Aa
I need definate help i am a mess
This is gonna be long and ugly LOL
i just joined this forum because so many people seemed so helpful
here it is in a nutshell
1. I have a colostomy bag from 2000 when i had emergency surgery for diverticulitis, i never went back to reconnect and over the past 2 years i have watched a hernia grow where my ostomy is and it is now the size of medium water ballon..i know i must get it repaired soon and am planning that
2. i suffer from panic attacks sometimes and zanax works perfectly
3. i have severe sleep apnea
4. i am 44 year old male
5. i weigh 285 pounds and am 6'1 and have smoked for 24 years
6. december 10th i felt sick and knew i had bronchitis, i went to the dr and my normal dr wasnt there so the fill in gave me amoxicillin and sent me home,,the symptoms got worse so a week later i went back and my DR took an xray and saw a small cloudy area on my xray which may have indicated pneumonia. he immediatley put me on a more powerful antibiotic and gave me a few shots i began coughing almost instantly and phlegm came up and i started feeling better...then i coughed up red blood for 4 days and went back in...he wanted me to go into hospital for a bronchialscope but i refused and explained to him that i know i had just busted some capilaries due to coughing to hard. when i saw the blood i immediatley quit smoking
i have been smoke free now for 30 days... the blood went away completely after a week and the antibiotics had me feeling better.
but now my feet and ankles swelled up,so he said come back in and they did an ultrasound and i had minor edema near my ankles but no blockages whatsoever.
i have been taking 1 lortab 500 about 10am every morning for a month i started taking them for the pain from coughing and from the hernia near my ostomy
i also have a hernia on my right side that for now is managable
i take 1 blue 10 zanax everynight to calm my panic and sleep
i am taking lasix and klor for swelling
i take musinex because i still have flem but no fever and no blood or other serious symptoms
ok this is where it gets ugly
i am selling my business because of money issues
my wife is putting all kinds of pressure on me for almost everything and i dont know which symptoms belong to which
think of it for a second
panic attacks causes shortness breath fear of impending doom, tigtness in chest
sleep apnea makes you wake up gasping for breath while sleeping
5 medications keeps you unaware if brething issues are from that
relapse of bronchitis or pneumonia would cause tightness and shortness of breath
ok medical detectives check this out
when i take the lortab in the morning i jave absoluyely no symptoms pf breathing issues whatsoever i feel perfectly healthy
when it wheres off i walk up stairs to my room and feel tired and short of breath
then that goes away
at night i force myself to cough up flem and feel some releif in chest
i feel major anxiety because of overdue payments
and am awaiting a large check on my company buyout
i dont want to keep going to dr
i think that 90% of my symptoms are pyschosemantic
i think the other 10 is the bronchitis hanging on a bit and the withdrawls from quittin a 3 pack a day smoking habit after 24 years
i have alot of pressure right now
i have times in the day though when i really feel awful
out of shape
tightness in chest
small bouts of catching my breath
and a scared nervious feeling about all of it
i realize there is no clear cut answer here
but
its been 15 days since i stopped taking the antobiotics for bronchitis
heres my question
since i have no other symtoms like chest pains blood in cough or stools or wheezing
how long should I wait for this to go away
i get the money in 5 days and i feel that will take a severe burden off of me and my wife
right now the lortabs are a miracle drug
i domt abuse them i never have abused drugs like that
the prescription says take 2 a day
and i only take one..
so anybody ever have anyof these things lolololol
combined illnesses that could all cause same symptoms
how long can bronchitis hang on
how long can smoking withdrawl hang on
how long can i take 1 lortab a day
when i didnt take the lortab 1 morning i was a mess
extremely tired and breathing funny like anxiety
thanks and im sure i overdid this
danny g
i just joined this forum because so many people seemed so helpful
here it is in a nutshell
1. I have a colostomy bag from 2000 when i had emergency surgery for diverticulitis, i never went back to reconnect and over the past 2 years i have watched a hernia grow where my ostomy is and it is now the size of medium water ballon..i know i must get it repaired soon and am planning that
2. i suffer from panic attacks sometimes and zanax works perfectly
3. i have severe sleep apnea
4. i am 44 year old male
5. i weigh 285 pounds and am 6'1 and have smoked for 24 years
6. december 10th i felt sick and knew i had bronchitis, i went to the dr and my normal dr wasnt there so the fill in gave me amoxicillin and sent me home,,the symptoms got worse so a week later i went back and my DR took an xray and saw a small cloudy area on my xray which may have indicated pneumonia. he immediatley put me on a more powerful antibiotic and gave me a few shots i began coughing almost instantly and phlegm came up and i started feeling better...then i coughed up red blood for 4 days and went back in...he wanted me to go into hospital for a bronchialscope but i refused and explained to him that i know i had just busted some capilaries due to coughing to hard. when i saw the blood i immediatley quit smoking
i have been smoke free now for 30 days... the blood went away completely after a week and the antibiotics had me feeling better.
