Flu/Pneumonia..advice please

[busymomflynn]

Not sure what to do. Am I overreacting? Here's the situation.

My MS is typically pretty mild. Fatigue, headache, lite tremors. Occasionaly mental fog (getting a bit more prominent).

Saturday woke up definantley more fatigued than normal. But, spent two hours vacuuming, sweeping and straightening. Had to meet my husband an hour later and stood for about 90 min. Definantley done for the rest of the weekend. Sucked the life right out of me.

Fatigue improved mostly. Had a few odd syptoms for me (ear pain, increased urination) but nothing major.
Started feeling crappy Monday. Monday night slept sitting up for a few hours due to drainage in my chest. Pushed thru. Went to work today.

By noon feeling really bad. Hot/cold extremely painful, productive, cough. Ended up peeing myself a few times-just a few drops, especially when I'd cough. Burning in my chest.

Went to minor ER. Have gone there last dozen years or so when I can't get into regular dr. So they know my med history and I did speak of it today also.

102.5 temp. Did flu test-neg. listened to my chest didn't hear anything abnormal. Said probably flu anyway. Gave Tamiflu. When asked about cough said flu can do that and wrote rx for cough suppressant.

These guys are usually pretty thorough but concerned they didn't bother with a chest X-ray. That's my main complaint!

Called neuro for heads up and advice and nurse said 'I'm confused what you want me to do about it'? Again has always been thorough and will ere on the side of caution.

Am I being a pain because I don't feel well? Would you just let it go. ? Not sure what else I can do anyway. Feeling frustrated.

[SNOOPY]

Hello busymomflynn,

There is nothing more that can be done. We get sick just like anyone else and the treatment is the same as anyone else.

The flu, virus, fever or infection can temporarily increase our MS symptoms, this is called a pseudo-exacerbation. Once the flu, virus, fever, infection resolves the MS symptoms usually return to what is normal for that person.

Take care and hope you feel better soon

[pennstater]

If they listened to your lungs and didn't hear anything, it seems normal that no chest xray was done. I get nasty respiratory infections, and only once did they do xray...but I was wheezing then and couldn't breathe.

If you don't feel better in a few days, call your primary again. It could be an infection that needs antibiotic.

Hope you feel better. Until you do, won't know if you need to involve neuro or not. If MS symptoms resolve, pseudo flare as Snoopy pointed out.

[busymomflynn]

True Snoopy

Thanks for the reply. I read my post again and think I didn't state the point well.

I completely agree, 'we get sick like everyone else'. Absolutely! But from what I understand prolonged physical stress of being ill can be detrimental. (Maybe that's just an assumption on my part).

So my concern is that I may have pneumonia that is not being treated. Just seems a chest X-ray would have been logical.

I may have lead you (and the neurologist office) astray rambling on about symptoms. I get that these things will more than likely resolve when I get well. My 'freaking out' about the new things, bladder issues and crazy ear pain, is because they are new. Frankly I don't want to have those issues sometime in the future. And in my thought process there must be some kind of damage there or else why would there be a symptom? Again, completely understand the temporary nature of the fever bringing it out.

Does that make more sense? Although it would be nice to 'only' deal with MS and get a pass on everything else in the world

[AriD]

i have taken care of many patients this year that we treated for the flu despite the rapid flu swab being negative. There have been a lot of false negative results. Some patients test positive on a retest or we send a more sensitive test. Either way they get tamiflu for 5-7 days. I agree that if your lungs sound clear there is no indication for a chest X-ray.
Flu or not, get rest and stay hydrated. Hope you feel better soon.

[22cyclist]

Watch the color of the sputum you are coughing up. If it turns yellow or green, go back to the doctor. I am talking dark yellow.

It also depends on which DMT you are on and if your immune system is OK. Some will lower your white blood cell count and weaken your immune system.

Either way (flu or infection), try to keep your fever down with Tylenol or Advil. This will make you feel a little better at least MS wise.

Hope you will feel better soon!

Take care
Lisa