Pneumonia

T

therecanbeonlyone

Semi-Pro
What are your experiences and recommendations for recovery from pneumonia? I am on my last day of antibiotics now (huge improvement day by day). I have follow-up chest x-rays tomorrow, so I'll be able to get medical advice then.
However, I have heard people say they came back too early and caused themselves to get sick again. I certainly don't want to do that. But, I was playing so well before I got sick...
If it matters, I am 6'3" 185 and 33 years old. Otherwise healthy and a non-smoker. Also, I don't really work out at all other than tennis.
How long did you sit out? How slowly did you work your way into tennis?
 
C

charliefedererer

Legend
Come back slowly.

Your first time out, just hit for a short time.
Listen to your body.
Do you feel like crap either playing or after you finish?
Then you need more time off.

Second time out - lengthen the hitting session only another 5 or 10 minutes.

Slowly lengthen the sessions until you feel really recovered.

Then, and only then, get into a match.

In a match, our competitive juices take over, and we will do some crazy things, only to pay for it over the next few days.

So come back slowly.
 
T

therecanbeonlyone

Semi-Pro
It was bacterial pneumonia with red/pink phlegm. The antibiotics made a world of difference day by day. It has now been 16 days since I got sick and just yesterday was the 1st day I felt strong all day. I still haven't gained back the weight I lost (8 pounds).
I think I'll be extra careful and not do much activity for another week to 10 days. Then I'll go hit for 30 minutes and see how I respond before upping my workouts.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
Antibiotics sterilize the pneumonia but some fluid and cells can remain in the lung for weeks; there can also be some scarring in the lung tissue as well that will take at least weeks to shrink down. So completing the course of antibiotics does not mean the whole pathological process is fully resolved. Come back slowly.
 
P

Posture Guy

Professional
ollinger said:
Antibiotics sterilize the pneumonia but some fluid and cells can remain in the lung for weeks; there can also be some scarring in the lung tissue as well that will take at least weeks to shrink down. So completing the course of antibiotics does not mean the whole pathological process is fully resolved. Come back slowly.
Click to expand...

This.

I had a bronchial thing that got misdiagnosed, was about 20 years ago when I was around 30. Turned into a bad case of pneumonia to the point where I had to be hospitalized and put on IV antibiotics for 3 days. Before it hit I was running, doing 15 mile hikes with 8,000 feet of elevation change, playing tennis, etc... This thing? A half mile walk would kick my butt. Do not push yourself past threshold, just take what your body gives you and give your body time to full heal.
 
T

therecanbeonlyone

Semi-Pro
Thanks, everyone. This is exactly what I need to hear. I know I have some dumb tendencies and without your reminders I run the risk of overdoing it. I have more chest x-rays on the 28th, so I won't do much before then. I'm considering hitting for about 30 minutes the weekend prior to those x-rays, but that would be my first "workout."
 
P

Posture Guy

Professional
I'd start with just walking and see how that feels. Don't get back on the court, even for a light hitting session, until you can walk for 30 minutes without fatigue or discomfort.
 
C

charliefedererer

Legend
therecanbeonlyone said:
Thanks, everyone. This is exactly what I need to hear. I know I have some dumb tendencies and without your reminders I run the risk of overdoing it. I have more chest x-rays on the 28th, so I won't do much before then. I'm considering hitting for about 30 minutes the weekend prior to those x-rays, but that would be my first "workout."
Click to expand...

We're tennis players.

We all overdo it.

At least you are smart enough to realize you could be overdoing it by returning too soon.
 
T

therecanbeonlyone

Semi-Pro
Update:
I took my follow-up chest x-rays on 3/28. Results came a week later in the form of a written report. The 2 sets of x-rays (initial and follow-up) were just over a month apart. My issue in the lower left lobe was clear and the issue in the upper right is "nearly clear" with no follow-up recommended.
I hit for an hour on 3/30, which was my first workout of any kind other than light walking in over a month since I got sick. Then I played a few minutes of a basketball game on 4/1 and a league doubles match on 4/2. Everything felt pretty good and I didn't tax myself too much. Then on 4/6 I played a league singles match and won it 3 and 2 without any physical trouble.
So, I think I am back. I'll still try to keep points short and make sure to sit on changeovers and otherwise eat and live a healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for your pointers and warnings.
 
LuckyR

LuckyR

Legend
One thing that I experienced which suprised me, though does not correlate exactly to your situation. For bad bronchitis (not pneumonia, at least active pneumonia) I shortened the recovery by at least 50% by going on a long run. True, I spit up a lung or two during it, but that clearance made a significant improvement in how I felt immediately and as I said, made the rest of the recovery a relative breeze. Of course I was at the point of turning the corner on the bronchitis at the time of the run.

Good luck.
 
r2473

r2473

G.O.A.T.
LuckyR said:
One thing that I experienced which suprised me, though does not correlate exactly to your situation. For bad bronchitis (not pneumonia, at least active pneumonia) I shortened the recovery by at least 50% by going on a long run. True, I spit up a lung or two during it, but that clearance made a significant improvement in how I felt immediately and as I said, made the rest of the recovery a relative breeze. Of course I was at the point of turning the corner on the bronchitis at the time of the run.

Good luck.
Click to expand...


Everyone knows that HIIT is better for recovering from bronchitis than long, slow, steady state running.
 
D

dman72

Hall of Fame
Be very careful with this. Around 3 years ago I ended up with a bad case of Bronchitis...which was probably borderline pneumonia..that I didn't really take proper care of for 3 weeks. I was coughing up tremendous amounts of green mucus for weeks.

I finally went to a walk in place, the guy said I had "all kinds of junk in my lungs", and I went on AB's. I was better within a week.

The problem is that now I've had about 4 more bouts with bronchitis, where as I hadn't had it once for about 15 years prior.

Do not rush back into it. You will get your stamina back eventually.
 
F

Frank Silbermann

Professional
I recommend long, hot baths. As hot as you can tolerate, and when you get used to it, make it hotter. (But make sure you don't pass out.) And take probiotics (e.g. yogurt) to restore your good bacteria that was also killed off with the antibiotics.
 
Topaz

Topaz

Legend
Red/pink phlegm? Did anyone say anything about pulmonary edema?

I don't have anything to add to the excellent advice Charlie federer and ollinger have given you.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ yes, long hot baths by all means, to find out if you have multiple sclerosis as well. Some neurological conditions are known to worsen in the heat, and the "bathtub test" years ago was recommended by neurologists as a cheap way to find out if you have MS. Mild neurological symptoms would worsen as you sat in the hot tub.
 
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