Community Discussions

Well, the famous Termy was not strong enough for this year and the cold virus hit him good. I don't feel good at all. My throught hurts like crazy and my mussles are hurting a bit and making it harder for me to getup. This sucks but I usually get it every year around this time.

Marshall,

After coughing for a month...some days good and some days bad... it seems like a year.

It's nearly Deere season here in upstate N.Y. I was definatly talking about Deer season. Actually it better be gone by bear season in Maine. It's one thing to lose a deer in your neck of the woods...but loseing oportunity for a bear in Maine is time and money !!! Those trips take a lot of negotiating and heartache with the Mrs.  I'm lucky if I can get there once every 3 years or so.

So far two trips to Maine in five years and one bear with a sore shoulder...no rug...

                                                                                                                              Dan

Dan do you smoke?

You were placed on antibiotics by the sound of it already?  Which one and for how long and when?

Color of sputum if there is any?  Are you wheezing when you breath?

Shortness of breath with activity?  Feverish?

Without seeing you and having the rest of the info it seems that you may have put on a antibiotic when it was still viral and after a month it is now bacterial which means you need another round of antibiotics.  If you are a smoker then you need antibiotics for sure.  You can ride it out but walking pnuemonia is a definate possibility.

C

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/health-info/dis-cond/cold/bronchit.html

After a month, maybe a doctor visit?

Bronchitis is to be treated symptomatically with no antibiotics at first (usually) but yes after a month he should be placed on antibiotics especially if he is a smoker.

C

Chris,

Had a fever and chills with it...deep bronchial cough...some yellow sputum...but not a constant cough keeping me up at night. I got put on a Z-Pack. That cleared all the symptoms up except now I have a  non productive cough. Still...not constant...but bronchial.

I work midnights now,  and last night I hardly coughed at all.

Chris...are you in the medical profession?

                                                                                                                       Dan

Yes, 16th year in nursing, 7th in the ED/Urgent Care/Walk-in Clinic environments and I am curently in full time Graduate School becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Do you have post nasal drip and or sinus congestion?

It sounds like your larger upper airways are inflamed.  This would cause your dry cough as would a sinus drip irritating your cough reflex at the back of your throat.

If it is getting better then you can ride it out but after a month it would be more than appropriate for you to be re-seen especially if it starts keeping you up at night, becomes productive of colored sputum again or you start running fevers again.  At this point if the answers to these questions are no I would put you on a inhaler like Albuterol just temporarily to see if that would relax the airways, open them up and stop the cough.

None of my buisiness about if you smoke but if you do it is a contributory factor also.

Overall sounds like you are doing better.....

C

Chris...

Thank goodness we have you in the forums! Where would we be without your advice? And you give it all here for free!

Thanks for all your help that you have given me in the past!

Your welcome,

I give it for free everyday via the phone where I work.  It is part of the job.

Glad you are feeling better!....

C

Thanks Chris!!!

Your Welcome Dan.

Feel better.

C