UKC

Has anyone on here had pleurisy before?

I was diagnosed with it on Wednesday and I've now finished 5 days of antibiotics.

Went to the doc this morning as I still feel terrible who said that the pleurisy has cleared up and what I have now is acute post viral fatigue, and that I may feel like this (like I've been run over by a bus and my chest is in a vice) for 3 weeks.

Anyone got any words of wisdom or advice? I've never had anything quite like it...

In reply to Jus:

My wife has had it as well has sever asthma. It leaves her susceptible to any chest infections going around.

However she does now play squash at over 50s level for England and just completed her first olympic length triathlon - if that's any consolation.

In reply to Jus: Had pleurisy and pnuemonia about 25 years ago, from memory it was a long recovery.

In reply to Jus:

I had it last Christmas! Very very painful. Took until the end of March to feel fully recovered and have no chest pain. Just eat healthy and look after yourself and go with it. Also consider taking a good course of tablet form probiotics that helped me recover.
Hot water bottle on rib cage area offered me enormous relief. Being quite fit helped to recover so quickly I had a very unfit cousin for who it went on for months and months.

Take it easy,
La Sham

In reply to La Shamster:

Such complete bollox it is. Just as I was climbing as hard as I ever have - this happens. I can't believe it might take months to feel normal again.

After the infection cleared up did your chest continue to hurt?

How long was it before you could cycle again?

In reply to Jus:

Had a prolonged chest infection that led to Pneumonia that has permanenetly damaged my lower right lobe. Pleuresy featured in the origional bouts and was unpleasant and painful. like pulling velcro apart (the Pleuritic rub).

Infections that deep can, as others have observed, are not to be taken lightly, and can take a long time to get over, so look after yourself.

If this is you first episode I'm guessing you may recover and not be subsequently vulnerable to chest infections, but you need to be certain it has cleared....prolonged chest infections are a very bad thing.

My 'condition' makes me prone to chest infections, so I am very aware of my chest. The upshot is that when I am well, I am pretty healthy,(by any standard). But I can go downhill quite quick.

So, do everything the medics say, and at the end of the treatment if you aren't certain you are 100%, be a 'pest'go back to your Doc and get it sorted.

Regards,

Steve

In reply to Jus: I had it as a child and remember excruciating pain and being treated with Kaolin poultices.

In reply to Jus: Pleurisy is a pain -- literally!

I had it almost exactly 3 years ago (age 63) -- I thought I was having a heart attack - it was so painful. We had visitors that weekend, one of them was a nurse, and she thought I was having a heart attack! If that was just pleurisy I certainly don't want to have a heart attack! I had 3 days in hospital - and a good course of antibiotics sorted it out. I was back on the turbo after about a 2 weeks, but just took it gently. Within 4-6 weeks I was back to normal Sunday club runs of 60-80 miles. Fortunately I was pretty fit aerobically to start with, am a non smoker and not overweight so was able to make a quick recovery. Many people are not so fortunate.

In reply to Jus:

A friend who's smoked for years had it earlier this year, and she felt tired for quite a while afterwards. Circa a month and a half or so I think, perhaps a little bit longer.

Sadly she's still smoking.

If you're not a smoker you'll probably recover more quickly.

curious that you (OP) say that you had antibiotics but then had post viral fatigue

In reply to owena:

I'm going to get a second opinion tomorrow.

I'm more than just fatigue. I barely take a few steps without having to stop to get my breath back.

In reply to Timmd:

thankfully I don't smoke.

can't imagine anyone smoking after having this!

In reply to Lord of Starkness:

I don't feel like I'm going to be back on the bike in 2 weeks, walking more than a few steps is tricky right now...

In reply to owena: Disagree, it makes good sense to me. Fighting a severe bacterial infection (hence the antibiotics) compromises your immune system thereby making you more susceptible to viral infection.

In reply to owena:

I was thinking the same, but as pleurisy is a syndrome not a particular diseases it can be bacterial although it is most often viral.

The fact that there was a response to the antibiotics is possibly more telling.

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:
But unless it was cultured you don't know if there was ever a bacterial infection.
My best guess is that no cultures will have been checked and the antibiotics were prescribed as a stab in the dark because of the potentially severe consequences of waiting for them.
I don't know this to be the case and I also don't know what the GMC recommended but as a micro/molecular biologist I'd say this isn't ideal but reasonable and OK so long as the op finishes the whole course of antibiotics and the cultures are checked eventually.

In reply to Jus:

It's damn addictive...

In reply to gethin_allen: Agreed. I'd hazard a guess there was enough in the history to be confident of bacterial, e.g. sputum changes?

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:
Sputum, I love that word, it ranks with flange for words that sound like they should be rude.

In reply to Jus: pleurisy is a symptom I.e. It hurts when I breathe in doc. Not a disease i.e. Pneumonia.
Your doc needs to know what your disease is.
Minimum tests chest x ray if you are short of breath. Consider strongly blood tests and sputum sample to microbiology.

In reply to Jus:

Not had pleurisy but do have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME following virus last december. Originally diagnosed with post viral fatigue, I pushed too hard to get back to work and have ended up a great deal worse (squeezed out every bit of energy I had for a phased return than a month full time and have been off about 5 months since). From someone who's learnt the hard way please LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Simple things like eating regularly even if you don't feel like it, drinking plenty and sleeping to a decent routine (although I don't fully agree with 'no naps' - if you need to sleep sometimes you just need to sleep!) helps you feel as well as you can do. I know the run-over-by-a-bus feeling very well and it's not nice; hope you feel much better soon.

In reply to Jus:

Sorry only just re-visited this post. I started the antibiotics on New Years Eve 2012 and still suffered chest discomfort when coughing till beginning of April 2013. However I started cycling again sometime around February and did a very cold 65 mile Sportif at Longleat mid March.

La Sham

In reply to La Shamster:

I also was suffering with exercise induced asthma for several months prior to getting ill and I was given an inhaler which really helped me while I was getting better. Don't even use it now.

In reply to La Shamster: I found breathing in the steam from a kettle seemed to help with the little bit of exercise induced asthma I had.

I think that's what I had...I started wheezing after cycling in the cold at least.

In reply to Jus:

I must just have been lucky - but I did struggle to get around for a few days after finishing the antibiotics. When I did start riding again it was slowly and gently for about a month before I felt like trying a longer ride with the club -- most Sundays they don't take prisoners!

In reply to Jus:

Just as well I did get that second opinion.

After going to a different GP on Weds morning he told me to go straight to A&E.

I've been in hospital since in the CCU cardio ward with pericarditis. They're still not 100% sure if it's viral or bacterial. Should know soon.

And to think all this started with a common cold 15 days ago!

In reply to Jus:

Wow, just as well you went back! At least they should be on top of it now.

Stay positive and get out of Hospital soon.

Take care,

Steve