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**Question in #18**

 

you went to the doctor b/c you've had a fever/chills off/on, your body (especially your lower bones) ache, hacking cough, you feel nausious (sp?) and the only way to kind of combat the symtoms is with tylenol/ibprofin. The above has been happening for three days, btw.

 

You know what the doc told me? Allergies. He then gave a script for antibotics. What's up with that? He said I had drainage down my throat and the antibiotics should take care of it:001_huh:.

 

I asked what about the other symptoms? He said they can be a side effect of the allergies/drainage. Ok, I can see the coughing and feeling sick, but the fever, shakes (COLD!), bones aching??

 

I went to urgent care only b/c I couldn't get in at my regular clinic until the morning and I wanted something working in my system. The last few nights have been miserable.

 

What do you think? Second opinion, or was he not so far off base?

Thanks...

Signed,

Chilly

Edited by mama2cntrykids
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Antibiotics don't help with allergies. They only work for bacterial infections (and are working less and less well because so many jacka$$es are giving people antibiotics for things like allergies and viruses).

 

So, yeah, I'd treat the symptoms - ibuprofen, decongestants, antihistamines - and get a second opinion.

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No, I wouldn't get a 2nd opinion. Of course, being a nurse and therefore a terrible patient, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor after three days of those symptoms. I would assume it was a virus and treat the symptoms. It sure doesn't sound like allergies; you don't run a fever with "just" allergies. I wouldn't take an antibiotic yet either.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

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I just **so** want it to be OVER. I'm not a person that's prone to getting sick, so when I do...it s&cks! Well, it s&cks anyway, but still...

 

Plus, I have my mother and grandpa coming from 3.5 hours away to spend time with us this weekend and I don't want them sick. PLUS, we're having a combined birthday party for both the girls on Saturday!

 

Runs away screaming....

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Antibiotics don't help with allergies. They only work for bacterial infections (and are working less and less well because so many jacka$$es are giving people antibiotics for things like allergies and viruses).

 

So, yeah, I'd treat the symptoms - ibuprofen, decongestants, antihistamines - and get a second opinion.

 

Here's the kicker, besides the coughing/drainage, I don't have any other allergy symptoms;). Yeah, I dis-like urgent care. Only for broken bones from now on, I guess.

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it's not allergies,tho allergies may have led to the illness. My son gets sinus infections all of the time from allergies. The only thing that will clear it up is antibiotics.

 

 

 

I probably would have gone to the dr after fever of three days and a hacking cough. If not fever I'd have let it run for a little while but like you said, you have things going on. The antibiotics may or may not help. When I had bronchitis a few years back (after being very sick for three weeks I finally went in) I got antibiotics and I got better.

 

When I start getting sick I usually do a ton of vitamins and herbal teas, gargle with salt water, anything I can do to head off the illness. It usually works, I'm rarely very sick.

 

hope you feel better soon. I've never used urgent care. My dr is hesitant to prescribe antibiotics so I know when she does we do need them.

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No, I would not get a second opinion. It doesn't sound like allergies. I would guess virus or cold or flu. I would keep taking Advil and wait a few more days.

Thanks for the advice:001_smile:.

 

No, I wouldn't get a 2nd opinion. Of course, being a nurse and therefore a terrible patient, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor after three days of those symptoms. I would assume it was a virus and treat the symptoms. It sure doesn't sound like allergies; you don't run a fever with "just" allergies. I wouldn't take an antibiotic yet either.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you! Maybe I did jump the gun, but sometimes my mind runs away and says, "Oh no...maybe there's something majorly wrong with you. GO! STAT!". I'm weird, no?

 

you have a cold or the flu. Nothing antibiotics will fix, and not allergies either. What a quack. Skip the antibiotics and get some chicken noodle soup, elderberry syrup, and hot tea with lemon.

Hmmm...I will make homemade chicken noodle soup (maybe lol). I have some frozen farm fresh chicken in the freezer, and I'm not sure what else.

 

I guess I'll just have to stay away from mom/grandpa as much as possible. I REALLY want them to come see us. We miss them and they miss us soooo much!

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No, I wouldn't get a 2nd opinion. Of course, being a nurse and therefore a terrible patient, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor after three days of those symptoms. I would assume it was a virus and treat the symptoms. It sure doesn't sound like allergies; you don't run a fever with "just" allergies. I wouldn't take an antibiotic yet either.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

 

:iagree:

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Antibiotics don't help with allergies.

 

Just to file in the back of one's head, chronic sinusitis from allergies is possible, and a decent course of antibiotics is part of the treatment in some cases. Not that that sounds like what is going on here, but allergic rhinitis can turn into a nasty chronic nasal infection.

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I've developed many a sinus infection caused by allergies/drainage, but that doesn't sound like what you've got. ITA that it sounds like the flu. I can't believe the doctor didn't test for it. Of course, pretty much the only time I go to urgent care is if I'm already pretty sure I need an antibiotic--the docs at the one here seem to prescribe them for every visit.

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you went to the doctor b/c you've had a fever/chills off/on, your body (especially your lower bones) ache, hacking cough, you feel nausious (sp?) and the only way to kind of combat the symtoms is with tylenol/ibprofin. The above has been happening for three days, btw.

 

You know what the doc told me? Allergies. He then gave a script for antibotics. What's up with that? He said I had drainage down my throat and the antibiotics should take care of it:001_huh:.

 

I asked what about the other symptoms? He said they can be a side effect of the allergies/drainage. Ok, I can see the coughing and feeling sick, but the fever, shakes (COLD!), bones aching??

 

I went to urgent care only b/c I couldn't get in at my regular clinic until the morning and I wanted something working in my system. The last few nights have been miserable.

 

What do you think? Second opinion, or was he not so far off base?

Thanks...

Signed,

Chilly

Allergies? No. Allergies don't give you fever and chills. Go somewhere else. Fever means infection.

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No, I wouldn't get a 2nd opinion. Of course, being a nurse and therefore a terrible patient, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor after three days of those symptoms. I would assume it was a virus and treat the symptoms. It sure doesn't sound like allergies; you don't run a fever with "just" allergies. I wouldn't take an antibiotic yet either.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

 

This. Down to being a terrible patient, only I'm not a nurse. :lol: (Though hubby is soon-to-be!)

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On the up-side, the antibiotics seem to be helping my hacking cough last night.

 

I'm still debating if I should go in or not. I had a horrible night, but am feeling a lot better now. If I do go in, what will they be able to do for me if I have the flu? Honest question. I'd really like to know b/c if they'll *do* something, than I would probably go.

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There is some evil, viral BLACK PLAGUE going around. Ask me how I know???? I came down with it yesterday, dh had it last week, and eldest ds had it the week before.

 

I ache from head to toe...the head congestion is awful...so awful that my cheekbones and back teeth ache. My head is pounding, my neck doesn't feel strong enough to hold my head up though amazingly, it still does. I have had fever and chills and the drainage is thick so though I am not coughing a lot, when I do, I sound like I'm hacking up a hairball.

 

Three days seems to be the amount of time that it takes to begin to feel human again. The fourth day there is still drainage, but definitely feeling stronger. Dh and ds were fairly recovered on the 5th day.

 

You may whine, and I'll whine tooo....this was a VERY bad time for me to get sick. There is never a good time, but this was definitely bad timing compared to say August...I have a few days I could be sick in August - not that I'm inviting microbes to come bother me in two months.

 

I'm on advil, nyquil, elderberry extract, vitamin c, and olive leaf extract. I can tell this is going to be one of those truly wicked viruses that doesn't respond to much of anything.

 

We are supposed to work on 4-H science projects today. Guess who plans on hanging around the boards and sleeping instead!

 

Faith

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On the up-side, the antibiotics seem to be helping my hacking cough last night.

 

I'm still debating if I should go in or not. I had a horrible night, but am feeling a lot better now. If I do go in, what will they be able to do for me if I have the flu? Honest question. I'd really like to know b/c if they'll *do* something, than I would probably go.

 

Coming in a little late. While I agree it is probably viral based, I would go ahead and take the antibiotics if I hadn't been on them in quite a while. They will help if the drainage has caused a secondary infection. Chances of them hurting anything are tiny. I wouldn't go in because...what else can they do? If it is viral they can't do anything. If it is bacterial, you already have that covered. So snuggle up in bed and let it run its course.

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There is some evil, viral BLACK PLAGUE going around. Ask me how I know???? I came down with it yesterday, dh had it last week, and eldest ds had it the week before.

 

I ache from head to toe...the head congestion is awful...so awful that my cheekbones and back teeth ache. My head is pounding, my neck doesn't feel strong enough to hold my head up though amazingly, it still does. I have had fever and chills and the drainage is thick so though I am not coughing a lot, when I do, I sound like I'm hacking up a hairball.

 

Three days seems to be the amount of time that it takes to begin to feel human again. The fourth day there is still drainage, but definitely feeling stronger. Dh and ds were fairly recovered on the 5th day.

 

You may whine, and I'll whine tooo....this was a VERY bad time for me to get sick. There is never a good time, but this was definitely bad timing compared to say August...I have a few days I could be sick in August - not that I'm inviting microbes to come bother me in two months.

 

I'm on advil, nyquil, elderberry extract, vitamin c, and olive leaf extract. I can tell this is going to be one of those truly wicked viruses that doesn't respond to much of anything.

 

We are supposed to work on 4-H science projects today. Guess who plans on hanging around the boards and sleeping instead!

 

Faith

You had me lol at "black plague". It's so true. The more I think about it, the more I think that doctor was stupid. Obviously he was. Why on earth would he give me antibiotics and tell me my symptoms are from allergies when it's obvious they're NOT? He must be seeing ppl come in that are in the same shape as I am (or was...I'm better today). Does he just give them the same treatment:001_huh:?

 

Today is day four and you're right, I **am** feeling human again (so, so thankful). Now I won't look like a dying dog when my mom and grandpa come today. My oldest dd, however is on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, shaking b/c she's cold. Poor dear.

 

Anyway, it's good to know I'm not alone (or crazy...well, maybe crazy lol).

 

Coming in a little late. While I agree it is probably viral based, I would go ahead and take the antibiotics if I hadn't been on them in quite a while. They will help if the drainage has caused a secondary infection. Chances of them hurting anything are tiny. I wouldn't go in because...what else can they do? If it is viral they can't do anything. If it is bacterial, you already have that covered. So snuggle up in bed and let it run its course.

 

That's what I'm thinking, what else can the doctor do at this point? Probably nothing. Plus the fact that I'm feeling better (for now...the last time I said this I got sick again).

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You had me lol at "black plague". It's so true. The more I think about it, the more I think that doctor was stupid. Obviously he was. Why on earth would he give me antibiotics and tell me my symptoms are from allergies when it's obvious they're NOT? He must be seeing ppl come in that are in the same shape as I am (or was...I'm better today). Does he just give them the same treatment:001_huh:?

 

Today is day four and you're right, I **am** feeling human again (so, so thankful). Now I won't look like a dying dog when my mom and grandpa come today. My oldest dd, however is on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, shaking b/c she's cold. Poor dear.

 

Anyway, it's good to know I'm not alone (or crazy...well, maybe crazy lol).

 

 

 

That's what I'm thinking, what else can the doctor do at this point? Probably nothing. Plus the fact that I'm feeling better (for now...the last time I said this I got sick again).

 

The doctor probably does give abx to everyone--like I said before, the doctors at the urgent care here hand them out like candy.:glare:

 

Glad you're feeling better today!

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Based on your system it sounds like it sounds like the flu to me. The flu is a virus. Viruses can not be treated. The best you can do is treat the symptoms but otherwise you just have to wait it out. Anti-biotics would be of no help what-so-ever. If you did have a bacterial infection then the anti-biotics will take care of it. In any case you should start to feel better in a week to ten days and going to another dr. would serve no purpose. Here is a rubric that shows the difference between a cold and the flu:

 

 

 

Cold

 

Gradual onset (days)

No fever

No chills

Maybe mild muscle aches

Mild fatigue

Headache

Mucus producing cough

No chest pain

Sore throat

Stuffy nose

Sneezing

 

 

 

Flu

 

Sudden onset (hours)

Fever

Chills

Severe muscle pain

Severe fatigue

Severe headaches

Dry hacking cough

Chest pain

Could be sore throat

No stuffy nose

No sneezing

Edited by KidsHappen
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We have several friends whose kids came down with the flu last week (tested positive for flu) and their symptoms were very similar to what you describe. Their symptoms lasted for 5-6 days before the fever subsided.

 

My kids had it last year, and I agree with OP - it's a miserable thing to have. I hope your DD feels better and hope the rest of the family stays healthy!

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