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What Causes Blood While Coughing Up While Treating Pneumonia?

Posted on Thu, 7 Jan 2016

Question: Hi the doctors I went to said I had double pneumonia I have been on three antibiotics and two cough medicines it's been over a month I am just wondering could it be blood clots I take metformin and atenolol and levothyroxin and birth control and wellburtrin

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, these can be blood clots.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, these can be blood clots (Pulmonary embolism).
You are having risk factors like diabetes, hypothyroidism, on birth control pills etc.
All these are atherogenic and may cause embolism in Pulmonary vessels.
So possibility of pulmonary embolism is more in your case.
For this you need to get done CT Pulmonary angiography.
Please let me know
1. What are your symptoms?
2. Do you have chest pain, breathlessness, hemoptysis (blood in sputum)?
3. Have you ever undergone CT Pulmonary angiography?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (2 hours later)

Yes I do have chest pain it hurts when I breathe in and out I have a bad cough have a lot of mucous spit up blood twice can't get nothing else up I get short of breath every easy also sweat for no apparent reason even without a fever and that's been going for months also the last few weeks having a bad headache on the top of my head that's about it Also before I got sick my legs were hurting for awhile

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Have you ever undergone CT Pulmonary angiography?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
By your history and description, possibility of following are likely
1. Post infectious bronchitis
2. Pulmonary embolism
3. Worsening of lung infection.
So please let me know
1. Do you smoke?
2. Have you ever undergone CT Pulmonary angiography?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (2 hours later)

Hi no I do not smoke I did have two chest x rays within 1week one said I had double pneumonia then the last xray they said my lungs are clear but I can hear my lungs crackling and at times it feels like something is lodge right in the middle and it's hard to catch my breath I took 3 different antibiotics since October I started out with a bad cough which I can't get rid of I know there something wrong I can feel it I am not usally sick this long

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (4 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You are mostly having post infectious bronchitis.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
So by your history and description, possibility of post infectious bronchitis is more in your case. It is treatable and commonly seen. It is inflammatory changes in lungs after pneumonia. It causes bronchospasm, breathing difficulty, coughing, chest tightness etc.
So better to consult pulmonologist and get done clinical examination of respiratory system and PFT (Pulmonary Function Test).
Please let me know if you had Pulmonary Function Test( blowing type test) during the course of illness.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar