Walking pneumonia. What shouldn't I do?

April 22, 2010 11:14 AM

I am recovering from walking pneumonia and a sinus infection. Is there anything special that I should be doing?

About a week ago, I started feeling sick. Attributing this to allergies, my doctor gave me two nose sprays (Nasonex and Patanase) and Zyrtec.
On Monday, I was feeling worse, and attributed it to a head cold. By yesterday, nothing had changed. After visiting the doctor, I was told that I had a sinus infection (which I frequently get) and walking pneumonia.

I'm taking antibiotics, which the doctor should start working after a day. Should I be avoiding doing anything as I go about my daily life for the next few days?

posted by ooklala to health & fitness (7 answers total)

Nasonex is helpful in recovering from a sinus infection, so keep using that unless your doctor told you not to. So is nasal irrigation. Avoid late nights or anything else that makes you get less sleep than you need.
posted by Ery at 11:29 AM on April 22, 2010

Just make sure you get plenty of water (unless you have some other condition in which your fluid intake is restricted). I find steamy showers to be helpful in just breaking things up, and in just making me feel better.

I would avoid things you are known to be allergic to.
posted by 6:1 at 11:36 AM on April 22, 2010

Pneumonia is serious. I had it as a teenager. The old time guideline is one day of recovery for every day you're sick. The most important thing is to keep getting plenty of rest and keep your stress level low. With antibiotics, your intestinal ecology gets hammered, so do whatever you can to restore it. Get some dietary advice from an expert.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 2:29 PM on April 22, 2010

Eat as well as you possibly can.
posted by corey flood at 3:32 PM on April 22, 2010

Takes far more out of you than you realize - expect it to be some weeks before you're back to normal. Don't exert yourself just because you start feeling better.
posted by Pressed Rat at 3:47 PM on April 22, 2010

When I had walking pneumonia at age 25, it took over three weeks (after the antibiotics took effect) till I had near-normal strength and energy. What would happen was that I'd feel fine one moment, and then the next I was too tired to walk, drive, even to talk. Try not to let it get to that point, especially if you're not at home.
posted by wryly at 4:59 PM on April 22, 2010

I'll add my voice to the "take it easy" chorus, because it's possible for walking pneumonia to become standard pneumonia, which can kill you. When I had it a few years ago it took well over a month (maybe two or three) before I felt like myself again. So not "next few days," but "next few weeks."
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:35 AM on April 24, 2010