Please help me with my pneumonia.

I’m in my third week of a bad case of pneumonia. I’m a 62 year old
male. I smoked most of my life but haven’t for the last 8 years or so.
I have been treated by a doctor with two different kinds of
anti-biotics and am much better but there is still some fluid in my
lungs. The doctor considered tapping my lung (left one) to drain the
fluid but decided it wasn’t necessary.

My request for help is what self help can I do to help my body get rid
of the fluid in my lungs. I am doing the percussion on my lung area
several times each day. I do deep breathing exercises. I’m taking
Guaifenesin Rx to assist in breaking up the fluid. I occasionally have
a coughing spell and get a little bit of mucus up. The mucus is clear
but very sticky.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

I assume that you know that you have pneumonia because you had
a chest X-ray… Some forms of pneumonia can cause fluid in the
pleural space, and some pneumonias may take a long time to resolve.
The antibiotic regimen might make a difference, as not all antibiotics
cover the different potential causes of pneumonia. Furthermore,
without knowing more of your health history, medications, etc. it is
pretty much next to impossible to give accurate or complete
information…

When I see someone who comes in with a history of “persistent
pneumonia,” I like to check to see the films, review any cultures or
lab and examine the patient for signs of heart failure, aspiration,
connective tissue diseases, etc. A history of iv drug abuse or
unprotected high-risk sex would make me wonder about PCP pneumonia in
HIV infection. If your CXR showed an infiltrate along with partial,
persistent collapse of a segment of lung, I’d worry about a bronchial
blockage. Even though you stopped smoking, your past smoking history
puts you at risk for bronchogenic carcinoma, which can do this.
Fungal infections or infections with atypical organisms might not
respond to whatever it was that you’ve been given. You see, it is a
complicated issue. If you’re not improving, talk to your doctor about
having an internist or pulmonary specialist look you over… Hope that
helps without being too frightening.

Drink plenty of fluids. One of the greatest dangers, especially with
elderly patients, is dehydration. Because of your age and the prolongation
of signs and symptoms of your disease, I strongly suggest that you have a
medical professional assess you daily. You should go in for an immediate
evaluation by a physician because of the prolongation of the signs and
symptoms of pneumonia. Also, I suggest that you take the Pneumovax
vaccination which will prevent and/or ameliorate not only pneumonia but
many other diseases and conditions. You should go to a hospital
immediately, if you have trouble breathing, have an altered mental status
(feel drowsiness alert),have low blood pressure, and/or have any other
significant disease . Again, because of your age, I believe that you
should have your pneumonia and your general health condition checked daily
until the signs and symptoms of pneumonia disappear. I am not a physician.
The morbidity and mortality associated with pneumonia is high for
individuals over 70 especially if associated disease or risk factor.