Getting back to normal
May 18, 2010 7:06 AM Subscribe
How can I get myself back to feeling normal after having bronchitis?
I had a bad chest infection for about 6 weeks and during this time I felt terribly ill, chest pains, constant coughing, loss of sleep, lack of energy. The infection is now gone, but after 6 weeks of feeling ill, I can't seem to get myself back to 'normal'. I still feel incredibly tired, sleeping longer than usual and I've become forgetful, missing appointments that I would normally be on top of. Needless to say, I just don't feel like I'm in tip-top shape. Is this normal when recovering from something like bronchitis? Is there anything I can do to get the rest of me feeling better now that the infection is gone?
I had a bad chest infection for about 6 weeks and during this time I felt terribly ill, chest pains, constant coughing, loss of sleep, lack of energy. The infection is now gone, but after 6 weeks of feeling ill, I can't seem to get myself back to 'normal'. I still feel incredibly tired, sleeping longer than usual and I've become forgetful, missing appointments that I would normally be on top of. Needless to say, I just don't feel like I'm in tip-top shape. Is this normal when recovering from something like bronchitis? Is there anything I can do to get the rest of me feeling better now that the infection is gone?
Bronchitis is rough to recover from. Lizbunny's suggestions are good; also, (assuming you have health insurance) you might ask your doctor about getting your iron and vitamin D levels checked. My own experience has been that adding an iron supplement seemed to double my energy. Supplementing vitamin D, once we tested that and found I was way too low, also seemed to double it. And fish oil has a similar effect. So for me, taking these three supplements means I have, subjectively, eight times the energy. :-)
Do be gentle and patient with yourself as you heal (I remember feeling terribly frustrated when I've been recovering from bronchitis — when is this going to be OVER?). You've been very sick, and it may take a while of coddling and pampering yourself to get back up to normal.
posted by Lexica at 7:52 PM on May 20, 2010
Do be gentle and patient with yourself as you heal (I remember feeling terribly frustrated when I've been recovering from bronchitis — when is this going to be OVER?). You've been very sick, and it may take a while of coddling and pampering yourself to get back up to normal.
posted by Lexica at 7:52 PM on May 20, 2010
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I've had chronic bronchitis over the years and know very well that drained feeling you're experiencing. The cough and congestion might be gone but yeah, it takes a little while to recover from those illnesses after the major symptoms disappear - the fatigue lingers. I compensate with caffeine, personally :P
posted by lizbunny at 7:33 AM on May 18, 2010