but now my feet and ankles swelled up,so he said come back in and they did an ultrasound and i had minor edema near my ankles but no blockages whatsoever.
i have been taking 1 lortab 500 about 10am every morning for a month i started taking them for the pain from coughing and from the hernia near my ostomy
i also have a hernia on my right side that for now is managable
i take 1 blue 10 zanax everynight to calm my panic and sleep
i am taking lasix and klor for swelling
i take musinex because i still have flem but no fever and no blood or other serious symptoms
ok this is where it gets ugly
i am selling my business because of money issues
my wife is putting all kinds of pressure on me for almost everything and i dont know which symptoms belong to which
think of it for a second
panic attacks causes shortness breath fear of impending doom, tigtness in chest
sleep apnea makes you wake up gasping for breath while sleeping
5 medications keeps you unaware if brething issues are from that
relapse of bronchitis or pneumonia would cause tightness and shortness of breath
ok medical detectives check this out
when i take the lortab in the morning i jave absoluyely no symptoms pf breathing issues whatsoever i feel perfectly healthy
when it wheres off i walk up stairs to my room and feel tired and short of breath
then that goes away
at night i force myself to cough up flem and feel some releif in chest
i feel major anxiety because of overdue payments
and am awaiting a large check on my company buyout
i dont want to keep going to dr
i think that 90% of my symptoms are pyschosemantic
i think the other 10 is the bronchitis hanging on a bit and the withdrawls from quittin a 3 pack a day smoking habit after 24 years
i have alot of pressure right now
i have times in the day though when i really feel awful
out of shape
tightness in chest
small bouts of catching my breath
and a scared nervious feeling about all of it
i realize there is no clear cut answer here
but
its been 15 days since i stopped taking the antobiotics for bronchitis
heres my question
since i have no other symtoms like chest pains blood in cough or stools or wheezing
how long should I wait for this to go away
i get the money in 5 days and i feel that will take a severe burden off of me and my wife
right now the lortabs are a miracle drug
i domt abuse them i never have abused drugs like that
the prescription says take 2 a day
and i only take one..
so anybody ever have anyof these things lolololol
combined illnesses that could all cause same symptoms
how long can bronchitis hang on
how long can smoking withdrawl hang on
how long can i take 1 lortab a day
when i didnt take the lortab 1 morning i was a mess
extremely tired and breathing funny like anxiety
thanks and im sure i overdid this
danny g
I am very glad you went to your doctor. I applaud you for not keeping the covers over your head.
That you smoked for so long and smoked heavily has undoubtably done damage to your lung capacity. Add in the pnuemonia and you wonder why walking leaves you a bit winded? That is to be expected. Once you get the pnuemonia cleared up and your lungs begin to clear out all the gunk, I believe you will find that your ability to walk without becoming so winded will improve dramatically. You mentioned your wieght, so if you have "extra" hanging about, get rid of that and get into an exercise routine which will not only get and keep the weight off, but will improve your lung function. Ex-smokers need to work on filling their lungs to full capacity to sort of "reinflate" the bottom lobes of the lungs. Talk to your doctor or a respiratory therapist or a pulmanologist about all the things you can do to increase and help heal your lungs from the smoking. There will always be some damage that you can't fix, but there is MUCH you can do to help. Add that to your list of "proactive" things to look into! You will be coughing up phlegm for awhile, which is your lungs way of getting rid of the sludge and is a very good sign. Kind of disgusting, but look at it as a very positive sign! Ask for a "spirometer" (sp?) which is a simple device you use to increase your lungs capacity.
And don't feel badly about your post! It's human nature to deny that which we don't want to face. But you DID face it, and you are getting proactive and so you should incredibly proud of yourself.
With a wife of 19 years and kids and now your financial stresses apparently being relieved a bit, you have much that is positive in your life and a no better time to get yourself in a better place as well.
