Pneumonia question!?!
Question: My husband was diagnosed with pneumonia on Wednesday. His doctor prescribed him an antibiotic and he's been taking daily but he's not getting any better.
Is this normal? I was thinking maybe the whole recovery process with pneumonia and antibiotic is that it has to get worse before it gets better. But I'm just really worried about him. He's always out of breath (his dr gave him and inhaler for that) he's always congested (dr told him not to take anything OTC for that nor did she precribe anything) and he gets bloody noses at least twice a day. He tried taking a bunch of different cough syrups to help with the coughing and congestion, but nothing is working. Do any of you have any suggestions as to what he could take to relieve some of his symptoms? Thanks! :)
Answers: My husband was diagnosed with pneumonia on Wednesday. His doctor prescribed him an antibiotic and he's been taking daily but he's not getting any better.
Is this normal? I was thinking maybe the whole recovery process with pneumonia and antibiotic is that it has to get worse before it gets better. But I'm just really worried about him. He's always out of breath (his dr gave him and inhaler for that) he's always congested (dr told him not to take anything OTC for that nor did she precribe anything) and he gets bloody noses at least twice a day. He tried taking a bunch of different cough syrups to help with the coughing and congestion, but nothing is working. Do any of you have any suggestions as to what he could take to relieve some of his symptoms? Thanks! :)
Pneumonia is a complex disease. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or chemicals. Assuming he had no serious chemical exposure like form a laboratory disaster, the infectious kind is most likely.
You doctor prescribed an antibiotic to treat the infection. It will take a few days for him to start to feel better, so his current experience is not alarming. However, if it gets worse he needs to been seen right away, at an urgent care clinic or even the ER. If by Monday morning he is not getting better he should call the doctor and tell her; she may want to see him that day. If she doesn't, I suggest seeing a different doctor. I am uncomfortable with the suggestion that he not take anything for congestion. Did you mean chest congestion or nasal congestion? Nasal congestion is treated with psuedoephedrine, which can make his heart beat faster or raise his blood pressure, which is [problematic if you have certain conditions, including compromised lungs. If you meant chest congestion, most medics would have him take guafenesin, AKA Mucinex, to help him clear the mucus and germs from his chest.
If the pneumonia is viral, no antibiotic will help. Again, if he is not getting better in a few days he needs to be seen again.
Pneumonia can progress quickly, so be very vigilant. If he gets worse, go to the doctor right away.
As always, he needs to take in lots of fluids to keep the secretions in his chest thin. Thick secretions make pneumonia worse or at least prevent it from getting better as fast as it can. He should strive to double his fluid intake over what he normally drinks.
Good luck.
Well, hate to go against medical advice here but from someone who suffers with chronic bronchitis and asthma with the occasional pneumonia in the mix, I would say he needs to take Mucinex. The Mucinex will thin the secretions. You really do not want to STOP the secretions. He still needs to blow them out or cough them out, but thinning them will give him some symptom relief and allow him to stop coughing, which will allow him to get some rest, which is what he really needs. A little chicken soup wouldn't hurt either.
My mom get Pneumonia all the time, normaly she just gets worse before she gets better. Maybe just let him rest and call the doctor.
pneumonia often takes quite a long antibiotic regimen before the patient gets better... He won't feel better right away, just give the meds time.
What is he on, anyway?
Since pneumonia is so severe, it can last for weeks. It's horribly uncomfortable, and because it makes the sufferer feel so horrendous, it's also difficult to sleep....adding exhaustion to the mix. Because I have asthma, I've had pneumonia multiple times (mostly as a kid) and it's never pleasant. As far as congestion goes, you could try making him some tea, which could help. If you look online there are many websites with cough-remedy teas, etc, that might help out.
If you are concerned he is simply not getting enough air though, I'd recommend taking him back to the hospital. It's certainly your right to do that. Also, if you have concerns I'd recommend calling his doctor because he/she will have more information about how antibiotics and pneumonia work together than yahoo-ers. :)
Hope he is feeling better soon. Best of luck.
Since you didn't say what ATB he's on, then it's difficult to say. Some ATB kill bacteria, and some simply change the composition of the bacteria so they cannot replicate. Sounds like he could be on Zithromax??? If that's the case, then it will take a while before feels better. Pneumonia can be very uncomfortable. Follow you doctors advice, and keep using the inhaler to help ease breathing. Prop pillows behind his back so that he's semi-upright to help aide in ease of breathing. Give plenty of clear fluids. There are not many OTC medications that will help. Try a cool mist vaporizer as well. He will start to feel better soon. Don't forget that men can be big babies when they are sick!!!
If he is lying around in bed all day this will not improve his condition. He needs to rotate in the bed every hour or so and get up out of bed if possible.
His nose bleeds may just be dried mucus membranes. He can use a saline spray to moisten his nose.
Pneumonia is a pain in the a**. I know because I have had it more than once.
It takes a while for the antibiotics to start working, and he's going to feel miserable for a while. If the doc told him to not take anything OTC for the congestion, then I would say follow her instructions, but call her on the phone and ask if she can call in a prescription someplace for a drug she does approve of him taking.
Did they, by chance, put him on steroids? They have always done that with me, to help with the inflammation in the lungs (I also have asthma, but it's generally very well controlled--I haven't used my inhaler in the last year because I haven't needed it), and it helps quite a bit, at least in my experience.
For the nosebleeds, he can get a saline spray from the drugstore. The reason he's bleeding is because the mucous membranes in his nose are all dried out.
For the general congestion, you can have him try steam treatments. All you need to do for that is boil water so it's steaming, put it in a bowl, and then have him put his face over the steam and cover his head with a towel. He will be inhaling the steam, and that will both moisturize those dry tissues and help with the congestion. He will probably find that after a steam treatment, he is able to cough up a lot of gunk, and also blow his nose and get rid of a bunch of mucus (if he's got it in his sinuses, too).
Other than that, the best thing really is bed rest and lots of fluids. It's harder to breathe when you are lying down, so get a bunch of pillows and prop him up in bed, or have him sleep sitting upright in a comfortable chair or recliner (if you don't have a recliner, get something which he can use as a footstool in a regular chair, so he can be comfortable). If he is in a recliner, remind him to not recline all the way when he sleeps.
Warm tea with honey can help with the coughing. I remember very well those painful coughing sessions which brought up bloody chunks of gunk. Getting it out of your lungs is good, so let him cough during the day if it is productive, but give him tea and honey at night so he can get some sleep.
Other than that, there's nothing much to be done other than just be patient and take his meds and wait it out. It is a miserable infection, but he will get better.
Be well.