Uncle [NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
OK I used to be pretty good at this but apparently I've forgotten.
I have had a terrible cough, nasal discharge, headache, sinus pain, extreme sore throat, sweats/chills for many days now. Can't sleep (ck post time), generally feel like dog-doo. Have tried: asa/acetominophen/phenylephrine/pseudoephedrine/chlorpheniramine/
diphenhydramine/fluids/chickennoodlesoup/tea/antibiotics/prayer to St Anthony (lost health)/Halls/ and I am worse than I was 6 days ago. Short-changed the rest thing but the last 2 days have been better.
I never combine or o.d. the meds listed above, I switch as the days pass as I notice some reduced effectiveness if Im on one too long.

Is it my advancing years? Should have gotten the flu shot? The only way I could sleep one night was by taking 1/2 a Hydrocodone.
 
Um, one thing I don't see listed above is trying a doctor! I know you want to prove you're a guy, but come on! :)

(Of course, some of those things you mention are generally Rx, since I don't recall being able to get antibiotics or hydrocodone OTC, so maybe you have.) Of course a course of antibiotics must be taken until completion, and if you're switching among meds you may not have done that.
 
Dave,

You haven't been kissing any dogs have you? I heard dogs and kids can pass strep throat back and forth. There are some flu's that seem to last a whole week and time is the only cure but it might be time to make sure you don't have a secondary infection: strep or sinus or even pneumonia.

Barb
 
Dave T, it's been going around my family for about a month now. It lasts a month. According to my spouse who preceeded me, I have one more week to go.

This is not a influenza virus, it's an adenovirus a12 or something of the like that CDC has been talking about. I already had an influenza vaccine.....
 
...I got it too, and I haven't even seen you face-to-face. I caught it over the Internet!

If misery loves company, then misery is ecstatic.
 
Thanks for the info and support folks, today I feel hungover wow what a crazy party I must have had last nght. No-ot!
I had to resort to another hydrocodone at 4am and I recently awoke so its doing a good job of ensuring the rest I need. It stops the cough, takes the pain away and brings sleep. I have just a few left over from my last he-man incident where I must have mashed a finger, driven a nail through some body part, etc etc. I won't take any for 2 days now as I don't think its good to stop the productive cough and for concerns of dependancy.
Sadly the nearest doc I would trust with more than an easy hangnail out here is 150miles away so it is our M. O. to self-treat right up until we require surgical removal of large solid organs. I have started some Amoxil, it has worked on sinusitis/pharyngitis before.
I have not ruled out going to a doc, its just that by the 5th day they were all closed for N.Ys holiday and I don't think it deserves an ER visit.

Barb yes we kiss dogs all the time, not always voluntarily though. More strep is passed from human to dog then vice versa according to the lastest paper I read on it! I do kind of worry about the live Bordatella bronchiseptica vaccine we admin intranasally. We definitely get that sprayed all over but I have never heard of a human case from vaccination although I have had dog cases from it.

Spike, stop kissing the computer screen - you can never completely trust your antivirus!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Thanks for the info and support folks, today I feel hungover wow what a crazy party I must have had last nght. No-ot!
I had to resort to another hydrocodone at 4am and I recently awoke so its doing a good job of ensuring the rest I need. It stops the cough, takes the pain away and brings sleep. I have just a few left over from my last he-man incident where I must have mashed a finger, driven a nail through some body part, etc etc. I won't take any for 2 days now as I don't think its good to stop the productive cough and for concerns of dependancy.
Sadly the nearest doc I would trust with more than an easy hangnail out here is 150miles away so it is our M. O. to self-treat right up until we require surgical removal of large solid organs. I have started some Amoxil, it has worked on sinusitis/pharyngitis before.
I have not ruled out going to a doc, its just that by the 5th day they were all closed for N.Ys holiday and I don't think it deserves an ER visit.

Barb yes we kiss dogs all the time, not always voluntarily though. More strep is passed from human to dog then vice versa according to the lastest paper I read on it! I do kind of worry about the live Bordatella bronchiseptica vaccine we admin intranasally. We definitely get that sprayed all over but I have never heard of a human case from vaccination although I have had dog cases from it.

Spike, stop kissing the computer screen - you can never completely trust your antivirus!
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At least your sense of humor isn't gone!:rofl: Here's hoping that this is the worst you feal for the rest of the year!:yes:
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Spike, stop kissing the computer screen - you can never completely trust your antivirus!
Click to expand...

