Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
#1
Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
Hi all, I've been using my bipap for 11 months. 

In that time, I've had two suspected cases of pneumonia. One case is ongoing—I just finished a course of antibiotics (Z-Pak)—still not back to normal. Have had other upper respiratory issues before I started my therapy (whooping cough, mononucleousis), but never had pneumonia until after I began using my bipap. (Not suggesting there's a causal link, but worth mentioning.)

My symptoms are a productive cough in the morning (sorry to gross you out, but lots of green phlegm), and crackling in my lungs on the exhale. 

My GP doesn't believe my machine is to blame. Still using my bipap nightly.  I'm diligent on cleaning—usually wash everything w/ dish soapweekly, and have upped cleaning to every other night during my illness. Using Control III too. Humidity on my AirCurve is set to auto—not sure if all that moisture could have any negative effect. Have other people had issues with their humidity setting causing respiratory issues? 

Wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or could share tips on how to beat this!
Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
General advice:
Move around and sit up as much as possible during the day.  
Take steamy showers.  Helps loosen phlegm.
Take a good Multivitamin with C and D.
Stay hydrated with real water, natural juice, and or something like gatorade. Not Caffeine or Soda.
Eat well.
Rest well.
Might sleep propped up. 30 40 degrees if you can or feel like you need to.

How long was your Zpak?
How far out are you from you last dose?

Depending on your age once you get well you might consider the Pneumonia Vaccine. Helps to prevent certain strains and reoccurrence.

Quote:Pneumococcal Vaccination
Pronounced (noo-muh-KOK-uhl)

Vaccines help prevent pneumococcal disease, which is any type of illness caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. There are two kinds of pneumococcal vaccines available in the United States:
  • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV13
  • Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or PPSV23
[size=undefined]
CDC recommends PCV13 for all children younger than 2 years old and people 2 years or older with certain medical conditions. Adults 65 years or older also can discuss and decide, with their clinician, to get PCV13.
CDC recommends PPSV23 for all adults 65 years or older, people 2 through 64 years old with certain medical conditions, and adults 19 through 64 years old who smoke cigarettes.[/size]

You should have received a DTaP vaccine as a child?  This prevent Pertussis (whopping cough).  If not as a child it is Tdap for adults.

Quote:Two vaccines in the United States help prevent whooping cough: DTaP and Tdap. These vaccines also provide protection against tetanus and diphtheria. Children younger than 7 years old get DTaP, while older children, teens, and adults get Tdap.


I hope you get well soon..
Thank you,
Brent aka Factor

Just a Regular guy.
My untreated AHI was 87.  You can do it hang in there.
"You can if you will"   Jerry Kramer

Got OSCAR?
Organize Charts
Optimizing Therapy

My Story
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. All I can say is 2 courses of Z-Pak didn't touch my pneumonia. They had to prescribe something stronger as well as prednisone and breathing treatments. Did they take an x-ray? Don't wait if things aren't improving.

Best wishes for quick recovery.
Ceci
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
Lankylefty says upper respiratory infections can happen if you aren't cleaning your humidifier tank daily. Or at least rinsing it out in the morning and letting it dry during the day.

A friend of mine also had 2 bouts of pneumonia within 18 months of starting cpap.
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
I had a bit of pneumonia July 4 week 2019. It was diagnosed with I went to ER via ambulance with chest heaviness and severe pain across upper chest and left shoulder. A CT scan found it, and blood testing clarified type. I spent that weekend in hospital in supplemental oxygen at 2L/Min for the first 24 hours, dropped to 1L/Min the next 12, then none. A recent chest CT showed lung scarring.

It weren't fun, so I can empathize.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
If you aren't using distilled water in humidifier start doing so. It does make a difference on keeping the water/dehumidifier and also hose and mask clean (especially if you have hard water).
Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: Pneumonia/upper respiratory issues...any tips?
I'm sorry you're having so many problems. The constant green phlegm sounds (to me, as not a doctor but a medical microbiologist) as though you have chronic bronchitis - that may be secondary to the bout of whooping cough (which can cause serious lung damage - I caught it as a child and I still whoop now if I get a bad URI). I don't know if you are or have been a smoker, but that can often cause chronic bronchitis too. The issue is that because of the chronic inflammation in the smaller airways, the congestion and mucus sits in them and is harder to cough up. Then, that makes it the perfect environment for the bacteria that are all over your airways to overgrow or for pathogenic bacteria to take hold if you come into contact with someone else carrying them. And even just a nasty viral infection can cause chronic bronchitis to set up, which then makes you more prone to getting pneumonia.

On top of that, many people with pre-existing health issues affecting their lungs are going to be on some form of PAP because the two areas tend to overlap a lot, so it's not always easy to tell the cause.

The problem is that xPAP blows far more air into your lungs, nose and throat (and mouth) than normal, and so no matter HOW clean you keep it, it's always going to potentially throw in more of the normal, environmental viruses and bacteria that are in the air. That's why it's so important to keep your filters changed regularly as well as general cleanliness. If you think it might be worsening things, then look into using antibacterial filters, if necessary. But even those almost certainly won't protect again any respiratory viruses that might be floating around.

From a microbiological perspective, there's no real difference between using tap water or distilled. Both are going to get equally contaminated over the time they sit in the tank, but while the tap water (may) have some residual chlorine to kill off bugs, distilled won't. But it definitely will help with limescale if you have hard water.

Other than that, keep washing your hands, don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth, and try to keep away from sick people. And if you're still feeling sick, especially if you're still coughing up green mucus, go back to the doctor and ask them to test the sputum sample again.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Air Mini issues Bous 0 52 Yesterday, 08:14 AM
Last Post: Bous
  Sinus issues with CPAP Luka07 9 187 03-26-2024, 09:28 AM
Last Post: Luka07
  ASV settings and tips jcp519 43 1,346 03-26-2024, 03:19 AM
Last Post: stevew168
  Taking Xyrem: what are these respiratory rate spikes DebJ 3 114 03-24-2024, 01:56 PM
Last Post: DebJ
  Issues with APAP WWYD FlyingUmbrella683 1 86 03-22-2024, 07:21 PM
Last Post: Deborah K.
  How to remedy issues during lighter sleep period, 3 AM-7 AM rosebladepat 0 109 03-15-2024, 07:45 PM
Last Post: rosebladepat
  Airsense 10 Issues cgries2448 0 156 03-09-2024, 03:31 PM
Last Post: cgries2448


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.