I do have insurance.

I am again so incredibly sorry for your loss. My heart hurts for you.

[F34R]

Had a cat get it once, cat died.

[Threehz]

I almost died as a kid from it, but I do not remember any of the experience except waking up in bed at the hospital occasionally. I think I was there for a few weeks.

[89is]

mine lasted for over 2 weeks, high fever, coughing up blood, etc. From what I remember them saying its one of those ailments that if you get it once you're more susceptible to getting it in the future. Hopefully this helps, and get well soon its no fun to have.

[gr8skyr]

Oh my god. I am so incredibly sorry about your wife. That is the saddest thing I have heard in a long time. My heart and soul go out to you. I cannot begin to fathom or imagine. I hope you are okay and your/her family has had time to heal.

The doctor I was at today was very angry they didn't take any further steps to investigate it. She said had I continued to be treated with the wrong medications and I had not been diagnosed I could have died had it gone untreated. I started tasting blood in my throat, especially when coughing some. I explained this "heavy bubbly" feeling in the upper part of my lungs and it was ignored. I'm on some pretty heavy antibiotics right now. The steroid injection helped immensely with the right tonsils swelling.

I do have insurance.

I am again so incredibly sorry for your loss. My heart hurts for you.

Thanks for the kind words and sympathy. It was a long time ago, so it seems like another life ago in a way. When I recall it all, I remember it clearly, but in a way, somehow I think you compartmentalize your life to some degree and it in a wierd way seems like that chapter closed and I have another life now. I'm remarried, and have a kid with w2 so life goes on and is good. Thanks again.

[BrodyE30]

Had it for about five weeks in spring of 2011, and I'm afraid I can't say much about it that will be reassuring. One of the shittiest times of my life.

That wet, bubbly feeling in the top of the lungs and the slight bloody taste with cough are exactly what I had before going to the doctor. What really made me finally go in to get checked on was that one night I was hanging out with several friends, and my body temperature just kept dropping to the point where I was wearing my warmest winter coat indoors (in April) and still violently shivering.

Luckily, the clinic place that I went to did chest x-rays right away and got the right diagnosis. Unluckily, they only gave me antibiotics for it (rather than the steroids, which I'm told work much better), and it took weeks to clear up. Sickest I've ever been -- at night I would constantly swing between shivering cold and high fever, so I never slept for more than an hour or so, and everything I tried to eat tasted terrible. I lost almost a pound a day for the first month.

I couldn't even take off work because the manager at my job had just quit, and I was the only one in charge. It was normally a commission-based job, but between running the place and being sick as a dog, I had no time to sell, so I was coming in with pneumonia just to make base pay (which was minimum wage).

Fun fact: I kinda think I got it from working on my E30...symptoms started right after I ground out the booster hole in my firewall, during which I wasn't smart enough to wear a mask. I think inhaled dust/metal started the whole thing, although I have no actual medical explanation that backs that up (nor one that contradicts it).

[evandael]

once, when I was a teenager. it resulted in a 104+ degree fever. yes, that felt awful.

[willworkfore30s]

Pneumonia can sometimes be very hard to diagnose. A little over a year ago my mom went into the hospital with symptoms similar to yours. My step father and brother are both general surgeons, both of them as well as her primary care physician examined her and she was sent home I believe with some prescriptions. A couple days later she was back in the hospital. Almost immediately she placed into an induced coma because she was fading fast and she really needed to give her body some relief and get some rest. For the first 3 days nothing we tried showed signs of improving her condition on CT's and chest x-rays.

On the 4th day we saw her chest was clearing and tried to bring her out of the coma and it didn't work. Same thing on the 5th, terrible things to see and experience. On the 6th day we were able to get the tube out and bring her to consciousness. At this point all we knew was that her condition had improved but not what had caused her symptoms in the first place.

This all happened during the exam period of my senior year of engineering school. I had to leave to make my final exam before the meds wore off enough for her to be able to remember me even being there. I was at school preparing for exams when she was admitted the second time. We all spent 6 days staring at hospital monitors and freaking out every time her heart rate dropped too low or something of that nature. On the next day after she had gotten a lot better and was up and calm and speaking, the doctor's finally decided that it was a severe pneumonia. That was about the 4th diagnosis they had come up with in the process.

Point is, its not always easy to diagnose, several other lesser illnesses share the same symptoms. And it is not something to take lightly. It can cause serious issues and can definitely escalate quickly. There were at least two times during my mothers ordeal when it seemed her chances of not coming back out of it were greater than her chances of recovery. Its a good idea to find a doctor you trust when you are not sick so you have someone to go to when you are sick and don't have the ability to shop around.

Best of luck to you. I hope you get it sorted out and get well soon.

[Cabriolet]

I had pneumonia in spring of '04 and would hands down be the worst thing that has happened to me. I'd rather have a compound fracture than have pneumonia again.
i now have have asthma, cough all the time and have a hard time breathing sometimes.

I was misdiagnosed and sent home with aspirin from my first trip the the ER. a week later i wasnt strong enough to get out of the car when i got to my class and just barely made it back home without falling asleep at the wheel.

to know if you have pneumonia the doctor just listens to your chest. you will also know bc you will be coughing up the nastiest tasting shit ever, of these little white and green balls.

I got it from the pool at my college. ran 105-106 fever for 10 days, was hospitalized because i could not walk any more. 2 weeks of meds that make you feel like shit. took a week of being on those to walk again. it took 2 months for me to be able to run again. i was out of breath from just walking for 6 months.
9 years later and it still feels like there is water or sludge in my lungs.

[10Toes]

Did you catch this from Greg?

[Redfox]

Did you catch this from Greg?

Among the bodily fluids swapped, they were not responsible for my illness. Bad enough I got asked about 10 times if I was positive I wasn't pregnant.

[gr8skyr]

Just checking in with you. How are you recovering? Hope you are feeling better man!