Please help! Medical question!

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

If squeamish, do NOT read on.

Okay, so I am pretty messed up right now and very confused.

I started feeling sick on Tuesday morning - severely sore throat, dry cough, some aches and pains, fever, coughing up white (not yellow or green) phlegm. Same Wednesday, went to the doc on Thursday and he put me on a broad spectrum antibiotic (just in case - although the white phlegm would generally indicate against a bacterial infection) and painkillers for the sore throat.

Yesterday, in the afternoon once I got up I coughed and hacked phlegm for about 20 mins, felt like I was going to die (hacksawed throat), then took some exedrine migraine (acetaminaphen, aspirin, caffeine), got active (ie. went for a walk) and 20 minutes after that the sore throat was gone and all I had was a bit of an occasional dry cough.

Exactly the same happened today - after I got up I felt like I was going to choke to death until I hacked up all the phlegm (very painful throat!), now I feel fine...

Someone mentioned to me yesterday that they get pretty bad allergies here.

MY QUESTION - could this just be a severe allergic reaction??? Has anyone else had symptoms like these???

If it was a virus I would have passed it on to someone by now, but no-one I've had contact with has gotten sick. If it was a bacteria my phlegm would be dark and the antibiotic would probably be working by now. I am totally miserable and confused. I've slept very little since Tuesday. I don't know what to do next.

Sorry about the gory details... :oops

[midgetonadonkey]

You caught the hiv.

[The New Midge]

You caught the hiv.

That's uncalled for. I apologize. I hope you feel better Oz.

[Vinnie_Johnson]

If squeamish, do NOT read on.

Okay, so I am pretty messed up right now and very confused.

I started feeling sick on Tuesday morning - severely sore throat, dry cough, some aches and pains, fever, coughing up white (not yellow or green) phlegm. Same Wednesday, went to the doc on Thursday and he put me on a broad spectrum antibiotic (just in case - although the white phlegm would generally indicate against a bacterial infection) and painkillers for the sore throat.

Yesterday, in the afternoon once I got up I coughed and hacked phlegm for about 20 mins, felt like I was going to die (hacksawed throat), then took some exedrine migraine (acetaminaphen, aspirin, caffeine), got active (ie. went for a walk) and 20 minutes after that the sore throat was gone and all I had was a bit of an occasional dry cough.

Exactly the same happened today - after I got up I felt like I was going to choke to death until I hacked up all the phlegm (very painful throat!), now I feel fine...

Someone mentioned to me yesterday that they get pretty bad allergies here.

MY QUESTION - could this just be a severe allergic reaction??? Has anyone else had symptoms like these???

If it was a virus I would have passed it on to someone by now, but no-one I've had contact with has gotten sick. If it was a bacteria my phlegm would be dark and the antibiotic would probably be working by now. I am totally miserable and confused. I've slept very little since Tuesday. I don't know what to do next.

Sorry about the gory details... :oops

I am not a Doctor but if I were I would advise you to go to urgent care and have them check you out. It is allways good to see another Doc if things are not getting better. The down side to not going in is that antibiotics don't treat all things like Valley Fever it will only get worse.

[Kori Ellis]

I'm guessing you are allergic to cedar.

[u2sarajevo]

Sounds like allergies to me. My wife has allergies and what you described sounds like every day for her...

[u2sarajevo]

It could be something you are sleeping on. Feather pillows? If so, try the poly-fill, or "synthetic down" pillows...

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yeah, and I have talked to a number of people now who have the same symptoms and got them on the same day, Tuesday. And a woman told me yesterday that there are a few trees here that release their pollen after intense cold, which is what we had Sunday/Monday.

I am almost sure that it's allergies now. What a bummer! I wasted my last four days here in bed with freakin allergies!?! Oh well... :depressed

The irony is that i feel much sicker in bed than when I'm active, so trying to treat myself well and get rest and all that has actually worsened the problem! Now that is annoying!!! Under any other circumstance I did the right thing, but no-one told me that allergies could be this severe, not even the doc...

[David Bowie]

besides allergies could be mono or strepp throat (though both unlikely. )

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

If it was strep throat (what I feared), the antibiotics would be kicking in by now.

I thought of mono too, but it doesn't make sense that simply getting up and about would make me feel better while resting would make me more ill. Mono saps your energy.

I'm sure it's allergies now. The girl next to me here in the net cafe has the exact same symptoms and got them on Tuesday, but she says none of her friends are sick either.

Actually, this is good news, because it means I should hop on the plane tomorrow. We'll very quickly see what happens when I leave the allergens behind.

Thanks to all. This finally makes a bit of sense. But for the lack of sleep, I feel much better. :)

[johngateswhiteley]

RNR-
...i hate wasted time on trips like that, sorry bro. anyway, thats one thing about Texas i absolutely cannot stand...the freaking allergies. no problems up here in my new home, thankfully.

[MannyIsGod]

Its the cedar. It kicks almost everyone's ass to some extent, and being that you aren't acclimated to it at all I'm sure its killing you.

[MannyIsGod]

BTW Ruff, how many more days are you here for?

[boutons_]

It could be allergy. I've seen a family member totally wiped out by allergy when visiting a region for first time.

As the weather dried up a bit, and the wind picked up for the first time since you've been here, mold or pollen could be hitting you.

antihistamine? Claritin seems to be the one the docs recommend frequently to me.

For virus and microbes, I've been pretty happy with mega-Vitamin C therapy. A lot cheaper than $80 for the doc and $80 for the anti-biotic.

[ploto]

Allergies are really bad right now. Is any of the medicine you are taking making you drowsy or feel even more tired?

[ashbeeigh]

Cedar is a bitch. Take some Daywqill and Nyquill. That stuff helps me.

[Kori Ellis]

...
For virus and microbes, I've been pretty happy with mega-Vitamin C therapy. A lot cheaper than $80 for the doc and $80 for the anti-biotic.
Antibiotics are $80?

[Fillmoe]

Antibiotics are $80?


no...... some could be.... most antibiotics are cheap..... and unless you have no insurance doctor visits aren't 80 bucks.....

most common antibiotics like amoxicillin and keflex are cheap.... special antibiotics like levaquin and zithromax are some, off the top of my head, that tend to be expensive.....

[whottt]

Welcome to Central Texas and the Allergy Capital of the World(actually it's Austin but SA is close enough).

You guys in Aussie land got 7 of the 10 deadliest creatures in the World...we got Cedar Fever...

You guys must have gotten to pick first.




Just look at it as an excuse to stay inside and not contribute to global warming :fro

[TDMVPDPOY]

american pussy FTL

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Wish I had known about this cedar sheeit, then I would've just ignored it and gone about business. And yes, it did fuck me up well and good for the last 5 days... I've had hayfever at home, but nothing like this!

Anyway, done now, and I know for next time. Live and learn.

Thanks to all. :)

[Extra Stout]

Wish I had known about this cedar sheeit, then I would've just ignored it and gone about business. And yes, it did fuck me up well and good for the last 5 days... I've had hayfever at home, but nothing like this!

Anyway, done now, and I know for next time. Live and learn.

Thanks to all. :)
BTW, I'm not even in South Texas, and I've had the symptoms you've described for almost a month now.

[Nbadan]

Simple way to find out. Pop some mega-doses of OTC Benadryl and see how you feel then.

[whottt]

Are we fond of mega doses of allergy meds dan?

Explains quite a bit now that I think about it.

[MannyIsGod]

Are we fond of mega doses of allergy meds dan?

Explains quite a bit now that I think about it.:lol