You're gonna be fine, Dave... you still have your sense of humor!! I'm very sorry to hear you're still so sick! Teresa says "GO TO THE DOCTOR!" :yes: She had this too, had to go to the doc, and she was put on prednisone for 3 days, Factiv at night for a week, Tussionex at night and Tessalon pearls during the day for the cough, and a Symbicort inhaler... she's doing better now.
 
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Thanks Troy, I emerge from my semi-coma every few hours.

Can you get retinal detachment or brain bleed from forceful coughing?
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
Thanks Troy, I emerge from my semi-coma every few hours.

Can you get retinal detachment of brain bleed from forceful coughing?
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Wow, the cough's that hard, eh?! I know I've gotten POUNDING migraines from some coughs... you get your voice back yet or is it still gone too?

Is Janet down with this as well, or is she nursing you? (she's probably staying the heck away, who could blame her?!!!)
 
TangoWhiskey said:
She had this too, had to go to the doc, and she was put on prednisone for 3 days, Factiv at night for a week, Tussionex at night and Tessalon pearls during the day for the cough, and a Symbicort inhaler... she's doing better now.
Click to expand...

*makes note to buy some pharmaceutical stocks...*
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Can you get retinal detachment of brain bleed from forceful coughing?
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I dunno, but my sister broke a rib from forceful coughing. Nuttin to mess with! Get something to suppress it, get an expectorant so when you do cough it's worthwhile, and get better!
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I dunno, but my sister broke a rib from forceful coughing. Nuttin to mess with! Get something to suppress it, get an expectorant so when you do cough it's worthwhile, and get better!
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You got Mucinex, Doc? Kent's spot on here; Teresa's doctor told her "take all the Mucinex you can handle, dear..."
 
got your message about Mucinex at 1am so I took their recommended dose. It really does dry things up and stop the cough but apparently I am sensitive to it - got a buzz on and could not sleep - I think I need to tweak the dose a bit.
Sweats this am but no fever. Thinking of seeking MD advice today, things should be open again.
My wife also claimed to have radiographic proof of breaking a rib from coughing, I never knew if I could believe it or not til what you said, Kent!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
It really does dry things up and stop the cough but apparently I am sensitive to it - got a buzz on and could not sleep - I think I need to tweak the dose a bit.
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Ruh-roe, Dave. Mucinex (plain, no -DM or other suffix) is an expectorant and it loosens things up so you can cough productively. If it dried you out and gave you a buzz, I suspect some interaction from the drug coctail you have been self-describing... back it down to 21 inches and keep your head on a swivel ;)... fully inform your MD!
-Skip
 
OK I am looking for more home remedy advice.
I have passed through the expected gamut of fever/cough/headache and now it has settled into a nice cycle of:
sinus drainage, nasal catarrh, cough/blow. That right sinus is the worst, not plugged but full and draining. Getting a lot of throat irritation from the constant swallow/cough/clearing of throat.

Doc has me on a fine antibiotic, I am overhydrating with oral fluids, have humidification going on (el heat so boiling kettles, pots), keeping warm, plenty of rest, vicks in a bowl of hot water with a towel over head. S. said I might consider some oriental horseradish to loosen things up, I have access to Mx. cuisine and its components. Nasal inhalation of a chile seed? :D Mustard plaster of the facial sinus?
I am off most other meds (occasional tylenol for pain)

Thanks for your ideas, sorry for the details.
 
Man, so sorry to hear about your misery, Dave! I hope you get to feeling better soon!
 
Troy, My wife does this 'irrigation" thing, just about the grossest thing I have ever seen an adult do...but she swears by it.
 
SCCutler said:
Funny thing: I was told about this by an employee, says his wife does it and swears by it. Here's a video showing just how silly it looks.

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiPot/NetiPotInstructions.aspx
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No,No,No, that one's for amateurs. After Sinus surgery, the doc gave me an adapter for a water pik. About 2 weeks after the surgery, he had me mix pickling salt with water, put that solution in the water pik hopper(?), and then stick a cone shaped attachment in one one nostril and run the machine until clear water came out the other nostril.

Truth be known, I never knew if clear water ever came out, cause I was usually quite busy crying like a 12 year old girl. About 2 minutes of this and you WILL tell Jesus you're a changed man and sorry for everything you ever did.

And absolutely no offense to my Southern friends, but that is the last time I went to a doctor from Mississippi.

Mike
 
Dave,

I feel for you. I had one form of respiratory issue or another for most of 2007. A couple of colds, some kind of respiratory virus that was hard to go away, then bacterial pneumonia in late June (that started 2 days after an airline flight - I'm convinced that I picked it up there somehow). There was lingering broncial "stuff" after that, which has now gone away.

