Pmeumonia

[freeinhou]

I don't post here much but I'd like to share this. I just spent a week in the hospital - pneumonia. This is a first for me and scary.

I was dx'ed with MS a little over 28 years ago - January 1988. The neuro was maybe 95 years old and when I asked him for what I could expect over the years he gave me the story line popular at the time:

40% chance MS would get worse, end up in wheelchair, die at age 60 of pneumonia
30% chance MS would get worse, not end up in wheelchair, die at age 60 of pneumonia
20% chance MS would not get worse, die at age 60 of pneumonia
10% chance die within 6 months of pneumonia.

The percentages are slightly off, but that was the essence of what he shared with me. So pneumonia has always been on my radar. And I'm 58...

Please note these odds have been debunked for a long time now. They do represent "old" thinking and are not currently considered reality. We were still 5 years away from the first approved MS treatment at the time.

Tom

[Mamabug]

Although the statistics that you gave may be "old" and "debunked", it does remain accurate that pneumonia is a risk for those of us with MS, and that it is not uncommon that people who have MS will possibly die from a complication of MS.

Some of the most common causes of death in MS patients are secondary complications resulting from immobility, chronic urinary tract infections, compromised swallowing and breathing. Some of the complications in this category are chronic bed sores, urogenital sepsis, and aspiration or bacterial pneumonia.

There are ways that we can reduce the risk of contracting pneumonia. Two of them are hand washing and getting vaccinated against pneumonia and keeping up to date on other recommended vaccinations, as some of those illnesses could increase our risk of developing MS.

The other side of the coin, however, is that, although MS may, on the average, shorten our life span by 5-7 years, that is not worth spending my days worrying about.

I am 53 years old. I am up to date on my MMR, and I had a pneumonia and shingles vaccination a couple of years ago. I also get a flu vaccine every year.

Tom, have you had a pneumonia vaccination, and are you up to date on other vaccines?

[AriD]

Hi tom,
So sorry to hear you had pneumonia. It can be very scary. There has been a lot of pneumonia recently and people have gotten very sick. I have taken care of some young, "healthy" patients with pneumonia in the ICU this past month. So, this may not be MS related. I had pneumonia last year for first time. Don't think related to MS but I guess it's hard to say.
Talk to your doctor about preventative measures. If you have difficulty with swallowing, choking,etc, a swallow evaluation is important. Aspiration pneumonia can definitely occur because of MS. My doctor doesn't recommend the pneumonia vaccine but I definitely get the flu vaccine yearly ( have to for work but would anyway).
Take care.

[Mamabug]

I guess, check with your doctor about recommended vaccinations. Both my PCP and my MS Specialist recommended the pneumonia vaccine.

[AriD]

Yeah, I'm not sure why my doctor doesn't recommend the pneumonia vaccine. And, at work, we used to be required to offer it to all patients and document whether they accepted or refused it but we no longer do that. We don't offer it at all any more. However, we are still required to offer and administer the flu vaccine to all patients and have to document why they refuse it, if they refuse it. Definitely ask your doctor and make sure you are up to date with any preventive medications he/she recommends.

[Lutricia]

Staying positive

This winter was the worst for me. I didn't have pneumonia, but I never coughed so much in my life. I cannot tell you the last time I even had a cold. Took me about a month to get over it!

I am usually pretty positive until I have a flare that messes with my emotions! This unfortunately is one of those times! Usually my flares are pretty vague and don't really pin point it as a flare until they are over. I have it in my head that I shouldn't take steriods so I try and avoid calling my neuro during these times. Once my neuro told me he didn't think I would need a wheelchair at my funeral!!! lol! I hope he is right, but there are times I wonder!

I still am pretty active and try to go to the gymn but the visits are getting further apart. I think it may be laziness setting in!

[cch]

Vaccine

Strange how every Dr. is different. My neurologist will not let me get the shingles or pneumonia vaccine. I tried to get shingles vaccine at my pharmacy and they called my dr. and he refused to let me have it. So what happens, two months later I come down with shingles from my belly button to my spine on my right side. Was no fun. He did let me have the flu shot this year but only because there is a vaccine that is not a live virus. I found out that is why I could not get the shingles or pneumonia vaccine.

[Mamabug]

... He did let me have the flu shot this year but only because there is a vaccine that is not a live virus. I found out that is why I could not get the shingles or pneumonia vaccine.

Hmmm. Maybe. I've had pneumonia and chickenpox in the past, so I likely already have the live virus in me? Maybe that's why it wasn't an issue for my doctor?

[pennstater]

Both my PCP and neuro recommended flu and pneumonia shots. I thought both were inactive, which is why OK to get.

They both said no to the shingles since live virus.

[REG53]

My neuro said yes to flu and shingles shot.

[pennstater]

I wonder if the medication you take is a factor as well?

[palmtree]

Your neuro's jingle is hilarious. Twenty eight years ago there wasn't one single treatment for MS.

When I got my dx I talked to my PCP about it.

I said, "I've seen what this illness can do. I don't like this at all."

She said, "don't worry you will die of something else before your MS gets bad."

So I said, "you mean my goal is to die?"

She said, "Yup"

I'm sorry you got pneumonia. I've never had it but have had my share of respiratory problems. Got a pneumonia vaccine last year. I hope it will prevent it. At the time I didn't know it was a live virus. Nothing bad happened, thank goodness.

I'm glad you didn't die. You still have 2 more years to live.

[shel67]

Wait a minute!

This is the first I'm hearing of this. People with MS are at risk of Pneumonia? Is it because of the meds we take or the messed up immune system? I'm confused. Aspiration makes sense. I have had walking pneumonia twice in my life. When I was 16, in 1984 and again in 2000, I think it was 2000. So what is up? Why are we at risk?

[Shoo]

shot for pnumonia

When I first read about ms people getting pneumonia and asked my doc if this was true he said yes and that's when I got my first shot. I guess it has been 10 yrs. My doc said I was supposed to have a shot every five yrs just got my second shot Sept 2015 so I good for another 5 yrs

Shoo

[Fishytrout]

I am VERY CURIOUS as to WHY pneumonia is more prevalent in persons with MS. VERY curious. Can anyone post a link or post some info (citing sources of course).