Following a week of the Flu some 4 weeks ago I then got Pneumonia, which I have now had for 3 weeks, and been taking multiple antibiotics and steroids. The hospital docs and GP said it will take me at least 6 weeks to feel better, once the actual Pneumonia subsides, but how long has it taken people to get back on the bike?

Ta

Hi FunkyDunc,

I spent a week in hospital with pneumonia years ago after coming off my bike and landing on the side of my chest rather heavy.

I’m surprised you’ve been having treatment for three weeks, that seem’s like a long time……

In my case I felt crap for about a month or so afterwards, but got back on my bike and rode gently etc.

I still worry about the cold getting on my chest, but might be a more mental reaction to my whole experience.

All I could advise, is take it very gentle you will not like getting out of breath and overextending your lungs is just not pleasant at all.

Hope your well soon.

Cheers

G

Hey Funky,
Medical qualified member here- infact currently developing a website for cycling health related topics as some advice on here and other forums, is mixed to say the least- like the advice to drink 5 litres of cherry juice a day to prevent gout!! Some pretty solid advice from gboarder though.
Pneumonia that follows flu is usually caused by different bacteria than if you have it as the initial infection, hence it would surprise me if the initial antibiotics were ineffective. With pneumonia, rather than bronchitis, the infection is not sat in the airways of the lungs but the flesh of the lung with is similar to a cellulose sponge in consistency.
Your main issue will be the time of year- although the forcast is good for the next week- the cold air. I personally would set up the turbo, doing 5-10 mins max at a gentle pace, when you start to feel upto it, and avoid cold outside riding for the next 4 weeks- your lungs will just hate the irritation and drying affect the cold air will have on their surface. The reason we give of water vapour from our breath, most obvious when cold, is the body’s efforts to humidify the air we breath.
Don’t try anything too hard too soon as often post viral/illness fatigue problems start after doing such things. Your body needs time to regain fitness.

parisroubaix – you sure you’re medically qualified? And I’m not meaning a 4hr first aid certificate here.

Yes I am.

Sorry my post should say that it wouldn’t have surprised me if the first antibiotics were ineffective, and which is similar in consistency-trying to type too fast!

I just ask as precribing treatment without knowing much more information than has been given with a condition like pneumonia is a mugs game.

I had pneumonia a few years ago and must say after the initial bit I really didn’t feel too bad at all- but when I visited the doctor for check-ups they insisted that I was still ill and should rest loads.

Think I was signed off work for about 6 or 7 weeks and I reckon I felt fine for 5 of those, I almost felt guilty for being off work. Almost.

Anyway I guess the moral is you should definitely tread with caution when it comes to recovery and listen to the doctors and not just your own judgement. Would be shitsville if you went out to soon and got another bought.

I had bad pneumonia a few years ago, it took me 1 week to realise, 2 weeks in hospital and 3 weeks to get back to work, even then I was in bad ways for another month or so.

However three months later I was doing Mountain Mayhem and had lost 2.5 stone in two weeks due to the pressure my body was under.

Zulu,he was telling me a lot more in the history than the words in front of you, but if you were not a doctor you wouldn’t realise that. I also didn’t ‘prescribe’ any treatment, that is for his own medical team, I offered advice on recovery, as have others, which is what he requested which has all been very sound. The reason I rarely bother to post on medical topics is that people need to see their Dr, and be properly examined, I posted solely to advise on recovery.
Get well soon Funky.

Thanks for all the advice. It’s all been a bit weird. Started getting the bad chest on a Sunday and deterioated very quickly, being stupid though I didn’t go to the docs until Tuesday. I was given 1 dose of antibiotics and told I should improve in 48hrs. 48 hrs later I was even worse and had to get family to drive me to gp’s. Was just told I would be Ok and to start taking another antibiotic and is be fine. Had a couple of very scary nights where I came close to calling an ambulance but thought GP knew best.

Antibiotics did improve things to the extent I didn’t need to actively think about breathing. However 2 days later antibiotics finished and I began to deteriorate very quickly over 12 hrs. Back to a different GP who was a lot more concerned and actually took some stats resting pulse was 120 (normally 60) oxygen saturation 95 and repertory rate 33. I am convinced the same stats a few days earlier would have been much worse. Anyhow straight to MAU at hospital. To be fair compared to some with Pneumonia I walked in (just) and wasn’t on deaths door,.but both the GP and close Dr friends al agreed that IV antibiotics would be the best course. Especially in a fit normally healthy 37 year old.

A farcical 10 hrs in MAU led to a consultant seeing me just before his shift finished saying that although my stats wern’t great and a blood test for some thing or other had come back high, he was going to send me home with yet more oral antibiotics.

Back at the GP today as antibiotics finish tomorrow , and I havent improved that much. He’s put me on more antibiotics for another week and a big dose of steroids.

I just feel in another week I may be back to square one again…

Think I’m going to have to be careful once I start to recover after any illness I get the rebound of feeling full of energy, I guess in this instance I need to ignore it and stay off the bike for a good few weeks..

