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Pneumonia/MS

I'm willing to bet that there are others on here that have this problem. Just wanted to see and some advice on where to go.
I have never had pneumonia in my life and then in late December after feeling "bad" for a few weeks then spiking a fever, finally went to ER, found that I had pneumonia. Very surprised cause it wasn't like any pneumonia that I'd ever seen.
Then got it again in February,
Now, I think I have it again.
How do we know we have it? I mean, that's pretty serious. But honestly, the feeling that I have before the pneumonia is the feeling of having a bad MS day. Besides the fever.
Just confused.
I'd just like to see anyone else's experiences with it and maybe how do you keep it under control? This is maybe 4 times within 6 months. Is it going to keep coming, like one more thing to put up with? Or, is it manageable?

Thanks,
MostlyShell
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
I've never had an appetite, first noticed when i was a baby, i just dont know what hunger feels like. I have to make a conscious effort to eat, if i wait for my stomach to tell me i'd be waiting so long i'd be a bag of bones, and i still doubt i'd feel anything then. For me eating has always been a brain controlled exercise, i eat because i have to, not because i want or feel the need to.

I have never know why that is, I have to admit to being so sick and tired of Dr's thinking i'm anorexic, oh have i wished for curves lol. Logically this part didnt develope in my brain, it wasnt something i had and lost, i've just never had it, still i'd love to know why!

I'm posting due to an interesting developement with my son, he was on Tofranil 25mg(imiprimine) for anxiety, he has been under size and weight for most of his life, from high 90's to 15 percentile. He eats but its small amounts through out the day, he's always said he wasnt that hungry. We thought he was like me lol!

A few months ago he came off the Tofranil after 8 years (hes now 12), in 6 weeks he put on 8kilos. He cant stop eating, he's hungry all the time and he now doesnt feel full, the mental impulse is to eat even after he's consumed a very large and filling meal. Due to his impulses being greatly affected across the board he decided he would rather go back on the imiprimine. By the second day he was again not hungry, leaving food on his plate and not still hunting down food after a meal.

I've been confused by this (along with a few other things lol) and what i've been able to discover is that appetite can be affected by various drugs, more common is an increase in appetite but loss of appetite is not a rarety.

BTW not one dr or psychiatrist or psychologist has ever adviced me of this know reaction to imiprimine, for him there is also a tachicardic response that we have always been told were panic attacks. I would still of believed this, if not for him getting it out of his system, then reintroducing it. I now know with out any doubt that 'his panic attacks' are drug induced tachicardia and his lack of appetite and weight loss is also drug induced.

Have you looked into the drugs and combination of drugs, to see if there is a possibility of it being an adverse reaction?

Just a thought!

Cheers........JJ



Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sorry for taking so long with this. I'm sure you heard about the mid-Tennessee flooding so my mind has busy praying for lots of people and trying to do what I can for people around that were affected, we were very fortunate.
I went to ER and they found nothing. Even did blood work to find nothing unusual. So, off to neuro I went who ordered IV steroid.
It's been approx. 3 weeks since then and will be going tomorrow. Well, since April 14, I have been dealing with no appetite (lost more than 20 pounds), multiple TN attacks, weakness, fatigue, etc. Insurance company *****!!!!!!!!
Sorry, had to rant that one.
Doc said that fatigue will cause symptoms that I was feeling like pneumonia, "out of air walking from room to room, etc".
Also, said that I already had a lesion in the medullary complex that may have spread into area that can affect my appetite. I'm literally forcing things to eat down at this point. And I promise, I love to eat!!! Always had weight issues. Weight loss is a good thing, but not like this...also, no new meds to blame that on.
Is it stuck like this????????
I've been trying to search about MS and lack of appetite but haven't found anything.
Does anyone here have any info about this?
Will the steroid therapy help?
I've only had it once and pray that it will greatly improve things. I'm just so scared...
Thanks,
MostlyShell
Helpful - 0
620048 tn?1358018235
I have a respiratory infection now and am on Zpac ...i caught it early so I am hoping it will just get better.

But I have also had an infection from the swallowing problem, where my food or drink goes into my lungs instead of my stomach.  

It gets so confusing and I agree, i never know if its the ms acting up or if I really have something else.  I have been going with the "something else", it still has to be treated.
I just don't trust some of the Drs here...so I do my own homework and pay attention.

THere is a lot of pneumonia going around right now, several friends i know here have been in the hospital with it.

I was going somewhere with this but lost tract....

I hope you find some answers and get better..this is an interesting topic...so let us know what you find.

meg
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Avatar universal
I just got out of the hospital today b/c of MS compicated pneumonia,, Have to follow up withmany docs next week because of this.. So you are not alone.. Good Luck..
Helpful - 0
739070 tn?1338603402
TSH = thyroid stimulating hormone
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the info...helpful with my thoughts...I really appreciate it!

fdmh:  What is TSH?
Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am a limbolander, but coincidentally or not, I had pneumonia in October of 2007, with a temp of almost 104 for several days, and a few months later, after years of being stable with my thyroid, my TSH went haywire and a few months after that is when I first started having my neuro sx.  
Helpful - 0
739070 tn?1338603402
Yes, it is possible to aspirate food and drink if you have swallowing issues. This could cause a pneumonia. A good doctor would find the root of the cause of recurring pneumonia.

IF you aspirated stomach contents into your lungs it would cause a chemical type injury to your lungs that would be visible on x-ray. Regardless of the source of the lung inflammation, the doc should be looking for a source to prevent further occurrences.

Hope you find a good PCP that will give you the proper care you deserve.

Ren

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for your reply.

My PCP *****. Am still looking for one that will help me correctly, (with things other than MS)

Yes, have been dxd for about 3 years. Symptoms for 12 years or more. I am now on Copaxone, but have had problems. Not necessarily with the drug but more with insurance company, etc. I pray it helps.
Used to take Betaseron.. Was on it for 8 months before neuro decided it was poisoning me, literally. Said it was rare. But, I have always reacted to meds weirdly.

I haven't thought of pulmonology or anything like that, and have wondered if the original pneumonia ever really went away, or if I'm almost rid of it and takes a month or so to come back.

Don't know, just curious. There is a lady on my Facebook that has breathing problems due to MS which lead me to read an article about some with MS that get pneumonia due to swallowing problems. That some of their food or drink actually goes into the lungs and causes the pneumonia.

Would the docs have said that? Or just see the fluid and  call it pneumonia?

Just curious...
thanks,
MostlyShell
Helpful - 0
739070 tn?1338603402
Hi,

Sorry you  have been so sick. I don't suffer from pneumonia but a few others on the forum have experienced it. My curiosity is, was the original pneumonia infection treated until it was completely gone?

Also, since you have had repeated infections have you been seen by a pulmonologist or an Infectious Disease doctor? It is not common to have 4 cases of pneumonia in 6 months.

What does your PCP say about this?

I do hope you find the cause of this and start to feel better.

BTW, are you diagnosed, if so, with what? Are you on any treatment?

Keep us updated and let us know how you are doing.

Ren
Helpful - 0
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