If your doc saw fluid around the heart and didn't immediately send you to the hospital, take "heart" in that! This is something you do NOT want to ignore, but you're not, so see the cardiologist and that will be resolved. They may just be able to insert a needle, draw off the fluid and you'll be fine. IF that IS the reason for your lack of energy and getting winded, they will fix that. Don't build bridges! Just keep the appointment and look at it as one more health issue you're dealing with and will soon be able to cross that off your list of worries!
STAY OFF THE SYMPTOM SITES! I KNOW you are NOT a stupid person, but those sites give you just enough information to scare the hell out of you and there is NOTHING worse than a "little knowledge!" Like I said, if the doc who saw the fluid was really concerned, he would have had you admitted to the hospital right then and there. Take some comfort in the fact he didn't.
I can totally relate to your panic. But over the years I have somehow learned to "wait and see" if there really IS something to panic about. In your case, I don't think there is. I think you have things you need to be concerned about, but again, you are now taking care of them, so try to stay as calm as you can (I know, easier said than done) and let the doctors do their job.
If taking some Xanax AS NEEDED helps you to calm down, then take it. But please only take it when the panic/anxiety is really overwhelming. I would add that to my list of things to discuss with one of the doctors you will be seeing...........the Xanax. It's a good drug but you must be very careful with it. We can save THAT talk for later!
You are NOT a big baby! You had some horrific health concerns and were right to come to us............(even tho you should have gone to your doctor first, but you're there now so I'll save that lecture as well.....LOL)
If you want reliable information about what is going on with your heart and your fears and concerns, please go over to the Heart Health Forum and talk with the wonderful folks over there. They have all been through so much and will be able to offer you much support and information, advice and encouragement. Much better to talk to real people than get freaked out by "symptom sites!"
And congrats on being smoke free for 30 days! That takes one hell of a lot of will power and to resist the urge to go back when your life seems to be falling apart speaks worlds about your strength of character and your dedication to getting well. I am very, very proud of you! There is also a Quit Smoking Forum that you might want to hook up with. They will help you stay strong during your struggle to beat THAT demon!
Dan, you have many issues, but I truly believe you are going to be just fine! It may take some time, but you didn't get into this condition overnight and it won't get resolved overnight. Take it one day at a time and know that the path you're on now will lead you back to robust health..........you got those three beautiful kids counting on you! Let your family be your inspiration to get well. They need you.
Please keep us posted about your progress, OK? There are many folks here who will take a great deal of encouragement from your journey. Myself included!
If you start to feel panicky, we are always here...........remember that!
Peace
Greenlydia
That you smoked for so long and smoked heavily has undoubtably done damage to your lung capacity. Add in the pnuemonia and you wonder why walking leaves you a bit winded? That is to be expected. Once you get the pnuemonia cleared up and your lungs begin to clear out all the gunk, I believe you will find that your ability to walk without becoming so winded will improve dramatically. You mentioned your wieght, so if you have "extra" hanging about, get rid of that and get into an exercise routine which will not only get and keep the weight off, but will improve your lung function. Ex-smokers need to work on filling their lungs to full capacity to sort of "reinflate" the bottom lobes of the lungs. Talk to your doctor or a respiratory therapist or a pulmanologist about all the things you can do to increase and help heal your lungs from the smoking. There will always be some damage that you can't fix, but there is MUCH you can do to help. Add that to your list of "proactive" things to look into! You will be coughing up phlegm for awhile, which is your lungs way of getting rid of the sludge and is a very good sign. Kind of disgusting, but look at it as a very positive sign! Ask for a "spirometer" (sp?) which is a simple device you use to increase your lungs capacity.
And don't feel badly about your post! It's human nature to deny that which we don't want to face. But you DID face it, and you are getting proactive and so you should incredibly proud of yourself.
With a wife of 19 years and kids and now your financial stresses apparently being relieved a bit, you have much that is positive in your life and a no better time to get yourself in a better place as well.
If your doc saw fluid around the heart and didn't immediately send you to the hospital, take "heart" in that! This is something you do NOT want to ignore, but you're not, so see the cardiologist and that will be resolved. They may just be able to insert a needle, draw off the fluid and you'll be fine. IF that IS the reason for your lack of energy and getting winded, they will fix that. Don't build bridges! Just keep the appointment and look at it as one more health issue you're dealing with and will soon be able to cross that off your list of worries!
STAY OFF THE SYMPTOM SITES! I KNOW you are NOT a stupid person, but those sites give you just enough information to scare the hell out of you and there is NOTHING worse than a "little knowledge!" Like I said, if the doc who saw the fluid was really concerned, he would have had you admitted to the hospital right then and there. Take some comfort in the fact he didn't.
