Antibiotics

Stop smoking


That sounds pretty bad, that happened to me once, but on a much smaller scale(2 weeks instead of 5) I ate a lot of cough drops and stuff, and I drank a lot of water. That's about it.

 

Reading this thread makes me want to cough

 

I would go back and make sure that you have not developed pneumonia. 5 weeks is just too long to have the flu. I hope you get better soon.

 

Giving anibiotics for the flu is useless. The flu is a virus, antibiotics only work on bacteria. While the actue phase of the flu only lasts for a few days, the recovery can be for weeks. I would suggest an OTC decongestant, your pharmacist can recommend one. Its a safe bet that most of your cough may be from post nasal drip. The mucosa of the sphenoid sinuses are probably still a little inflamed. The reaction of the mucosa to inflammation is to create mucous. You may want to try some Motrin (200mg) every 4-6 hours as well. A cough supressant would help as well, you can get one that is a decongestant as well, kill 2 birds so to speak. Other than that you are gonna have to just tough it out.


Mike

 

What Mike said. Antibiotics are worthless in your case.

Mike, are you a doctor or what?

brad cook

 

OOO...OOO...OOO...I KNOW I KNOW, PICK ME!!!





Hey, Doc, any thoughts on the rampant over-perscription of antibiotics over the past 40-50 years, and its effect on resistant strains of bacteria? I still know health-care "professionals" that will suggest or perscribe antibiotics for viral infections...

 

Gard: Yes, the over prescribing og ABX has led to nice little bugs like MRSA (methecillin resistant staph aureus), and VRE (vancomycin resistant enteroccocus) and our latest VRSA (Vanco resistant Staph). Back in earlier years everything, to a large degree, could be taken care of with good ole 'cillin. Now we have almost as many classes of ABX as bugs; cephalosporins, aminoglycocides and so on. Bugs seem to get smarter as we do.

Pete: Try a simple supressant then or a codiene base suspension. In the old days, your pharmacist could whip up some turpinhydrate which was great for just that. Ask your local pharmacist, I dont really know what is available OTC down under. If not ask your MD for a codiene based scrip.

I doubt its anything serious. Just keep an eye on your symptoms for drastic changes; fever, changes in sputum color or amount etc.

Let me know if I can help.


Mike

 

Huh,huh..uuuhhh he said "sputum" huh huh.

My wife will be a doctor in 1 year. Yes, I act this way around her too.

brad cook

 

I think you have better doctors in the US and Australia...or more concerned!

I had a really bad flu-like fever last weekend and although that went quickly, I had a cough that I couldn't shake off and it made me feel really bad - like I could hardly breathe and my lungs were full of fluid. I had to cough really hard to clear it and I'm sure I could taste blood - yuch!

So I went to the doctor last Thursday and she was really concerned - said I should have come earlier and she prescribed me antibiotics (asked if I was allergic to penicillin) and some kind of inhaler - like people have for asthma (although I have never had asthma myself)) and got me to go to the hospital for a chest X-Ray the next day!

I haven't had the results of that yet, but she gave me a medical certificate which says "Chest Infection" ?


Different approach?

Still - I feel better for getting that "Off my chest" - har har - if only I could!!

 

Doctors love to speak in generalities, it has relaced Latin in some schools . I would dare say that you had a similar illness as Pete. The inhaler you were given was most likely Albuterol Sulfate. Most often given for asthma, its a Beta 2 agonist (relaxes smooth bronchial muscles for better air passage). Like I told Pete, the acute phase is relatively short, while the revoery is much longer. In your case, however, I would suggest that you get a cough syrup with a mucolytic, that will help thin out the stuff you are coughing up. These preparations require that you drink plenty of fluids as well.

Hope you both get to feeling better soon.


Mike

 

"Mike, are you a doctor or what?"
brad cook

--------------------------

Yes, Mike is the real thing. He is not only a doctor but he is a compassionate doctor.

Mike was one of the volunteer doctors at the WTC disaster.

Mike has been placed in the position of resident Talkbass physician and we are all rather proud to be associated with him.

Besides that, he is a fellow Tarheel!

Pkr2

 

I really thank for your kind words my friend. What I do here is nothing special. I just talk about what I know, if it helps someone here, all the better. I dont have the musical or technical knowledge that some very intelligent folks have here, just I just try to give back at least half as much as I have learned.

Helping people is what I do. Lending an ear or a helping hand gives me a sense of altruism, which I guess in some selfish sort of way, keeps me atuned to why I went into medicine in the first place.


Thanks again my friend.


Mike

 

Pulmocort is good medicine, for short periods. Mind thats for non-asthmatics of course. Inhaled steroids have a tendency to breed thrush, a simple yeast infection. I would be willing to bet that the inflammation you got (more commonly known as bronchitis), started in the nasal passages and infected the upper respiratory tract. Thats the most common course of events.

I am not a big fan of giving inhaled steroids for minor conditions. It takes a couple of days to build up to theraputic effects, most inflammations are usually resolved by then. In your case I think it was appropriate though.

Hope all is better soon.



Mike

 

Wrong kind of steroid bud. You dont owe me anything, just get better.


Mike