I have been suffering a severe chest infection for 5 weeks now. Have had 4 lots of antibiotics including one course of new ones reserved for ‘all else fails’ and steroids. It seems to improve slightly then comes back very severe again.
I am booked in for a chest x ray on Wednesday…my paperwork says ‘check for lung secondaries’ and nothing else so am absolutely paranoid and terrified. I know this can be the first symptom for lung cancer as primary but guess I’m looking for reassurance as feeling really really low.
Hi Judy
I don’t have any experience I can share with you about lung mets (I have bone mets) but I do understand how scared you must be. I am ‘bumping’ this up to the top of the list so someone else will hopefully see it and help you. Good luck with the Xray and fingers crossed it is an infection and nothing else
Nicky
If you need some extra support during this worrying time please do give the BCC helpline a call. Here you can share your concerns and fears with a trained member of staff who will be able to offer you emotional support.
hello, thought i would share experiences with you, i too have had some really nasty chest infections over the last year, the last one only in September and i could not breath at all, my GP sent me straight to hosp, where they did a chest xray, this they were not happy with and they wanted to investigate further, so i had to have a ct scan. the scan was fine it showed there were no nasties lurking around. They are still unsure why i keep having problems with my chest and have given me a steroid inhaler( which i am not happy with ) but does appear to be working. i do believe this can be that our bodies have been thru the mill, also i am on exemasestane . i had a nightmare couple of weeks while this was being investigated, but you have my love and best wishes that your outcome is the same.
In autumn 2007 to spring 2008 I had several months of recurring chest infections with fevers which even went to pneumonia at one stage. I too was given course after course of antibiotics, but the infections just kept coming back. In the end the doctor gave me a double strength/length course of antibiotics and that seemed to do the trick - that and a diagnosis of bone mets! - so in my case I think the chest infections were a sign of my body fighting the cancer elsewhere. In any case after the stronger-longer antibiotics and once I’d started treatment for the bone mets I didn’t have any more chest infections. And a chest ct scan showed no nasties in the lungs.
I’m trying to reassure you that your chest infections aren’t necessarily a sign of lung primaries/secondaries, but neither do I want you to worry that you’ve something serious lurking elsewhere, just because in my case there was! My doctor told me that it was something called ‘bronchiectasis’ (spelling?) - an inflamation/irritation of the bronchioles in the lungs, a sort of vicious circle - the more infections you get, the more irritation/inflamation there is, and so the more infections you get.
Anyway, good luck, I hope you get it sorted out soon, as I know how draining it is. And of course you’re worried stiff.
My repeated chest infections have been put down to scarring following rads in 2007.Mind you I have always been prone to chest infections since childhood.The worst isnt inevitable but its good that it is being checked out and hopefully will be resolved soon.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences it has eased my nerves considerably. Its just scary that this wont respond to treatment. I lost a lovely friend last year to lung cancer and hers started this way so has sent my anxious mind into overdrive.
Was my 3rd BC anniversary yesterday and things were going so well till I got this.
Thank you all lovely ladies once again. Will let you know how it goes.
Hi, God BLess you Judy and I hope all goes well. I’m from the US, BTW. My mom has HER2+, stage 4 w/bone and liver mets. Her scans show everything is stable but CT scan showed inflammation in l. lung. When she hears ANYTHING about the lung, she loses it. Her father died from LC in 1975. The onco told her IMMEDIATELY, this is NOT a sign of cancer. Although, Judy, it sounds like your friend’s case started this way. The doc said it’s likely a new or old infection. Mom has NO chest pain, wheezing or cough. No sputum, just a slight tickle in her trachea.
Hi tvnutt thank you for your post. I hope your mum is ok. I have to wait til next Wednesday for the results of my chest x ray so still really worrying. Cant understand why my symptoms will not go as into my 6th week of this now.
Just a thought with waiting for results - sometimes your BCN can get a sneak preview - it’s worth a phone call, even it only saves you a day or 2 of worrying - we all know how precious that day or 2 can be!!
my 46 year old sister has been in hospital for the past week and we thought being treated for a chest infection. which then was a infection they could not find…we had scan results a few weeks ago and she was feeling a bit unwell so we thought it had got worse. went along to the clinic and was told the results were good and the disease had stabilized. she gradually went down and down. today we found out that the disease had got worse on her lungs but when I asked why was this not pointed out a few weeks ago he said that sometimes they do not always show up on scans? not clear anyway. sorry I am rambling, she has BC with secondaries to lung and bone. she has now got to go thru chemo for the 2nd time in a year. she finished her last course in dec 09. we are all totally gutted.
Hi,
Very frightened at the moment as a week or so ago I started to have problems breathing,no coughing or anything like that, I went to my GP who gave me ventolin and anti-inflammitories-they havn’t worked so went for a chest x ray yesterday and that came back that I had fluid on my left lung,went to my GP for the results today and she said that my cancer has spread to my lung and its not looking good!! I was diagnosed in 2007 g3 nodes0 and had chemo and rads lumpectomy then mastectomy, now on zolodex implants and arimadex, strange thing is I had a bone scan and chest x ray just before christmas and both totally clear, having my lung drained in the morning. Don’t know what to think apart from the worst.
- so in my case I think the chest infections were a sign of my body fighting the cancer elsewhere. In any case after the stronger-longer antibiotics and once I’d started treatment for the bone mets I didn’t have any more chest infections. And a chest ct scan showed no nasties in the lungs.