Riding after a chest infection/bronchitis

Day six of suffering with the worst chest infection I’ve ever had and finally starting to feel a bit better.

It’s been a week and a half since I rode a bike. Keen to get back at it as soon as possible, but I don’t normally get chest problems so dunno if I need to be more cautious than when resuming after my more usual vomit or poo-based bouts of sickness.

Still coughing (NHS website advises this may last more than another week), but fever pretty much gone and aches subsided too.

Anyone got experience or even medical wisdom to share?

If it’s the one doing the round at the moment watch out. I’m into week 4 of it with limited bike time, and although I seem to get better, breathing in the air in a biking scenario subjects me toa bought of coughing.

Gp says there is nothing to do except wait for the cough to subside, and if necessary using sometching like Lemsip max tablets to reduce the symptoms. He also take care of battering my immune system to avoid getting something similar again during the recovery phase.

I’ve been off the bike for 3 months! Started with a chest infection with a cough, rattly chest and very short of breath at times. Took me ages to shift. Was giddy with excitement one Sunday , about getting back on the bike the next day for a commute in, only to wake up with a cold. Which just seems to have gone from bad to worse. Absolutely disgusted with my immune system!

If you ignore it and it gets worse you can end up with a heart infection and heart damage. BUT thats worse case scenario for someone whos either immune comprised or has lead for brains. Go out for a very light spin if your feeling better and ease back in to it, itll help ciruculation ans get rid of some of the gunk . If you find out it makes you feel like death turn round go home,just dont push it.

Thanks guys, even if it’s not all that encouraging.

I can tell the infection is on the way out now thankfully, it’s been a wretched week though.

Sounds like the best plan is to start gently and go by how I feel, rather than commit to anything too ambitious.

Sounds like the best plan is to start gently and go by how I feel, rather than commit to anything too ambitious.

which is what I’m supposed to be doing, but its hard to hold back…

…despite the fact my chest infection turn into costochondritus after my breastbone got infected in August, I should really know better…

Hope you guys get better soon by the way, should have said before.

Bit self absorbed at the moment.

I find that I don’t really shake off chest germs until I’m active again. Usually start with a few brisk walks, then throw some gradient in, then get back on bike.

I feel for you iwluap, I am in my 4th month!
thing is I am not coughing up and crap or anything, (it did start that way) Doc think it is to do with my very mild asthma (exercise induced) so given me 2 new inhalers that doing bugger all,
I have been starting to go out on the bike for a few very gentle spins just to get fresh air and get my cycle “fix”
I am waiting for a xray just in-case it is something worse

Be careful chap, I did just that through bronchitus and ended up with pneumonia which caused sarcoidosis!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pneumonia-recovery-any-tips

2 months now. The initial infection subsided so went back onto the bike with bad results. A dry cough that won’t shift and now onto second course of antibiotics.
I’d say be careful and ease back in slowly.

Feeling the collective pain. Been off for about 6weeks now, ruined everything planned, not touched bike and have missed Stockport 10miler and looking like the Lancaster half is not going to happen either. Everytime I feel getting somewhere its knocks me back out. Have taken a week off work to just chill and hopefully its done the trick. Healing vibes to all.

Jesus, there’s loads of you out there. Healing vibes indeed.

Are you all just suffering lingering chest problems or still in full-on mode?

I’m still getting night fever (night fever!) and coughing 24/7, but the headaches, complete lack of energy and random sores are improving now.

Walking the dog was alright but strangely even though it was a perfect frosty winter day I have no desire to ride at the moment anyway.

I had a shocking one in April just as No.2 was born, it just wouldn’t ahift, the lack of sleep and running round after a 3yr old didn’t help either. One day when I was feeling particularly rough I decided to have a hot bath to sweat it out. After 20minutes in there I got out and promptly lay on the floor for 45minutes so the wife booked me a doctors appointment. Turns out a temp of 39.9, a HR of 110 (normal is 55) and SATS of 93 pointed straight at pneumonia!! The doctor said he suspected I had it and would admit me if I hadn’t improved in 2 days, thankfully I did. But only slightly, it took 4 weeks after that for my temp to drop gradually to normal and 4 weeks fort resting HR to get back to its normal levels.