I can totally relate to your panic. But over the years I have somehow learned to "wait and see" if there really IS something to panic about. In your case, I don't think there is. I think you have things you need to be concerned about, but again, you are now taking care of them, so try to stay as calm as you can (I know, easier said than done) and let the doctors do their job.
If taking some Xanax AS NEEDED helps you to calm down, then take it. But please only take it when the panic/anxiety is really overwhelming. I would add that to my list of things to discuss with one of the doctors you will be seeing...........the Xanax. It's a good drug but you must be very careful with it. We can save THAT talk for later!
You are NOT a big baby! You had some horrific health concerns and were right to come to us............(even tho you should have gone to your doctor first, but you're there now so I'll save that lecture as well.....LOL)
If you want reliable information about what is going on with your heart and your fears and concerns, please go over to the Heart Health Forum and talk with the wonderful folks over there. They have all been through so much and will be able to offer you much support and information, advice and encouragement. Much better to talk to real people than get freaked out by "symptom sites!"
And congrats on being smoke free for 30 days! That takes one hell of a lot of will power and to resist the urge to go back when your life seems to be falling apart speaks worlds about your strength of character and your dedication to getting well. I am very, very proud of you! There is also a Quit Smoking Forum that you might want to hook up with. They will help you stay strong during your struggle to beat THAT demon!
Dan, you have many issues, but I truly believe you are going to be just fine! It may take some time, but you didn't get into this condition overnight and it won't get resolved overnight. Take it one day at a time and know that the path you're on now will lead you back to robust health..........you got those three beautiful kids counting on you! Let your family be your inspiration to get well. They need you.
Please keep us posted about your progress, OK? There are many folks here who will take a great deal of encouragement from your journey. Myself included!
If you start to feel panicky, we are always here...........remember that!
Peace
Greenlydia
Well after i wrote my post i realized how ridiculous it sounded
its almost as if i was hiding and not wanting to find out any problems
you cant wish this stuff away
today was 30 days smoke free and im still winded when walking to much and i cough up clear phlegm now
today i went to my dr and got another xray and the pneumonia was gone and i had clear lungs
however my heart size was to big in the xray so my dr did am immediate echocardigram
he saw the results and told me not to wory but there was excess fluid in my percardial sac
he referred me to a cardiologist and said they would contact me for an appointment
he didnt answer alot of questions and didnt seem like it was emergent
he said it had to be reviewed but could be handled by monitoring it and or medication
if it causes stress to the heart because of to much fluid build up they may have to insert a window or drain the fluid
heres my new dilemna lol
as i research the internet about enlarged hearts and fluid it scares the living daylights out of you
however i am only 44 i dont smoke anymore and i have had no chest pains or dizzyness
my only symptom left is the lack of energy and breathing hard after walking up the stairs
this seems to go away after i cough up the phelgm though
my dr said keep taking the musinex and get all the phelgm out and see the cardiologist
after reading i learned that this condition can happen after pneumonia
my best case scenario now is that i cough up phlegm and start breathing better
and im praying the cardiologist says my enlargement can be managed until it goes away and i can get my hernia and colostomy operated on asap
your absolutley right greenlydia and i am now going to be proactive and attack my weight eating habits and stop waiting around when i have symptoms
my big hope is that the lack of energy and the lack of breath after walking to much is not due to this fluid thing
in many cases i should have way more symptoms if the fluid was affectimg mt heart functions and the echo showed all my valves and everything acting normal
has anyone had any experience with excess fluid in the pericardial sac showing an enlarged heart on an x-ray
this news has got me pannicky all over again but the zanax takes the fear away and lets me relax
you guys are geat by the way and your like a haven for those of us who are big babies
thanks
Dan
ps
i ahve a beautiful wife of 19 years and 3 kids and today received the contract to sell half of my business thereby relieving me of immediate financial problems and 1/2 my workload
its almost as if i was hiding and not wanting to find out any problems
you cant wish this stuff away
today was 30 days smoke free and im still winded when walking to much and i cough up clear phlegm now
today i went to my dr and got another xray and the pneumonia was gone and i had clear lungs
however my heart size was to big in the xray so my dr did am immediate echocardigram
he saw the results and told me not to wory but there was excess fluid in my percardial sac
he referred me to a cardiologist and said they would contact me for an appointment
he didnt answer alot of questions and didnt seem like it was emergent
he said it had to be reviewed but could be handled by monitoring it and or medication
