Sick as a dog. Have to take something

[Andrea]

My cardios office told me that with any cold or URI that I could only have saline nasal spray. I have been sick with strep for 5 days now and have major sinus problems with it. I havent been able to breathe out of my nose for the whole time and because of that it makes me cough alot because my throat is drying out. I have tried everything I can naturally to clear out my sinus' but absolutly nothing is helping.

In a nutshell I cant breathe! I cant sleep ... I cant work ...

I am going to take something anyway just not sure what might be safer than others. Is anyone aware of a decongestant that isnt too bad?

 

[Georgia]

nosespray

nosespray

Use Afrin nosespray. It'll clear you out and isn't systemic like decongestants. My doc and the pharmacist say that you can use guaifenisen (sp?) - active ingredient in Robitussin - that really helps if you take it regularly through a cold.

Hope you feel better, kiddo. We suffer . . . we suffer.

There are days I'd kill for advil and sudafed!

 

[Nancy]

Andrea-

Did you say you have "strep"?? If you do, you need to be on antibiotics asap.

Strep, left without treatment can lead to rheumatic fever.

Get yourself into the doctors and have a strep test, and do it today! Please, please.

 

[Mara]

Nancy is right. Strep in a heart patient can be very, very serious. Get some antibiotics now. Last think you want is to get something that can effect your valves.

There is a decongestant called Coracin or something that does not have the side effects that Sudafed and those others have. I think the box says it's okay for people with high blood pressure and diabetes to take. ask the pharmacist.

Hope you feel better soon.

-Mara

 

[Christina L]

Hi Andrea!

I'm glad to see your name on the board again, but sad to hear that you are not feeling well.

I just HAD to add my two cents here - GET SOME ANTIBIOTICS!! Any time you have an infection of any sort - you will need antibiotics. Go to your doctor. This will get rid of your sinus problem in no time and you won't even need to think about decongestants or pain medicine, etc.!! Also, drink plenty of water and herbal hot teas - this will help flush out the bacteria and make the antibiotics easier on your system.

Hope you feel better soon so you can enjoy the beautiful month of October (in my personal opinion the most beautiful month of the year - of course I was born in this month and am partial).

Take good care of yourself -

Chris

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Andrea,

Yes, the others are correct. You must call your doctor!

Have been fighting the crud myself for the last 5-6 days. Settled in the chest. Heading off to the doctor shortly.

As Georgia pointed out....Afrin Nasal Spray is ok to use. It has been my saving grace the last few days!

Hope you feel better.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi andrea!
i'm sorry you're not feeling well.
i agree with everyone else, if it's strep, please get some antibiotics soon.
joey and my e.n.t. prescribed something called nasacort aq for sinusitis for me and for congestion (snoring) for joey. i'm assuming that it's fine, considering he knows joeys history and still prescribed it.
i didn't know about the afrin though. thanks i'll have to pass that one on to joey as well.
hope you are feeling better soon.
be well, sylvia

 

[Perrster]

Feeling Sorry for Sick People!

Feeling Sorry for Sick People!

I'm sure sorry to read about all you sick folks with colds, strep and flu-like symptoms. As heart-to-heart people it's all very scary and hopefully you will soon get some relief from it.

While I'm certainly not a "poster-child" for good health, I guess I'm lucky to not have had any of these problems and would even go so far as to say I've been LESS sick post-surgery than I ever was before surgery three and a half years ago.

I'm beginning to believe it has a lot to do with the 14 pills I take every day, of which 7 are vitamins and supplements. I have never had a flu shot (before or after surgery) and I am reluctant to consider getting one this year. My daily vitamin load consists of 1000mg of Vit. C, 400IU Vit. E, 500mg Magnesium and 250mg Selenium.

I knock on wood and thank God every day that I awake feeling ok. I really try to avoid sick people and stay the heck away from smokers. I wipe down my office phone and desk with Clorox bleach wipes if anyone with a whimper of a cough comes in contact with them.

Sorry, Gina, you get no hugs from me at the Reunion if you're under the weather the next two nights.

I know RobThatMe takes a lot of Vit. C also. How are you doing, Rob?

Get well soon everybody.

