Has anyone ever had a chest infection before? Need some advice!

[anxious_thoughts]

Hi guys,

On Sunday I got diagnosed with a mild chest infection that I've been feeling now for a whole week. I don't have much phlegm and if I do it's always clear. I'm coughing quite a bit. The doctors gave me antibiotics, I have to take my last one tomorrow. Altogether I've taken 5 pills and it doesn't feel much different. At the doctors office I had a bit of a fever but I haven't had one since Monday.

I don't really feel much change, I'm anxious and worried that the antibiotics aren't working.

I also feel it a bit harder to breathe. Which makes me nervous:( especially when I start to pay attention to it.

Overall, my chest constantly feels like that chest cold sensation you get sometimes. But this has been constant since last week Monday.

Any advice?! It's making me so anxious because I'm worried I have something more serious. :(

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Jen,

More than hot dinners sadly, I had years of them growing up with my asthma. Rarely thesedays though and always mild.

A 5 day course if often enough but if it's still thee your GP will probably either give you another 5 day or perhaps a 7 day course. Sometimes they just take a bit more of a kick. Mine progressed into needing steroid treatments and I was a child back then so don't worry if they decide to try something like that, it's just sometimes needed if the antibiotics aren't doing enough.

You usually find no benefit from antibiotics at first and then you start to feel rapidly better as they have halted the infection.

So, if your symptoms are the same as when your GP prescribed them, pop back down and they may just give you another. Usually a second course does the trick if the first doesn't.

Sometimes people are given temporary inhalers. It's unlikely but if they advise it, go with their advice because they will help your breathing greatly. Some can make you a bit jittery, something GP's tend to forget to mention, just in case you have one. I doubt this is likely though and it doesn't mean you are severe or anything else sinister, it's just sometimes a helper if they see you are struggling. Don't think asthma either, they don't treat us asthma sufferers with those types of inhalers and we only need them when we are sick or our breathing is restricted.

Don't think anything worse is happening, a daft thing to say on the HA board I know, but chest infections are very very common and especially at this time of the year. Unless you are old, a young child or have other serious health conditions, they are no more of an issue to treat than a cold.

[anxious_thoughts]

Hello Terry,

Thank you so much for replying. I am sorry for the late reply, was very busy with Christmas. Hope you had a great Christmas.. :)

I finished my 5 day course on Thursday and I currently still have the chest cold sensation which makes me want to cough (especially when my throat is dry). I took some cough syrup last night and it calmed down the cough. Early this coming week I'm going back to the doctors.

I'm very anxious about this because it's been over two weeks since I've had it. I thought antibiotics would work right away but I still feel pretty much the exact same since it started happening.

There's also isn't much phlegm and if there is it is always clear. I googled my symptoms and i read that bronchitis is something like this. I really hope it isn't anything else more serious. I'm tired of feeling sick all the time. :(

Thanks for the advice! I'm actually not having breathing problems anymore (so maybe the antibiotics are working).

I'm working with children at a preschool and I recently just started in October so I don't think my immunity is strong enough. Before this chest thing I had a cold, and before that a stomach flu. Absolutely terrible. It feels like I've been constantly sick since working there.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Jen,

Yes, thanks Xmas is going well so far, it was just very busy leading up to it. I hope this isn't affecting your Xmas too much and you can enjoy some of it at least.

Ah, I'm sure a few people on here will tell you how people who work in schools are sick a lot. My mum worked on junior schools for over 20 years and she said it was very common for someone to be off whenever there were bugs going around. It's normal in schools to these types of issues so all you can really do is get your flu jabs each year, catch things quickly & dose up and perhaps look towards prevention methods like vitamin C dosing over the day to keep those levels topped up.

You will likely find it gets easier the longer you work there.

Also, anxiety will impact on your immune system too so it can be a little lower from that and it's another good reason to look at your diet and any useful supplementation like vitamin C.

If you have a chest infection and your breathing improves, the antibiotics are helping. However, they don't work straight away and you usually see something change after a few days on them and then it can seem like a more dramatic improvement from there. Sometimes mucus can remain for longer anyway when infections are gone but your immune system will sort that with a bit of time.

Gargle with warm salt water as it will help to clean your throat and break up mucus there.