What should I do?

So, here’s my situation: I have multiple sclerosis, and for the last couple of weeks, it feels like I’ve been hitting a new flare-up. I was supposed to wait for my scheduled appointment at the clinic, but while I was waiting, things took a turn on Friday and I ended up in the ER because I simply couldn't walk. They checked my temperature there—it was 38.8°C—and they did a chest X-ray. Unfortunately, I don't have the written report on me right now, but they mentioned seeing "something that could be bronchopneumonia." However, since I haven't had any coughing or sneezing, and the fever didn't kick in until that evening, the doctor concluded it was most likely an error on the scan and diagnosed me with the flu instead. Anyway, I finished a Tamiflu 5 day course, and I was told to check in with my neurologist after a week if my CRP (which was 13 at the hospital), the X-ray, and my CBC results are looking good. Regarding the X-ray... does it even make sense to redo the scan if the doctor isn't even sure about the lung inflammation? My breathing sounded normal when I was admitted, too. For context, my blood work from the hospital showed SE 30, L 10.1 (seg. 89%), E 4.9, and Hg 140 Tr 307. Now, my primary care physician gave me more Tamiflu, though I’m honestly not sure why?! Because of this flare-up, getting around is really difficult, so I’m being quite cautious about these follow-up tests. Sorry for the long post, and thanks so much in advance for any insight!

Based on your blood work, it looks pretty clearly like you're dealing with some kind of inflammatory virus. Since your CRP is elevated (it should be under 5, but yours is at 13), your ESR is up (should be 10, yours is 30), and your white cell count is sitting just above the normal range—plus you've got a fever—there’s definitely an inflammation going on somewhere. Whether it's in the lungs or elsewhere, I can't say. Regardless, you really should get a follow-up CBC, check your CRP and ESR again, and probably redo that chest X-ray just to be safe. Also, make sure to follow up with a neurologist per the ER doctor's recommendation. That’s just my humble advice from one amateur hypochondriac to another. :-)

Good luck!

So, I spent five days in the hospital, and my fever only showed up on Friday night and Saturday morning. Since then? Nothing. Not even now that I’m back home... Is a temperature of 4-24 degrees really considered normal? I realize there's some kind of inflammation going on, but does it really make sense to have two different chest X-rays in about ten days? Especially since the doctor isn't even certain it's pneumonia, and I haven't even been treated for it yet...