On the bike it took me until this October to be back to pre illness form (granted I solo’d mayhem and came 40th) but I coudltn push at all for the best part of 3 months after I started feeling better. Then mid October I was nailed for a week with a cold and I’m getting back to full fitness again now.

Hopefully it’s all gone and 2015 will be a far better year

Hopefully I stay well this year

I’ve had one for 2 months! Went out today, I’ve never seen so much phlegm and snot in my life. I do feel a bit better for it though.

Almost a month off on the bike now 🙁 on-off colds/fever/ and chest felt like endless phlegm inside …might just ride next year.

Went against advise here last sept iirc riding brecon beast while in bad man flu and coughing all the way …was hell and extended my manflu for another week and half.. Never again.

Still nobody who’s made a quick and hassle-free recovery then.

😕

I had that chesty cough. It lasted several weeks, and still had it when I did the World Solos 24 Hours in October.

After 14 hours I was hallucinating and totally spaced out and had to stop. Unfortunately any hopes I had of “burning it out” were in vain, and the cough got worse and stayed with me right up to last week.

I’ve learned my lesson and only done light rides since then.

Only trouble is I now have the ‘Puffer in 4 weeks and no miles in my legs. I’ll just have to build a lighter bike. 🙂

My chest makes a noise like a creaking door when I lay down – even when I’m not even breathing! And my toddler son is exactly the same.

Never known anything like it.

epicyclo – fat bike with helium in the tyres?

Mine kicked in end of October, rode last Saturday for the first time since and rather stupidly I’m racing (and I use the term loosly) Cx this Sunday.

chakaping – Member
…epicyclo – fat bike with helium in the tyres?

Carbonium frame, forks, bars, seatpost, and rims. I’m hoping to be riding a bike that weighs under 40lbs for once. I’m getting too old and frail for this stuff. 🙂

IIn about an hour I should be racing in my second race ever, having enjoyed the first race a few weeks ago.

but I’m not. I’m in bed with my daughters cold. Came on full force last day of term as I was stood there waving the boarding students away, excited about the weekend of riding.

No my lungs are full of sandpaper, snot is dribbling out my nose, and I’m doing those weird smelling shits I do when I have a cold.

Gutted is not a word I use very often, but that is how I feel.

I got up at 5am this morning thinking I might go and give it a go anyway, by 5:30am I realised that was stupid and I have a holiday to worry about as well.

I feel all your pain. Plus side for me is it’s 18 degrees here in the mornings so at lest nice and pleasant.

I’ve woken up with a more nasal like cold than I had, on top of the previous.

Altough due to the ice on the roads I’d abandoned ideas of a road ride this morning, I was going to do a light spin on the Turbo. I think now I just have to admit defeat and pack it in until after Christmas. I’m really demotivated tbh, I was on the up and up performance wise until September, now I’m in the doldrums. Others have worse issue though it’s worth remembering.

Chakaping you sound like you should see a doctor tbh.

My boy’s been to the GP and he said there’s loads of it about, see if it goes in a couple of weeks. So fingers crossed.

A little break from the bike might do me good, but I’m gonna struggle if its a long one.

Good luck oldgit – sink or swim eh?

I rode through a chest infection when I was about 40. I was very fit at the time but I still managed to lay myself up for six weeks with pneumonia, which I did not enjoy because it was extremely debilitating. It did stop me smoking though…..silver linings!!!!

I’m now 57 and I still ride with a buff over my mouth and nose as a result, because the cold air feels a bit harsh on my chest if I don’t have that slight barrier to warm the air up.

SO……………my advice would be to take it easy until you are sure you are good to go.