if it causes stress to the heart because of to much fluid build up they may have to insert a window or drain the fluid
heres my new dilemna lol
as i research the internet about enlarged hearts and fluid it scares the living daylights out of you
however i am only 44 i dont smoke anymore and i have had no chest pains or dizzyness
my only symptom left is the lack of energy and breathing hard after walking up the stairs
this seems to go away after i cough up the phelgm though
my dr said keep taking the musinex and get all the phelgm out and see the cardiologist
after reading i learned that this condition can happen after pneumonia
my best case scenario now is that i cough up phlegm and start breathing better
and im praying the cardiologist says my enlargement can be managed until it goes away and i can get my hernia and colostomy operated on asap
your absolutley right greenlydia and i am now going to be proactive and attack my weight eating habits and stop waiting around when i have symptoms
my big hope is that the lack of energy and the lack of breath after walking to much is not due to this fluid thing
in many cases i should have way more symptoms if the fluid was affectimg mt heart functions and the echo showed all my valves and everything acting normal
has anyone had any experience with excess fluid in the pericardial sac showing an enlarged heart on an x-ray
this news has got me pannicky all over again but the zanax takes the fear away and lets me relax
you guys are geat by the way and your like a haven for those of us who are big babies
thanks
Dan
ps
i ahve a beautiful wife of 19 years and 3 kids and today received the contract to sell half of my business thereby relieving me of immediate financial problems and 1/2 my workload
WOW. That is some leaky canoe you're paddling around in!
While we could take each of your issues and give you our thoughts, opinions and suggestions, MY humble opinion is that you need to see your doctor immediately and begin to seriously address some of these medical issues. And I sure as hell would start with that ostomy you've let go for NINE YEARS! Business stress and everything else aside, what the hell were you thinking?
I also think you would benefit by getting into some therapy for all the stress and anxiety in your life. Many of your symptoms COULD be psychosomatic, but there IS a direct correlation between stress and illness.
When you finally got around to asking a question, it was "how long should I wait for this to go away?" My answer..................not another bloody minute!
No offense my friend, but you're a train wreck waiting to happen. Please get the help you need now before it really is too late.
You must get proactive in your own healthcare and you must do it now.
Let us know how you're doing, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
While we could take each of your issues and give you our thoughts, opinions and suggestions, MY humble opinion is that you need to see your doctor immediately and begin to seriously address some of these medical issues. And I sure as hell would start with that ostomy you've let go for NINE YEARS! Business stress and everything else aside, what the hell were you thinking?
I also think you would benefit by getting into some therapy for all the stress and anxiety in your life. Many of your symptoms COULD be psychosomatic, but there IS a direct correlation between stress and illness.
When you finally got around to asking a question, it was "how long should I wait for this to go away?" My answer..................not another bloody minute!
No offense my friend, but you're a train wreck waiting to happen. Please get the help you need now before it really is too late.
You must get proactive in your own healthcare and you must do it now.
Let us know how you're doing, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
i got a cold in oct 17 2007 lead in to asthma which ive never had and bronchitis, its jan 28 ans still fighting it so long time been on 3 different meds for it . now because of the asthma thing its threw me into anxiety so am have ing the chest pains from air in chest from anxisty short of breath. so i know its hard but hang in there . have you had a full cardio work up on heart to be safe if not have done that will ease a lot of your worries.
how long can bronchitis hang on?
My mother had it for 10 months once.
how long can smoking withdrawl hang on ?
Smoking withdrawls can hangon for years especially with the habit you had congrats on quitting I just quit chewing tobacco about 2 months ago so I know about nicotine withdrawls they suck.
how long can i take 1 lortab a day?
I would say as long as the doctor is okay with it but don't get addicted even though you say you don't abuse drugs you are already pre-disposed to becoming addicted because you abused the drug nicotine for 24 years.
I hope all of these answers help and I will be praying for you get well soon.
My mother had it for 10 months once.
how long can smoking withdrawl hang on ?
Smoking withdrawls can hangon for years especially with the habit you had congrats on quitting I just quit chewing tobacco about 2 months ago so I know about nicotine withdrawls they suck.
how long can i take 1 lortab a day?
I would say as long as the doctor is okay with it but don't get addicted even though you say you don't abuse drugs you are already pre-disposed to becoming addicted because you abused the drug nicotine for 24 years.
I hope all of these answers help and I will be praying for you get well soon.
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