walking Pneumonia or racing pneumonia?
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264 days
DannoE posted 12 weeks ago.
I got walking pneumonia earlier this season, too, and it sucked. I came down with it after doing a mile-swim race followed by a hard weekend of training. The docs told me that they thought I basically got exposed to something on the subway and then ran myself down and actually got sick. I'd been run-down and stressed out for a few weeks prior for a variety of personal reasons. That certainly contributed.
Anyway, as far as recovery goes, I had a couple of doctors tell me a couple of things, but bottom line, I ended up taking 10 days completely off and then coming back very slowly because my lung function got compromised. There wasn't much I could do about it; every time I tried to come back and push it, I ended up getting worse for a couple of days. So I've just been trying to build back up slow and easy. Anything else makes my chest hurt.
That said, I finally did my first race last weekend, almost exactly a month after I got sick. It was an Oly aquabike. My swim was slow because I haven't been in the water much--and like I said, I've been taking it easy--but my bike leg was okay. The hills hurt, but what do you expect when you've been putting in basically the bare minimum aero-base training? My wife did the run, and we made a relay of it. That was fun, if frustrating. Building back run fitness has been MUCH harder than building fitness in the other disciplines for me.
Hope that helps. I'd advise not pushing it because if you wind up compromising your lung function like I did, all of the "tough it out" in the world isn't going to help.
DannoE
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."
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kaolelo posted 12 weeks ago.
even after you are finished with your antibiotics, it might take you longer for your your lungs to recover. listen to your md and your body.
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groovyjen posted 12 weeks ago.
I had pneumonia last summer and it really kicked my tail. I spent two days in bed essentially just waking up long enough to take more cough medicine with codeine.
I'd take it really easy.
Feel better soon.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
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1523 days
dr_rios_ec posted 12 weeks ago.
My dear friend:
The term of walking pneumonia is used because the patient looks better than the X rays films do. It is caused by mycoplasma pneumonie and it is easily cured with a atibiotic regimen as an outpatient if your lung capacity is not too compromised.
It will take more than a few days to recover, and make sure you take enough time. Getting this type of illness is not uncommon for athletes, particulary endurance athletes, and antibiotics and proper rest is the best way to cure your lungs. Remember that every infection in any tissue produces an inflamatory reaction, so you might feel better but your lung capacity might be a bit impaired, so you still have to take it easy for a couple of weeks, maybe three, it will all depend on how well your body heal, how much you rest and how well your body responded to the atibiotic regimen. Make sure to drink plenty of water, eat well, balanced rich diet, get calories, albeit of maybe gaining a couple of kilos, but your body needs all the nutrients to heal. Plenty...plenty of sleep is crucial, and napping during the day if your schedule permits will help a lot too.
Listen to your body, and take it one day at the time. Also is known that, as easy as athletes get sick, we can recover faster.
Hope you feel better, and be back in action as soon as your body tells you.
Best wishes
-Santiago
"Man!! Defeat is worse than dying, cause´you have to live with it" -My Dad
"It ain´t about how hard you can hit...it is how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward"-Rocky Balboa
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592 days
SueR posted 12 weeks ago.
Good advice, thanks everyone. I have officially bailed on Sunday's race and will hopefully see some improvements soon. I have myself well set up on the couch and have arranged a perfect napping schedule for the day!
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TonisTri posted 12 weeks ago.
Sue, how are you feeling? Better? Worse? Hope you are taking care of yourself. ~Toni
That which does not kill me makes me faster...
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SueR posted 12 weeks ago.
I am feeling somewhat better. I still have a cough, but it has mostly dried up and is much less frequent. What I am coughing up is clear not the charming greenish goo of the weekend! I am spending about 70% of my day on the couch and doing nothing more strenous than laundry and dishes. I feel like I can breathe deeper now and am much less likely to cough from a deep breath. I am done my antibiotics today and have vowed not to do anything before Monday. Thanks for all the advice and thanks for checking on me, Toni! I will be ready to roll soon! I have a week before I "need" to start running to get ready for the half marathon I have in October, the Cape to Cabot in St John's.
thanks again everyone!
345
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592 days
SueR posted 12 weeks ago.
Further update: did a run today, easy 10k, felt great, very minimal coughing but lungs felt clearer afterward. Yay!
So I have had a monster cough for two weeks (trained through it even though it was in my chest since my energy levels were fine) but was worsening last week. Doc told me yesterday I have walking Pneumonia and I am on antibiotics for a week (zithromax). I have a 125k bike race on Sunday, hopefully, and want to start running to get ready for a mid-october half marathon. Anyone have any advice on how much I can train through this? The doctor said to go by feel, if I cough too much quit it. Thoughts?