Oh no! I have just started with a dry nagging cough that has lead to me bottling an event today. I am wheezing like billyo and feel crap. This thread has depressed me though, I thought I would be ok to ride by midweek but you lot seem to be having prolonged suffering!

I’m recovering from a nasty virus, all that is left is a cough, my lung capacity using a peak flow meter dropped massively during the illness and is still lower than pre-ill!!, still have issues with cold air just triggers coughing I will stay off the bike until I can walk in the cold without coughing, also still feel quite weak so trying to be careful.

Think the answer is not to rush back until better possible 100% so, to avoid a relapse.

I sadly wore my garmin HR earlier during a 20 min quiet period where I sat still and read a book, to discover an average 68bpm, about 10 over.

Garlic contains a very powerful natural antibiotic called allicin, but cooking garlic destroys it and garlic capsules made from liquid and not powder doesn’t really contain any allicin. I use these http://www.healthspan.co.uk/products/garlic-tablets and I haven’t been ill since.

my 22 month old son started Kindergarten on Sept 1st. Since then he has been bringing home a whole series of viruses and bugs and I have been ill constantly. Had a cold now for 2 weeks and a horrible chest infection, oh yeah and ear infection. I do not imagine I will be riding again this year

My immune system is lower than a snake’s belly in a bottomless pit. Children are nasty

Funny enough Edward, I have just taking raw Garlic a few days ago after someone recommend it to me, thou it been only a few days I do feel it has helped easy the cough a lot and not coughing so much in the evening, even after a 2 hour gently spin today!

i have what you guys all seem to have. I also blame my daughter who is 16 months and comes back from nursery with something new to pass on to me every week.

New bike due to be delivered in ten days so need to get through it!

Started coughing up blood in my phlegm this morning. Then stopped again thankfully.

Doesn’t feel like it’s gonna shift anytime soon. Bah humbug!

Blood?

Raced…went steady, but better than a club ride.

Get well soon y’all.

The blood is just in the mornings, wife looked it up and said can be normal with bronchitis. It’s tailing off now anyway.

All symptoms pretty much gone now apart from cough, which is much better than it was.

Tempted to head out today or tomorrow, maybe with a view to doing our team xmas ride on Sunday if I continue to improve.

Those of you with the horror stories about setting yourselves back, what symptoms did you have at the time?

Those of you with the horror stories about setting yourselves back, what symptoms did you have at the time?

Just a receding cough for me. I went on a road ride last Saturday though and the cold air turned me into a hacking mess.

Although I feel great, the cough is now “slight” and phlegm much reduced I’ve been off the bike/turbo all week and have an MTB lunch ride opportunity, am gagging to get out but wondering just to leave it until the weekend just in case tbh, as a set back now will cripple my winter season rather than just put the current dent in it, and will start to affect my Spring series as via reduced training as well.

My immune system is lower than a snake’s belly in a bottomless pit. Children are nasty

Tell me about it…

After three weeks of an immensely sore, swollen throat and cough I lost my voice over the weekend – as a secondary teacher this is one of the worst thing that can happen and pretty much the final straw as if feeling lousy isn’t enough. I managed to get a GP’s appointment on Tuesday afternoon; viral infection so just go home and rest, so here I am now at home.

I was rough with a bacterial chest infection, 8 days of antibiotics, felt fine just a “little” cough still on day 10 so went for a run, two days later bang, worse than ever, proper man flu cold, vomit horrid stuff learnt my lesson

Sounds like I might be in a similar spot to you Kryton – but with added voice loss. Let us know how you get on a lunchtime!

Looks like I’m on babysitting duties this afternoon now anyway so might try a short road spin tomorrow.

GWS househusband (and others)

🙂

Let us know how you get on a lunchtime!

Well, I’m thinking maybe not and to give it today and tomorrow still to be honest. I do have 130k base club road ride on Saturday morning to look forward to…

Worse thing is, now my wife has it. I REALLY don’t want it again!