Funnily enough I had the rebound just as I came out of hospital, felt great for a day then bang, another two weeks of recovery before I could even feel slightly good again.

I still have something wrong with one lung nearly 6 years afterwards, it bloomin well hurts if I breathe in too much, but the majority of the time I just ignore it.

Steroids made a huge difference to my recovery, although apparently I was on mega dose.

First day back at work yesterday and my employer is actually allowing me a phased return (shorter days).

Walking is still hard work, but I think I’m going to start trying to walk a short distance every night and build from there. Not going to get on the turbo for another couple of weeks at least though I dont think, and then take it easy.

The trick now is to keep the 1 1/2 stone off that I lost in a week, and try and set a race goal for spring time to get my fitness back up…

Anyone want to lease a brand new Giant Anthem that has been sat in the shed for the last 6 weeks??

Parisroubaix – Would it be possible to email you regarding further advice (not wanting dyagnosis, or treatment). I have been back to my GP who although helpful doesnt appear to be able to offer advice on exercise and recovery as I assume he is only used to dealing with elderly patients.

I think I have been clear of the chest infection for about 4 weeks now, and now just recovering from a cold, which as a positive I am very pleased that it didnt go to my chest so I am hoping my body is on the mend.

I kind of feel that I can start exercising now, but I just want to know if some of the responses I am getting when I push my body are normal post pneumonia, or if in fact I need to be more careful.

Thanks

A mate had a bad dose a few weeks ago, in hospital for a week or so, a month off work.
He’s been told not to do any strenuous exercise for 3 months!
And his wife is a cardio thorasic consultant so should know what she’s on about.

Chris – By exercise and oushing my body I mean walking more than 500 yds, beleive you me the thought of getting on a bike and cycling even 5 miles feels like years away at the moment. I walked from my office to the local sandwich shop yesterday which was a huge achievement for me.

Its a fine line between not pushing too hard and doing so little that your body actualy begins to waste away and then needing physio etc just to get back up to speed (ok thats the extreme I know)

All I want to do is gradually build up very ligh exercise on the turbo. As Parisroubaix suggest 5-10 mins at most (which to be honest would be the max I could do anyhow)

sounds about right.
I think my mate was severely ill.
He needed oxygen to be able to walk 5m from his bed to the toilet at one stage, and it took him several days to work up to that.

Speak to your doctor. Its a potentially serious thing and I wouldn’t be relying on folk off the internet.

My guess would be graduated exercise keeping to sort of 3/4 effort and not pushing yourself too long – however like all internet advice its worth what you paid for it 🙂

(Mrs Soulwood here)

Just read this thread with interest as I am 15 months into my recovery from Mycoplasma pneumonia. I was fortunate that my GP took blood samples to check for mycoplasma and diagnosed it. It is resistant to the antibiotic which another GP prescribed which means it went unchecked for even longer in my system, causing more havoc. People told me to rest and I did, for me, which meant walking around the park / moors with the children and avoiding mtbing.

Six weeks after the initial onset of the pneumonia and I was still unable to walk further than around the house and I was a moody zombie. My GP diagnosed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which has been caused by the mycoplasma.

I really hope you don’t end up going down the route I have. If I could have my time again I would have rested much more to let my body fight this ugly bug off, rather than fighting to keep myself active.

Some really useful advice I’ve had is to stop before you get tired, and take very small increases in exercise (i.e. increasing a walk by one minute at a time).

Since I’ve become ill I’m amazed at how many 30-somethings have had pneumonia and everyone says it’s a long process to recover. As for when you’ll ride again, worry more about getting better first, life without a bike isn’t so bad, although I do miss mine and hate looking at it all dusty in the garage when my husband comes home all muddy and sweating with a big adrenalised grin on his face!

sorry Funky, just moved house hence not been on www much- yes you can at andyakadebs at hotmail dot com

Funky dunc, youre not George michael are you, if so could you send me a refund for the tickets to your concert you just cancelled in lpool.

Ok.. when I got in tonight there is a letter waiting for me from the GP…

‘Following advice from the hospital I would be grateful if you could contact the Practice to make an appointment to see me’

😯

That to me says that the hospital have found some thing wrong and I need further treatment. I wouldnt have thought a hospital would contact my GP just because they want to say hello….

Am I over reacting?

Moving on – Basically went back in for a follow up chest Xray 2 weeks ago, and just got the results back today.

My lung still isn’t clear and theres a shaddow appearing on the lung. My GP had the results and said that there is nothing to worry about, but I need to go for another Xray in a 2 months time 🙁

I havent been well enough post Pneumonia, but for the last 2 weeks I have felt almost normal so going to go out on the bike for the first time in months tomorrow 🙂

Take it very easy if you do FunkyDunc, I was off my bike for two months, 3 cources of antibiotics & two years latter I am still strugling with the after effect of thouse drugs!

They messed me about more that the Pneumonia!

Hi Funky
Glad to hear you are getting better!
Make sure you get the follow up xray done, if there was still any residual shaddowing they may ask for a CT just to ensure they are not missing anything- unlikley as you are feeling better
Andy