Chest Infection and plagued with doubts

[hazy]

I went to the Doctors on Tuesday and was told I have a chest infection.

Since being prescribed Amoxicillin I have felt a little better but I plague myself with doubts of "what if's". When I have a bout of anxiety the left side of my face is really hot, this is hard to make me establish whether it's anxiety or because I'm unwell.

My symtoms of the chest infection were a cough and I was coughing up green Phelm, I generally felt unwell with a temeperature which made me go to the Doctors. Since then I am coughing more but my anxiety is through the roof?? Can anyone tell me what I should expect from a chest infection, should I be coughing more? Any reassurring replies would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Mello]

You need to think rationally, how long is your course of antibiotics? It might take as long to feel better. You need to distract yourself with things you like doing and try to get plenty of rest. That is when your body heals itself, which is all you need to give it chance to do. Maybe try some meditation? :hugs:

[hazy]

Thank you for replying, regrettably I only took 2 days off work and so it's hard to take it easy.

Why is it so difficult to accept that I have a chest infection, why do I doubt that it is this and assume it's much worse. Although I'm not coughing constantly, when I do cough it leaves me with a pain in the centre of my back, this makes me think alsorts.

[hazy]

So, a week on and although I don't feel ill anymore I'm coughing more and sorry to be gross, but I'm coughing up green phlegm, is this normal, shouldn't the amoxicillin have got rid of this??? Obviously I'm getting worried about it now

[axolotl]

Chest infections can be very persistent, and often antibiotics don't work until right at the end of their course. Even then you may have to go back for a longer course or some stronger stuff, which is only an indication you have a tricky infection that needs a bit more zapping.

If a doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't be.

[hazy]

Thank you, I'll see how it goes, I've 2 more tablets to take today and then that's it, hopefully it's just me being over anxious

[StephA]

Most chest infections are viral, unless it's pneumonia. Is it pneumonia that you have? If it's just bronchitis, chances are it's viral, so antibiotics wouldn't help that anyway. I had a horrible head cold and chest cold that started about 12 days ago and I'm still coughing up stuff. I didn't go to the doctor because I've had it enough times to know what it is. Try not to worry unless you have a fever. My doctor told me that when you have a chest cold/bronchitis that although you may feel better in a couple of weeks that the cough can last for 4-6 weeks. Anyway, if you spike a fever or feel bad speak with your doctor.

[hazy]

Thanks StephA, to be honest I'm not familiar with this kind of illness. I saw the Nurse and not a Doctor, she listened to my chest and said she could hear crackling and I had a slight fever, the problem is I can't tell if it's anxiety or my chest. I've no head cold, it started when the dip in my throat felt sharp, then I started to feel really rough, but again I couldn't tell how much was anxiety and how much is a cough or similar. The mere mention of Bronchitis or Phneumonia terrifies me. I suffer in silence with my anxiety as no one around me gets it, they think I'm just be a hypochondriac and need to get a grip ��

[StephA]

Bronchitis isn't anything to worry about. I have it at least once every year. It's an inflammation/infection of the bronchial tubes. You can have it without having a head cold. I've had it enough to know I don't need to go to the doctor for a diagnosis. I have a rattle in my chest and cough up stuff and run a mild fever for a few days but I've never needed antibiotics. Like I said most of the time you just have to let it run its course because it's viral and not bacterial. If you only had a slight fever I'm betting this is exactly what you have. I'm not sure where you live, but a nurse in the U.S. isn't authorized to prescribe antibiotics. I'd be more concerned about taking antibiotics that are not needed! More than one doctor has told me that most (98%) respiratory infections do NOT require antibiotics. That includes upper respiratory infections (colds, sinus infections and sore throats), and bronchitis which is basically the same thing as a chest cold. Pneumonia is a different story but you would have a high fever and be very sick if you had that so no worries there. Unnecessary antibiotics are creating big problems such as antibiotic resistance otherwise known as super bugs, as well as C Diff. Anyway, it doesn't sound like you have anything serious but you should rest and drink plenty of fluids.

[hazy]

Thank you StephA, wow you know your stuff :)

I live in Yorkshire, England and it was a Practice Nurse I saw who is classed as better than a standard Doctors Practice Nurse and is allowed to prescribe, but I won't be seeing her again, she doesn't have a very good manner. She listened to my chest and heard as she described "a slight crackle". I finished the course of Antibiotics yesterday and today I feel a bit tight chested and still coughing from time to time, my face feels hot but I think that's anxiety as opposed to temperature. I go for months without any Health Anxiety issues but when I become unwell I go into overdrive and panic myself.

My symptoms today are that in the dip of my throat mainly and it feels tight and scratchy if that makes sence and when I breath deeply I wheeze a little to the left upper breast bone area, plus when I cough I'm coughing up thick green mucas (sorry for grossness).

Thank you for your comments it 's really helped.

[hazy]

Hi,

So it's been 3 weeks since given a course of antibiotics for my chest infection. Last week I started with a terrible head cold and I'm still blowing my nose and coughing up phlem (sorry that's grim). Today I feel rough, headache and really congested, I've never had a cold like this before where basically I've been unwell for almost 4 weeks!!! Obviously my anxiety is making me paranoid and worried, do I go back to my Doctor or just sit tight?