Who's sick or has been sick lately? + ADVICE NEEDED!!!

[Menotti80]

I have had an on/off cold/sore throat in the past month. it usually happens when the seasons are changing (and ironically enough, i have to live in wisconsin!). now, my girlfriend and her family are all getting the flu. if that's next for me, i'm gonna be really mad.

is this a popular time for the flu or for colds for anyone else out there???

also, and perhaps more importantly: for as long as i can remember, whenever i get a cold or a sore throat, ive just taken tylenol every 4 hours until it goes away. sometimes it takes 1 day, sometimes it takes 5 days.

i know tylenol isn't the best option for a stuffy/runny nose and a sore throat, thats what i grew up taking and i have no idea what other medicines to try. so help me out here - what is the best thing to take??? i meainly need to stop the sore throat and clear out all the junk that gets in there, and i cant afford to get drowsy...

HELP!!!

[ryne100]

Happy thoughts. It seems like everytime I'm like "nononononno I'm gonna get sick I gotta avoid it!!!1!" I end up getting sick. Get a lot of sleep at night and stay hydrated. I usually take Tylenol Cold for minor symptoms, DayQuil if it gets a little worse.

[DatHoser]

Menotti80, if you're like me maybe your on/off cold/sore throat is allergies/sinus problems, especially if it seems to happen during spring and/or fall. Not to be too gross, but when your sinuses drain you get the runny nose plus the sore throat as that junk raises cain on your throat. You could try antihistamines to see if that helps preventing it, plus real sinus medicine (pseudoephidrine - the stuff you now have to sign for at a pharmacy) for when things get bad. Best of luck!

 

EDIT: added clarity.

[aracko]

Allergies. Or a government conspiracy which is spraying us from airplanes chemtrails.

[Menotti80]

dathoser-

i really would like avoiding having to go to the doctor to see if i have sinus/allergy problems. who knows, it may be possibility, but i want to have to go there and have to get perscription drugs as a last resort. to this point, ive only taken basic tylenol, which is probably not very effective at all. so for right now, im looking for some medicine (like a dayquil or a sudafed or something) and im trying to find out whats the most effective one.

 

there are so many options out there, and i need to know where to start. but thanks for the advice!

 

so far, i have votes for tynenol cold and dayquil

[aracko]

Not to be funny but this weekend try wearing one of those insulation masks on your face - see if it gets better. If it does, well then its allergies and not something internal.

[bball123h2]

dathoser-

i really would like avoiding having to go to the doctor to see if i have sinus/allergy problems. who knows, it may be possibility, but i want to have to go there and have to get perscription drugs as a last resort.

Menotti, I think the drugs he refers to are kept behind the pharmacy counter because they have ingredients which are useful for making illegal narcotics and such things. Much like tobacco or alcohol, you need to be 18 and show ID. Because only minors make illegal drugs.

 

[Menotti80]

bball. thanks. shows you just how i have no clue when it comes to medicine... and illegal drugs http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[GAME05]

yeah, i'm sick, too, which is rare. i had to do some long driving, so with my lack of energy, i was having trouble staying awake and stopped to get some of those Red-Bull-type energy drinks, and they were great, really made my cold feel better. guess that wouldn't help a sore throat, though.

[whizkid]

For 25 years I used to get terrible sinus infections in the sinuses by my cheeks with absolutely every cold. Intense pain until the antibiotics would start taking effect in 2 or 3 days. Then about 3 years apart 2 of my upper teeth cracked and had to be pulled. The 3 root jobs and they were compressing the sinuses so they couldn't drain. I haven't had a serious sinus infection since, but...

 

I still get minor twinges of pain in the sinuses sometimes from a cold or discomfort from cold congestion. Introducing the Neti Pot if you haven't heard of it before. Some may find the concept a little disgusting but I swear by it. A doctor suggested it to my wife at one point and it really does clear out congestion from a cold or allergies. I don't use it every day, just when I'm having a problem. I sure wish I knew about it when I was having the major problems.

[Patrick425]

I felt the effects of a cold coming on last night and I started popping some Zicam.

Zicam is one of those "medications" you are suppose to take at the onset of a cold to help reduce the severity and/or length of a cold. Maybe it's in my head, but since I discoverd it about 2 or 3 years ago, I use it whenever I feel a cold coming on and it seems to work pretty well. Not always, but most of the time. However, I would stay away from the Zicam Nasal Mist, there are stories of people losing there sense of taste after using that product.

I have taken two Zicams today so far and my cold symptoms have not gotten any worse...in fact, I'm feeling a little better now than I did earlier today.

[jaybird2001wi]

I am under the weather as I type this. My sickness could be one of three things right now, 1) I am a caregiver and pretty much half my residents have gotten sick, including a resident I have to do personal cares on and he coughed on me all weekend as I was getting him ready for the day, 2) I get seasonal allergies, however I know when I get them based on my eyes (I get mucus or something stuck to my eyes and I wake up with them "glued" shut and then have my eyes reddened throughout the day) or 3) My lack of proper sleep based on my insane work schedule.

