I really hope someone can offer some advice. I caught a cold that turned into a chest infection. I didn’t go to a GP at first since I usually recover from these things on my own. However, one day, I was feeling much worse and tried calling the doctor, but they were closed. I finally went in on the 27th last October and was diagnosed with a chest infection and prescribed Amoxicillin. I finished the course, but I still didn’t feel better and began experiencing pain under my right breast, almost like a pulled muscle or bruising in my ribs. I saw a doctor who checked my pulse to rule out a pulmonary embolism and said it was likely from coughing too much. I left with that explanation and continued taking Ibuprofen, which helped manage the pain.
Then, on the Monday, I had a strange episode where my heart was beating really fast and irregularly, I felt sweaty, dizzy, and couldn’t stop shaking. I decided to go home from work and considered seeing the doctor. Meanwhile, the pain on my right side kept getting worse. I went back to the GP, who suggested it might be pleuritic pain from the infection and prescribed more antibiotics—Amoxiclav.
I still felt awful, and he asked me to come back the following Friday to check my blood pressure, which was slightly high. I finished the Amoxiclav, but things got even worse—chest pain, bad cough, exhaustion, and I lost my sense of smell and taste. I was so tired.
I went back to the GP in mid-January, broke down in tears, and told him things weren’t improving. He took some blood and sent me for a chest X-ray. The blood tests showed an infection but no blood clot, and the X-ray was clear. I rarely visit the doctor, and I felt like he thought I was exaggerating my symptoms.
He prescribed me Clarithromycin 500mg twice a day, but I still feel terrible. I’m taking these along with extra-strength Ibuprofen and paracetamol for the chest pain.
I’m really starting to wonder if I’ll ever feel better. I feel so down, haven’t left the house for days, and just want to sleep because of how exhausted I am. It’s been over a month now, and I can’t remember what it feels like to feel normal again.
Has anyone experienced something similar or know how long it takes to recover from something like this? Sorry for the long post, I just feel really lost right now.