Sylvia, thanks for mentioning the nasacort aq. I may have to look into that for snoring relief. Does it help Joey sleep better?

 

[Ross]

Watch the herbal tea! Depending on what it is, it may affect your INR!!!!!

Perry, I'm with Gina this year about the flu shot. Now that they're introducing the live virus with the nasal vaccine, I think were going to see an explosion in flu sick people this year. You might want to reconsider on that.

 

[Andrea]

SORRY!

SORRY!

YIKES! I should have mentioned I am on antibiotics. Sorry.

I went to my internist on friday and he thought I might have valley fever (there were no signs of strep then just horrible cough) So he got some labs and didnt want to give me an antibiotic until warrented. Sat night came and my throat started hurting and everything went to hell in a handbasket quick. On monday I went back to see my internist and one look at my throat confirmed it was strep so he put me on amox.


I have some afrin here... will try it. I also read something about sinus washing. Not so sure I want to put large amounts of water into my nose lol. Will try the afrin first

 

[Karlynn]

Hopefully the antibiotics will take hold by tonight. Try a steamy shower, ditto on the lots of water. I've also used a heating pad on my head if my sinuses are really killing me. Looks silly, but feels good.

Feel better soon,
Karlynn

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Trying to firgure this one out. My doctor noted today that I had an obvious sinus infection....fluid in my right year, etc.
She prescribed the antibotics for ten days but told me to hold off taking them for 2 days to see if I can kick it.

I do respect her opinion.. patients out there abusing antiboitcs, etc. But fluid in my ear!. Don't you think that looks bad enough? Not to mention whats going on with my nose.
Would you fill the RX and just start it. Or wait the two days?

She insisted on the flu shot today even though I was sick! So, I took it.

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Gina,
I am sure we can come up with some medicine tomorrow night to help you out. On a serious side I hope you are doing OK and that you will be fine for the weekend.
See you tomorrow.

Dave
_____________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical

 

[Andrea]

Doesnt sound like a good time to be giving you a flu shot

If you have fluid in your ear and are running a temp I personally would start the antibiotics before it got too bad. Its amazing how quickly these things can turn into something bad and hard to control.

I tried the afrin but it burned like hell (?) I couldnt do it in both sides. I did try the sinus washing (LOL). It actually wasnt too bad but I dont know if it helped. I think I am starting to feel a little better. I guess I just needed another 12 hours for those antibiotics to start working.

 

[medtronic of borg]

meds for your nose

meds for your nose

flonase !!!

 

[Karlynn]

Gina,
I'd go ahead and start taking them. I'm allergic to several and my PCP doesn't like to prescribe them all the time so I don't develope a resistance to the ones I can take, but any time he sees me with a sinus infection he doesn't hesitate.

Karlynn

Besides - if you wait, you may be too sick to enjoy the reunion!

 

[Ross]

Take the antibiotics!

 

[Mara]

If you just have a cold, get Zicam. It really works! the nasal stuff is not a spray, you put it in your nose, it's an ointment. I don't know what it is about zinc, but Zicam really works to stop a cold.
David and I both were getting a cold and we did the Zicam thing right away, less that 48 hours later we felt great and no more cold symptoms! go figure. get the nasal stuff, the Zicam tablets takes terrible!

 

[Georgia]

from the mother of a kid who always had bad sinuses

from the mother of a kid who always had bad sinuses

My poor kid has had two surgeries on sinuses and still has trouble.

Her docs suggest alternating hot and cold packs on the sinuses in 20-minute intervals. You shouldn't leave the heat packs on for a long time (regardless of how good they feel) because it aids bacterial growth.

I'm sure the afrin stings if your nose has been so stopped up. There is a new one out that's extra gentle and moisturizing. If you can get the Afrin in both nostrils you'll find that the nasalcort works better, as does the sinus wash.

Take care of yourself, kiddo.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Mara, I am huge advocate of Zicam. Works 95% of the time!

Thanks for your advice Dave, Ross, Georgia and Karlyn. Still makes me wonder why she gave it to me with hesitation? Have been seeing her for over a year and she never prescibed one. Not like I am a abuser of the stuff. sheeeeeeeesh!

When I lived down south in a high mold area...sinus infections all the time! Has been under control since we moved back north. With the exception of this time!