Baterial Pneumonia

Updated on May 26, 2010
L.M. asks from Meriden, CT
6 answers

Hi Mamas,
I was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. My doctor has me on strict orders to rest, rest, rest, and on antibotics and an inhaler and less than 24 hours and I'm feeling much better. Has any else experience this? How long did your recovery take?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you all so much for your advise. After experiencing side effects to the medication and a short set back, I'm taking things very slow.

More Answers

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Do the rest like your doctor says. My son had pneumonia in March (he is 11) and we kept him out of school for a complete week, then restricted him from exercise (karate class) for another week after that. He felt WAY better after 2 days at home... but it didn't take much for him to become winded. The thing was... HE wouldn't notice he was winded. I noticed it when he would sit down beside me and be breathing was faster/louder than he should have been for the activity level he was at.

Your body needs to recover. Take it EASY. For a MINIMUM of a solid week. Maybe do a little bit the 2nd week.. but still stay at less than your normal activity level-- no trying to catch up everything. It's not worth a relapse.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Columbus on

2-3 WEEKS! Stay in bed, hire someone to clean your house, get someone to watch your kids. Get that rest, you will be down again (and soon!) if you don't just take it easy. If you do that for a couple of weeks at least, you will be fine.

Even if you feel lazy because you feel fine laying down, don't get up. The lungs take a very long time to heal, and you will know it if you don't let them.

Get well! Take it easy!
M.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

even if you feel better, your body still has to recover... and you can get a relapse. So be conservative in your recovery. Do what the Doc says.
My Mom had that once, and it can really get complicated if you don't rest/recover as prescribed. And you don't want to end up in the hospital.
Your lungs... takes time to heal, full strength.

1 mom found this helpful

K.C.

answers from Dallas on

i had that in april 09 and i tried to jump the gun when i started feeling better. because i didn't rest like i should have, it ended up lasting almost 8 weeks.... (and got worse after i overworked myself) normally, 2 weeks is it...

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Seattle on

I get pneumonia every winter I'm somewhere damp (like Seattle). The antibiotics help a LOT with recovery time. As is 2-4 weeks instead of 2-3 months. (personal experience... I only go to the doc at this point, I'm so durn used to it... if the fluid is 2/3's of the way up my lungs or my fever won't stay below 103. Most years now I get mild cases, and it drags and drags. But since I usually don't have health insurance the $2500 bill for apt. lab work & meds is just out of my reach.)

I say 2-4 weeks because (especially with Zithromax) the fluid level drops dramatically and I start to feel a lot better BUT doing "too much" will bring on a relapse in that time period (and doing to much can be as little as walking around the house cleaning it) AND because it takes awhile for my lungs to get tip top again. Even when I'm back to normal activity (about 2 weeks in)... I still tire faster, and if I do too much it brings on a coughing spasm.

Whatever you do though... FINISH the course of antibiotics, or if you goof and do too much... you'll be S.O.L. as far as the meds helping, because you'll have created an antibiotic resistant strain. Which can take months to heal properly.

C.

answers from Hartford on

Hi. My husband had bacterial pneumonia last year. The symptoms came on suddenly and he was actually rushed to the hospital by our general physician because of the low oxygen levels. He was in the hospital for three days, but once the antibiotics started, he felt better within the first 48 hours. The bacterial strain is very different from the viral which can take up to two weeks for a recovery. The bacterial, however, is far more serious. Eventhough my husband felt fine coming home after three days, the doctor recommended a limited routine for the next week. I don't know how badly your lungs were affected, but eventhough you feel better, it takes time for them to heal. I would recommend avoiding anything that physically exerts you for at least a few weeks so as not to strain your lungs. Good luck,
C.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions