Sick for 2 weeks now
I started with what seemed like the flu, aches, sweats, fever, and drained. It has now turned into complete congestion in my head, and some respiratory congestion in the lungs. My Dr. told me to take some sudafed pe with alieve (sp?) and a prescription for a zpack if it failed. Well, those 2 worked for about 72 hrs so I stopped and felt great for the day. When I woke up the next morning, I was back to the sinus headaches, coughing up garbage, and not feeling well again. How can you tell if something is viral/bacterial? I don't want to take the zpack unless totally necessary, I can't stand meds, but I will if it will clear it up. I"ve just never been this sick for this long before and its frustrating and I'm losing fitness before my Jan OS!!!! Thanks all!
Dan
Comments
Dan: I saw your post the other day and did not respond as I'm not a doctor. So, take this as N=1. I have sinus issues (7 broken noses...). I am a huge anti medicine type of guy. I'm in the same boat as you currently. If you have a sinus infection there isn't much you can do. Let the Zpack do its thing. It will clear you out and you'll be back.
Frankly, I'm off to the doctor today with my lingering cough, periodic lost cough, and sinus issues. I expected the Zpack (which I hate taking) but look forward to the result. I can't afford another week of spotty workouts.
Off to try the FTP--which will be lower than I was hoping for due this crap.
Geoff
Thanks Geoff, I may bite the bullet and do it. I'm so up and down with how good/bad I feel that I figure I may have nothing to lose. Hopefully at the least it will clear up my lungs. I'm sick of not working out and it kills me to be sitting around in the morning a night. Appreciate the comment.
Dan
Dan,
It sounds like this has been going on for too long to be a virus. If the decongestants (sudafed) and pain meds only worked for a few days, I would follow the advice of your doctor and start the Zpack. You got to start getting better. There lots going on he next couple of weeks.
chris
ps. I am an MD, but I do kidneys, not faces.
Thanks Chris, got the zpack tonight and started it. I felt good all day without decongestants but by the end of work, I was feeling terrible again... that was it. So I'll keep my fingers crossed, I just want to go out for a 30 minute jog!
On day 2 of zpack, started it last night. Maybe placebo effect but I do feel better today. i may even try to sneak in a run tonight. There's a frostbite 5k here on Dec 31st that I'd like to use as a test for my Jan OS. Thanks for all the help everyone.
Thanks Barbara, hopefully I don't go the distance!!!
Typically, for upper respiratory infection symptoms like runny nose, nasal congestion, cough the cause is usually viral and the treatment is symptomatic (as in decongestants and pain relief) for 2 weeks. If the symptoms persist for longer than 2 weeks, most docs will start treating it with antibiotics. If you have symptoms of sinusitis, pneumonia, strep throat, then most docs will start treating with antibiotics sooner. The only way to really tell if it's bacterial is have a culture done of your sputum that grows out a bacteria that is not the normal flora that grows in the lung and upper respiratory tract.
I had the same thing you did this spring. I went to Argentina and promptly got a cold. I was there with 3 other docs including a family medicine and ER doc who told me to hold off on antibiotics for 2 weeks. I didn't have a fever but coughed up lung butter and blew snot all over Patagonia. The symptoms waxed and waned and persisted for 5 weeks. Like you, I hate taking pills---especially antibiotics as I'm all trippy about contributing to the propagation of resistant bacteria. In the end, I relented and took a Z-pack which pretty much fixed me up. I never had a culture done either.
Remember to drink alot of fluids (non-caffeinated) as you can lose fluids with all the nasal drip and coughing.
Hope you're feeling better soon.
Thank you Kitima, sounds about right for me. I did wait 2 weeks. My doc did rule out most everything that you mentioned, but did not take a culture, but advised me to try the decongestants before the zpack and if they didn't do the trick, use the zpack. I did the decongestants for about 5-6 days, to where I became very dried out, with a lot of blood in my snot, but still pressure in my head. So I'd take a day off, feel fine, then the next day feel absolutely awful and start on them again. I got worn down fighting and decided to go last resort and use the zpack prescript. Thank you for your concern.
Dan
@Dan...hope you are feeling better.
As a member of the medical profession I would add one simple thing to your treatment...a humidifier. The heating of our houses and workplaces dry the air tremendously. Hence, the propensity for bloody nasal discharge (not always a dripping bleed) during the winter. Furthermore, the body works really hard to "moisturize" the air we breathe in, so you can help it out a little. FWIW...I run a humidifier in my great room as soon as I tun the heat on in my house.
George, I tried that and it worked, but it made my wife (whose not sick) feel like shit in the morning!! I can't win!
Dan, today I saw this vanity plate in Pennsylvania: NOTAZPK I have no idea what it really means, but I thought of you.
Funny! Thanks for thinking of me!!