Last December, before I was diagnosed, I got pneumonia. I didn't have the flu or an upper respiratory infection beforehand. I was just really tired and acting like the Grinch on Christmas Eve and woke up unable to breathe with 104* fever on Christmas morning and still waited 5 days before going to urgent care. Whoops.
So of course this year, I got the mandatory lecture about the flu shot from my PCP. He told me, "You don't want to get the flu, then get pneumonia with multiple sclerosis." I told him, "Well, I survived it last year!" Yeah, but barely. Pneumonia is no joke.
So I compromised and told him that I don't do flu shots but I'm willing to get the pneumonia shots. I got 1 of the 2 available. I'll get the second one at a later date.
My question is: Is pneumonia that much more dangerous when you have MS? All of the research I can find says that we're more prone to aspiration pneumonia if we have swallowing difficulties, but nothing stating that there is an increased risk of complications. I understand the concern if the patient was non-ambulatory or had advanced MS but I'm still functioning relatively well.
This is something I've been wondering and now that I've been sick for 3 1/2 weeks (URI that's turned into bad bronchitis) I figured I should ask. I'm not the type that goes to the doctor when they have a cold, the flu or bronchitis as they all tend to be viral but I'm not sure when to be vigilant about my health and when to self-treat now that I know I have MS and there could be complications.
So of course this year, I got the mandatory lecture about the flu shot from my PCP. He told me, "You don't want to get the flu, then get pneumonia with multiple sclerosis." I told him, "Well, I survived it last year!" Yeah, but barely. Pneumonia is no joke.
So I compromised and told him that I don't do flu shots but I'm willing to get the pneumonia shots. I got 1 of the 2 available. I'll get the second one at a later date.
My question is: Is pneumonia that much more dangerous when you have MS? All of the research I can find says that we're more prone to aspiration pneumonia if we have swallowing difficulties, but nothing stating that there is an increased risk of complications. I understand the concern if the patient was non-ambulatory or had advanced MS but I'm still functioning relatively well.
This is something I've been wondering and now that I've been sick for 3 1/2 weeks (URI that's turned into bad bronchitis) I figured I should ask. I'm not the type that goes to the doctor when they have a cold, the flu or bronchitis as they all tend to be viral but I'm not sure when to be vigilant about my health and when to self-treat now that I know I have MS and there could be complications.
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