WWYD - friend needs advice with medical stuff

[ktgrok]

The hive knows all, right?

By best friend, several hours away, has had reccurrent lung issues for months. I think 5 months? Been on and off antibiotics, steroid inhaler I think, regular inhaler. Is STILL struggling. Went to doctor about a week ago - the clinic run by the county government which is also her employer - that is where she is supposed to go for first line illness. She was feeling worse again, and they did test her for COVID 19 but it was negative. Some low fever (around 100) and if she doesn't take her albuterol inhaler they gave her at one of these meany visits at least every 2-4 hours her pulse ox gets down to 93. With taking it she is around 96. 

At this point I recommended a pulmonologist, but she called all in the area and only two are taking appointments due to all this - one had something in May, the other in July. Obviously, she can't go on like this that long. And she has a kid with Specific Immune Deficiency who is high risk for COVID and has his own nearly constant respiratory issues due to that. 

So what does she do? Back to same clinic that keeps treating her like she's just being dramatic? Er? Urgent care? Something else? She tried her son's allergist/immunologist but they are only doing allergy shot appointments, nothing else, until this situation changes. I'm sure the others are the same. 

She does have hypothyroidism. And recently had a day with bad muscle pain all over, same day as lowest SpO2. Sometimes painful stabbing hip pain - although she says feels more like the skin over the hip maybe, not the joint. 

Edited to add: Symptoms have been cough, sometimes so she can't catch her breath, chest tightness, sometimes chest pain. For months. 

Edited March 28, 2020 by Ktgrok

[klmama]

FWIW, I've gotten better answers at urgent care than from my PCP.  I'm sure it's not that way everywhere, but I was impressed.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I would take the pulmonologist appt. in May.  Pulse Ox of 93 is not optimal but isn't considered too low either.  (I am in the same boat as she is).  The main thing is finding out why she has a low fever.  Is it a hidden infection? 

Also - and I am not anywhere near an expert - but I have heard off some people testing negative for COVID19 and then having subsequent tests be positive.  Don't know what to do about that though.  If she's had it for 5 months, then that in and of itself suggests something other than COVID19.

[ktgrok]

48 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I would take the pulmonologist appt. in May.  Pulse Ox of 93 is not optimal but isn't considered too low either.  (I am in the same boat as she is).  The main thing is finding out why she has a low fever.  Is it a hidden infection? 

Also - and I am not anywhere near an expert - but I have heard off some people testing negative for COVID19 and then having subsequent tests be positive.  Don't know what to do about that though.  If she's had it for 5 months, then that in and of itself suggests something other than COVID19.

Yeah, I don't think it is Covid, although she was working until last week with people who had gotten back from New York City recently 😞

And yes, I'm wondering if she has another case of walking pneumonia. 

 

[Ottakee]

1 minute ago, Ktgrok said:

Yeah, I don't think it is Covid, although she was working until last week with people who had gotten back from New York City recently 😞

And yes, I'm wondering if she has another case of walking pneumonia. 

 

Will her primary do telemed and see about an antibiotic until she can be seen?  Sounds like pneumonia.

[ktgrok]

Realized I hadn't said what her symptoms were. Symptoms have been cough, sometimes so she can't catch her breath, chest tightness, sometimes chest pain. For months. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

If she can safely get a chest x-ray then do that.  If not, see if she can get her doc to prescribe antibiotics. 

[kbutton]

I would suggest ER if she can't do telemed and be taken seriously.