Cold Virus For Two Weeks Now

[blueskies]

Hi

I've had a virus for two weeks now. A very bad cough and quite a bit of phlegm. Stronger bouts of dizziness, hotness, tachy than I'm used to, generally. Plus sore throat and the other and fever at times.

BTW Over the past decade my POTS symptoms became undeniable - measurable and 'no longer in my head' and as well much worse. And the increasing severity of symptoms is what led to pots diagnosis 7 years ago.

Anyway, I've been putting off going to the doctor -- hard for me to get there on my own plus the 4 times I've been given anti-biotics over the past 10 years I've had adverse reactions to each one of them - got very sick in different ways and had to stop them eventually, once after taking only one tablet and reacting badly within 20 mins. Either my skin burns(Once my face peeled like it had been sunburned) or I have a vomiting, freezing, shuddering episode that lasts 3 hours and leaves me pots-worse for weeks after. A couple of the adverse reactions were very violent but they weren't 'allergic' ones' -- I've developed allergies to meds as well. Anyway, of the four I had to discontinue all of them. (My 'adverse reactions' are never listed on the info form that come with the tablets. Rulide, Keflex, amoxillian and the fourth one that I can't remember the name of that led me to go to emergency where the doctor there told me stop the anti-biotic. I waited hours in emergency and by the time I got to see a doc the worst of the reaction had passed. But he was the first doc who actually put me on the right road as to finding out what was wrong with me by telling me to see an immunologist -- which I did and still do. A couple of years later the immunologist recommended I see another specialist she knew and that's the one who diagnosed pots -- I'd never even heard of it until then. I have no reason to believe that a fifth go at anti-biotics is going to prove anything but another disaster.

I'm not sure what to do. I've thought twice over the past two weeks that I was getting a bit better only to experience the virus return in full force. Last night was bad again. And today is not good but have a feeling by evening I will feel worse once again, I know going to the doctor will mean him offering up anti-biotics but I am I crazy to think that it's highly unlikely I'm not going to strike out 5 for 5 and have another adverse reaction and have to stop the course as well as get through the 'storm' I suffer when I take the tablet/s and the days after recovering, plus I'm thinking that no magic wand is going to take the virus away meanwhile. I've had so many bad reactions that I'm scared of putting myself into a worse situation. This has been such a truly hard year for me physically that my family (hubby and kids and my usually reliable sister) have turned away because their lives are very demanding and they can't deal with my illness and I understand it but I'm left feeling like i'm handing off a ledge by a finger tip healthwise

I know the doc will offer the anti-biotics. He's not there to see what they do to me when I take them and no one (not even my pots doc) gets just how sensitive I am to so many meds with anti-biotics near the top of the list. After I have experienced the adverse reaction I'm told to stop the medication and the docs just seem to pretend I'm okay now. If you can understand what I mean. It's like putting myself into a medical insanity situation -- absurd but not funny, just really sickening in the true sense of the word. Absurdly sickening.

blue

[KareBear]

I know that 2 of the antibiotics listed above are very similar and fall under the same catagory of Beta-Lactams. I never heard of the 3rd one u mentioned, that's sold in Austrailia only I believe. So, maybe trying a different class of antibiotic would be successful for u? If a doc could prescribe one that could help. I believe Azithromycin (Z-pack) is supposed to have very few if any possible side affects. Have u taken that before?

I can only imagine how hard this is for u and scary as well. Two weeks is a long time to be sick and u sure cannot afford healthwise to let it turn into pneumonia. I hope someone can help u.

[Guest Hanice]

I think you SHOULD go to a doctor.. two weeks is abnormal for a cold/flu/fever! I hope you feel better real soon. I heard Echinacea is great for the immune system. I would completely stay away from dairy and meat so your body spends less time digesting and spends more time healing you. And no processed foods until you get better, I woukd try raw veggies and fruits.

[AshleyPooh]

I'm going to give you some advice that most people don't really know about. And to do so, I will give you a great example of the advice, as this just happened to me.

My cousin and I both came down with a cold virus at the exact same time.She didn't realize she was sick until she'd driven all the way up from florida to illinois for her mini vacation. That day, we both talked, and realized we were both sick. Anyway, we both got bad enough that we had to go to the doctor. I went to an urgent care center, and her to a doctor up there. I was told that it was an acute virus, and that antibiotics weren't going to work for it, and I just had to treat the symptoms until it went away. My cousin, on the other hand, was given antibiotics for her virus. Bot of us continued to be sick at almost the exact same degree, regardless of medication. Then, we both developed bronchitis at the same time Well she went back for more antibiotics. I, knowing my doc had said antibiotics wouldn't do anything, did not go back. My bronchitis resolved at the exact same time that my cousin's Bronchitis resolved - and I did not take antibiotics.

The things that helped me the most were Tylenol, cold medicine, and an albuterol inhaler for the Bronchitis. Antibiotics don't do anything for viruses, unless you develop a secondary bacterial infection due to your immune system being compromised and bacteria overgrowing.

If you are really adverse physically to antibiotics, don't bother with them, as they probably won't help anyway. I recommend cold meds, an inhaler, and lots of water , salt , and rest.

Now, if your bronchitis or coughing gets extremely bad to where you get too short of breath, or are worried it has become pneumonia, then I do recommend you go and find out if you need antibiotics. Also if you have a proven fever that doesn't go away after a few days.

Btw, my tachy problems and palpitations were way worse when I was sick, so I sympathize. Best thing I found was laying horizontal as much as possible, and being careful about the type of cold meds I took, plus drinking loads of water.

I hope this helped!

[blueskies]

I know that 2 of the antibiotics listed above are very similar and fall under the same catagory of Beta-Lactams. I never heard of the 3rd one u mentioned, that's sold in Austrailia only I believe. So, maybe trying a different class of antibiotic would be successful for u? If a doc could prescribe one that could help. I believe Azithromycin (Z-pack) is supposed to have very few if any possible side affects. Have u taken that before?

I can only imagine how hard this is for u and scary as well. Two weeks is a long time to be sick and u sure cannot afford healthwise to let it turn into pneumonia. I hope someone can help u.

Thanks KareBear,

If I do end up needing anti-biotics you've been very helpful in your info about anti-biotics. I don't feel so scared of them anymore.

I think you SHOULD go to a doctor.. two weeks is abnormal for a cold/flu/fever! I hope you feel better real soon. I heard Echinacea is great for the immune system. I would completely stay away from dairy and meat so your body spends less time digesting and spends more time healing you. And no processed foods until you get better, I woukd try raw veggies and fruits.

Hi Hanice,

I'm doing a little better now. Not fully recovered but feel like I'm heading in that direction. Less coughing and phlegm -- although it hasn't completely stopped. Cross my fingers fingers that I continue to get better. I already eat very little processed food. I have multiple food intolerances which means I have to prepare my own food pretty much from scratch so I know what is in it. I've had to do this for a decade now and I'm over it but hate it when I react to a food I've eaten and known I shouldn't have. I really pay.

Ashely-Poo your advice did help actually. I felt like I didn't have to rush off to the doctor's. I still might end up needing to go but hopefully not. I'm not as anxious about it anymore thanks to the responses to my post.

blue

[Guest Hanice]

Its good to hear your getting better!! When my husband had the flu, I made him a delicious drink with powdered cinnamon, ginger and lots of lime and hunny in a little sake. Its the only wine I know of without sulfites. It made him feel better.