I tried most of the OTC stuff, but found that green tea & hibiscus tea were the two things that made the biggest difference. After 3 weeks, the hibiscus tea (aka unsweetened karkade) knocked out the broncial stuff & cough, and left me feeling good for the first time in months.

Exposure to a different set of viruses as a result of the move. Blah.

Good luck, and hope you feel better.
Bill
 
...hmmm. I 'm thinking, SafetyKleen parts washer solution, clean the sinuses right out.
 
I'm a big fan of the netti pot and have been using it for years. Made a big difference after suffering from chronic sinus infections for years. I finally ended up with sinus surgery to remove polyps, fix the deviated septum and reduce the turbinates, but prior to that, use of the netti pot significantly reduced the occurrences of congestion and infection. I still use it on occasion. Gross, but effective.
 
'walking wounded', 95% better.
thanks for your concern.

lots of locals say it lasts a month and it seems to be.
I think the virus is gone and there is residual inflammation/mucosal healing going on.
I was happy with my final medication choices and the assistance they offered. Not sure the antibiotics were completely necessary. Just staying warm really helped (any chill is a big setback)
Never did the neti; I was kinda waiting for you guys to say 'ha,ha he actually did it!' .....but it sound like it could be a useful thing.

Nice to have a support group when you are down with something. (cough, hack.)
 
Dave, I don’t know how you survived that one. Now it’s my turn. Day four of the flu…another day of chills and fever and wasted time spent mostly sleeping just waiting for tomorrow to be better. I know they can’t always accurately predict which strains of flu to use in the flu shot, but the shot didn’t cover the strain I have now. Good grief.

I listened to Tom and my friends on the scanner yesterday taking Young Eagles that I should have been taking and finally had to turn it off.

I told Tom to just take me out back and shoot me, and if he has to hear me whining about this damned flu for one more day, he might be tempted to take me up on my offer.

Ironic...we watched the movie "Outbreak" the other night. Are the germs going to take over the world? :dunno: They've sure taken over mine for now.
 
Diana said:
Dave, I don’t know how you survived that one. Now it’s my turn. Day four of the flu…another day of chills and fever and wasted time spent mostly sleeping just waiting for tomorrow to be better. I know they can’t always accurately predict which strains of flu to use in the flu shot, but the shot didn’t cover the strain I have now. Good grief.

I listened to Tom and my friends on the scanner yesterday taking Young Eagles that I should have been taking and finally had to turn it off.

I told Tom to just take me out back and shoot me, and if he has to hear me whining about this damned flu for one more day, he might be tempted to take me up on my offer.

Ironic...we watched the movie "Outbreak" the other night. Are the germs going to take over the world? :dunno: They've sure taken over mine for now.
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Sorry to hear you're down for the count. I thought nurses were supposed to be immune to the flu?!

(BTW, on a good note, my MIL, also an RN, is in town for the birth of her second granddaughter on Monday.:rollercoaster: No, it's not ours!)
 
gprellwitz said:
Sorry to hear you're down for the count. I thought nurses were supposed to be immune to the flu?!
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Boy, I wish we were!

gprellwitz said:
(BTW, on a good note, my MIL, also an RN, is in town for the birth of her second granddaughter on Monday. No, it's not ours!)
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Gosh, that would have been a good rumor to start. ;)

gprellwitz said:
cuddle TOM! (As long as he's inoculated!)
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Already have a temp again this morning. Tom said something about shipping me off to stay with somebody else. :eek: He's had the flu shot too, but it didn't cover this particular bug.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hang in there Diana!!
Sleep, stay warm, chicken noodle soup, cuddle favorite cat/dog!
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Our heat-seeking kitties Roger and Wilco just love this. :yes: They have a recumbent human to cuddle up next to all day AND all night. They have magical healing powers. I had Tom go out and buy 10 cans of chicken noodle soup...there's something about that stuff.
 
The sickest that I have ever had was the year that I took the flu shot years ago courtesy of Uncle Sam. Perhaps it was because of the government low bidder, who knows.

I swore that I would never take it again. To this day, I haven't. I have never had the flu since then either.

I feel sorry for those of you who get it. My one and only experience with it was miserable. I hope I never get it again!

I often wonder about the doctors and nurses. How do you avoid catching everything? I know you are constantly exposed to the worst illnesses in town.

Side note: How do you tell the difference between a cold and an allergy. It is pollen season down south. Everyone in my house is sick except me. I am wondering if it is a cold or allergy, but don't know how to tell the difference.
 
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