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 [url= http://www.patient.co.uk/health/costochondritis ]costochondritus [/url] 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 [url= http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sarcoidosis/pages/introduction.aspx ]sarcoidosis![/url]
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 [b]much[/b] 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!
How are we all getting on? I popped out for a 100k which turned into 137k on Saturday and although I felt reasonably good, it wasn't a high pace at 26.5kmh although the way back was into a 14mph headwind. I didn't feels trashed the next day either.
So I had high hopes, until this morning whereby I've woken up bunged up and with an apparent variant of the cough. I've thrown down some Lemsip max tablets and am still going to have a go at an Ftp test but I'm really starting to think my 2015 season is comprimised. Really pissed off tbh, but trying not to stress about it - what can you do eh?
meh.
There is no harm in properly resting. I was off for nearly two months with proper influenza. I take a few days off for a cold and longer if it heads lower down. You won't turn into an unfit blob with a week off, but over-do it whilst ill and you can expect trouble.
Raced Saturday, cold Sunday off yesterday and today. May ride Boxing Day.
Back out on the bike at last and taking it very easy, riding for no more than an hour every other day. Started late Oct and finally seems to be shifting. Apparently some sort of viral chest infection and after reading some of the posts I seem to have got off fairly lightly!
Still got lingering cough and phlegm.
Had a brief spin up the hill on Saturday and it didn't go well. Going to panto today, but will get out for a flat ride tomorrow.
I've had enough of resting now.
Sounds like you're on the mend Kryton.
Although it's 6 weeks for me so far Tired. I suspect I shall be seeing you twice per race in Janaury at this rate. :-/
It's so depressing, I'd really improved a lot by September and am watching it all (literally) dribble away...
The last time I had a chest infection, my doctor told me if I used a gym to use the steam room and breath deeply.
I've man flu at the moment and seeing this thread has just reminded me, as a kid, I always remember my dad huddled a bowl of steaming water with vicks vaporub dissolved in it. He never seamed to be ill for long.
Now, where's that vicks gone...
Rode for 40 mins today, felt OK at the time - and amazing afterwards. Really missed it.
🙂
Bugger. First cold for over a year began at the weekend so I went mental-crazy spinning yesterday with the idea of showing it who's boss - feel utterly terrible today coughing and gasping. Reading the above is making me start to wonder if it wasn't the best approach.
Will reconsider perhaps biking tomorrow. Damn. One of the few days I actually have some time.
Nearly 4 weeks since my chest infection came (wanted to try and fight it without antibiotics). Tested it out on the 1st Dec doing a road ride with the Mrs at a gentle pace. In the last 4 weeks it's been bad, then eased off, then came back again and when I finally decided to see the Dr yesterday the cough and phlegm has pretty much gone. I'm going to hold off till the weekend before I think about getting back out. Really missing it, but take it easy and enjoy xmas.
I went to bed early last night wearing trackie bottoms, a T shirt, thick socks and a hat and with a dressing gown spread over the duvet and was still feeling chilly, so high was my body temperature. I don't think the hour I spent outdoors in the cold northern wind fitting a storm sill to the back door has done my cold any good at all.
Kryton, It's a crappy time of the year. Have a break and don't push it! Having 2-3 weeks off will surely not bother the fitness you'd have had come late summer.. but at the same time if you carry on with this lingering, you'll never have a good fitness with it lurking anyway. Plus it's so risky, not just for the rest of the 'race season' but your future health in years so come.
FFS.
Just a tickly easy cough now, but I've been up since 4am with food poisoning. I was supposed to be workout 2 of plan today.
When it rains it (literally 8O) pours sometimes...
Stay away from the rest of us then!
Had a couple of hour-long rides myself, felt good despite treacherously icy conditions on the lanes of Hertfordshire.
Just need to find some flipping time to ride now!
Been struck down with the same, depressing with all this cold clear weather and spare time to ride a bit. Have written off coming NYD and weekend too.
Hope you're all on the mend.
Had a decent MTB ride today and seem to be pretty much back to normal, losing the slight shortness of breath I was having.
Lakes epic on Sunday then.
🙂
lakes Eh Stace, what route are ya doing pal?
I had an awful flu over xmas two years ago followed by two lung colds in a space of 6 months. My lungs haven't been the same since, doctor thinks it's given me asthma. Going back in a week.
what route are ya doing pal?
Grasmere to Helvellyn, probably the Wythburn descent and some extra bits. Depends on the weather.
3/4 shorts obviously (if you read that other thread).
Top man, you bounce straight back in to the big stuff Eh pal, Lol
Nice one chakping.
I've healed too, and have thrown myself into a pre-race training/sensible eating furor and have lost 3lbs already since 31st December. I have hurty legs every other day though!
I don't want that infection again!
I've had the chesty cough for the past couple of weeks, seems to be finally subsiding now. Really annoying, I had a whole load of days off before new year when I was going to get some decent long runs in, and nothing. Impossible. I've done a couple of short, easy runs (and coughed my lungs up after) and that's it.
On the positive side my legs could probably have done with a decent rest, and a couple of weeks isn't going to have a huge impact on my plans for the rest of the year.
After whinging about cold and chest infection on the previous page , no sooner did I start to feel better than I got some kind of stomach bug that laid me out for another week. I now haven't been out on the bike for three weeks which is driving me mad. Her indoors keeps saying things like," Never mind, it's been nice having the kids here for so long and you have been able to see more of them". I think this is meant to console me......
Glad to hear you're better Kryton, I know it was getting to you a bit.
On the positive side my legs could probably have done with a decent rest
Same here, think I feel a bit better for it in some ways.
Think I have this chest infection now 😥