Pneumonia-Brown Flecked Sputum

[Ellieut]

I am 39, female in pretty good shape (I run and work out regularly) I came down with Pneumonia after I had visited both the Bahamas and France in February and March. I came back from the bahamas with a cough, I got really bad in Paris and then seemed to get better when I came back home. But a few weeks ago I had severe phrenic nerve pain and they diagnosed me with Lingular Pneumonia and I was hospitalized for a week on IV antibiotics (I had bilateral effusions as well as bacterial sepsis-my bp dropped to 50/30 and I had tachycardia and they flooded me with fluids which caused the effusion) . The first  day I was on two ABT's, zithromax and something else but the IV versions. They changed that to Avelox IV for one day then by mouth which I developed an allergy to after the 8th day, but only had one pill left to take (by allergy I mean raised red rash all over skin). Doc said it will be 6 weeks before I feel back to normal and I am very tired still but not like I was.

My problem/question is that I still am coughing up brown flecked sputum multiple times a day. I put in two calls to my docs office but haven't heard back. This is 3 weeks post hospital now, and I am just wondering if it is something that takes a while to clear up? The brown flecked sputum didn't start until I had finished with the avelox but I didn't have full use of my lungs until several days after the avelox finished.

The most important part I think is that I feel better than I did, my breathing is fairly easy-though a little tight still, no fever or audible wheezing.  I am just worried maybe I picked up something else on top of the pneumonia.

Is it normal to have this continue for awhile when you have pneumonia?

[Jenlbi]

Around 9/27 I had the start of bronchitis & was taking some mucinex with a leftover antibiotic. Each day I thought I'd wake up feeling better. Unfortunately each day seemed a lil worse. After a week of suffering I went to urgent care. Apparently just by listening to my lungs, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I was put on Albuterol in the nebulizer & Biaxin (antibiotic) & they said continue the mucinex. After about 5 days I cut the neb down to once a day but still taking antibiotics 2x's a day plus mucinex. Around day 8 I stopped the nebulizer bc it seemed to be making my cough worse. Plus it made me dizzy, exhausted, and a bad taste in my mouth that was hard to get rid of.  So I just finished my round of antibiotics & now I have a terrible rash itchy as hell on my legs!! It's on my arms a little but not as bad as my legs! No matter what I do, change my clothes, wash, put cream on,  cortisone, Benadryl cream, anything, it's still very itchy. I'm not scratching, just rubbing. Is this normal? My husband woke up today feeling like he had the flu. He tested negative for the flu but his X-ray showed pneumonia. His alimemts are a lot different then mine. Is it possible for me to be getting sick all over again? Am I always gonna be on a sensitive path now that I've had pneumonia? I'm 38 and thought pneumonia was for babies & older people. I guess not. Now the trick is making sure my 3 kids don't get a hint of what I had or my husband has! Suggestions? Recommendations? Thank you!

[Ellieut]

I just wanted to update this...spoke to my docs office this morning, they forgot to call but she had put a note in my chart about it. She said following pneumonia this is normal and can occur for several weeks after. As long as I am not having any worsening symptoms and am showing improvement, even if it is slow, that this is normal. If I have a fever or any change or worsening in symptoms I should go in to see her immediately. So I am relieved.