I would go with my first choice as of right now. So far nothing has worked since I have woken up with collosal headaches and nasal congestion. I have taken Sudafed Severe Cold twice this week and it hasn't worked and also have taken Excedrin once in the morning. But I have found that the Sudafed hasn't worked for me because it contains Benadryl and for some reason Benadryl makes me sleep worse than if I didn't take it.

[Scooter1027]

As a pharmacist, I can give you what I typically recommend based on your average symptoms:

Stuffy nose/congestions -- pseudoephedrine (e.g. Sudafed). Really nothing better out there for congestion, provided you don't have high blood pressure, prostate problems, or glaucoma. It is behind the pharmacy counter now, you just have to ask for it, and have a driver's license with you.

Runny nose/itchy eyes/allergy type symptoms -- diphenhydramine (e.g. Benadryl) or loratidine (Claritin). Diphenhydramine works better, but does have a drowsiness effect.

Cough -- dextromethorphan (Robitussin, Delsym)

Chest Congestions -- guaifenesin (Mucinex)

Sore Throat -- not much, unfortunately. Tylenol might help a little, otherwise lozenges, sprays. Really not much that helps.

I think the key is to zero in on the symptoms you're experiencing, and then find a combination product (such as a Tylenol Cold, or other such products) that matches what you're looking for. A pharmacist at your local Walgreens or wherever can help you out.

[jordanmuehl]

I just recently got over a really bad cold by taking the recommended amount of cough syrup along with 4-5 packets of Emergen-C powder (put into an 8 oz. glass of water) a day. The Emergen-C powder really worked miracles -- I strongly suggest trying it.

[Invader3K]

I've felt a little bit "stuffy" lately due to the weather change, which is normal for me (allergies). Amazingly, I've managed to stay pretty healthy this winter, though I did have a nasty flu virus, a couple months back...it was bad, but only lasted a couple days and then I was basically fine.

[chowyo123]

My brother had been sick last week, but I figured I wouldn't catch it since I haven't been sick in probably 10 years. He went to the doctors and wasn't prescribed anything since it's a virus. Well I caught what he had and it sucks.

 

I've been sick since April 10th and it's getting very old. It started with a a sore throat/stuffy nose/mild headache, and then on Monday I lost hearing in my left ear totally, so I took some NyQuil and woke up with my hearing back to normal the next morning. That same day I woke up with the crusted eye thing from pinkeye and I've still got that going on with a pretty bad cough/headache/runny nose.

 

While I can't really give you any advice, but just when I thought I was feeling better, it got worse.

 

It seems to be fairly contagious as well, since my soon to be sister in-law and a friend just caught it over the past few days.

[Patrick425]

Ok - Zicam definitley not working this time. I feel horrible.

 

My wife always urges me to go to the docter when I get a cold, which I think is ridiculous. Last time I had a cold, she convinced me to go to a walk in clinic. I hate the questions they ask. "What color is the discharge from your nose?" Huh? Does anyone really observe the color of their snot? I blow it in a Kleenix and throw it away. I don't study it.

[dadofandrew]

I took the gent I was working with to urgent care yesterday, and I saw people there with so many ailments that were not at all serious, it was a farce. Every single person that answered the question "what are you here for?" said something that made me reply in my head, "What are you doing here"?

 

Drink a lot of fluids, get some rest, and take something that works for you. It's a cold, they aren't serious.

[T B0NE 10]

do you guys think that that "airborne" stuff works?

[dadofandrew]

I have a killer sore throat this AM...I might have to go to urgent care.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif I gargle with Listerine, it takes the edge off for 15-60 minutes, depending on how bad it is.

 

I have used Airborne and it doesn't hurt. It might shorten it or make you get a lesser cold. It boosts your immune system a tad.

[jazzytrav]

I took the gent I was working with to urgent care yesterday, and I saw people there with so many ailments that were not at all serious, it was a farce. Every single person that answered the question "what are you here for?" said something that made me reply in my head, "What are you doing here"?

 

Drink a lot of fluids, get some rest, and take something that works for you. It's a cold, they aren't serious.

The reason for this is that a lot of businesses require a doctor's note for any time off now (used to be for 3 days or more only). Seems like every time I ask my boss if I can go home early (when I'm sick), she tells me to go to the doctor. Normally I have the same response you do...it's a cold. I'm going to go there, and the doc is going to tell me that it's a cold. But, if the boss wants a note, I'll get her a note.

 

I kinda like the airborne stuff. If anything, it's at least tasty.

 

Menotti, from what you're describing, I would definitely try some kind of allergy medicine. I used to get a lot of that stuff, too. I ended up going to an allergist, but it really wasn't necessary. He just told me what I already knew, which is that I have really bad allergies towards seasonal things (pollen, mold) and dust mites. Not sure what you're living conditions are like, but I usually feel better for awhile after I dust my place (well, I feel like crap for a day, but much better after that). I used to swear by Claritin-D. Well, the generic version of it, anyways. But recently I just had surgery to repair a breathing problem I had with my nose and it doesn't affect me as much.