Should I Go To The Doctor or Tough It Out

[Christine]

I hate going to the doctor for a *cold* but I am starting to get REALLY annoyed with my cough.

I started with a cold over the weekend. It was an "inward" cold and not "outward" meaning that I was doing some serious draining down the back of my throat but not having a runny nose or any nose blowing.

I do not have any sinus headaches or pressure. It's just dripping down my threat. This is causing a nasty cough. I will have these big choking fits that last for 15 minutes because I get a horrible itch/tickle. This does not feel that it is in my chest, but more the deep pharanyx area. When I breath in, sometimes it feels "thick" in that area, other times normal. I don't have asthma, don't have a fever, etc. Cough is VERY productive in the morning (most likely because of accumulated mucous) and not so productive during the day. Everything I've read on the internet about bronchitis says that they mainly don't treat it anyway until it becomes chronic.

So a part of me (the hypochondriac side) just wants to run in to the doctor today because I'm so tired of coughing, but the other part says "Christine, it's just a bad cold, it will work itself out in a few days."

And what can I do for this cough???? Help.

 

[C.Ann]

I've heard (and read) great things about Musinex - available over the counter.. You might want to give that a try.. I have a long history of cracking my ribs from coughing too hard, but if you have never had that problem I don't think I would go to the doctors unless I was running a fever, felt like I was having difficulty breathing or really felt "ill"..

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

They can give you a stronger cough medicine if nothing OTC helps.

I went once b/c I was in a show and I was having coughing fits due to illness that could not be relieved. I tried several different cough medicines including my old standby of creomulsion (sp?)--b/c usually that will work for me. But it didn't.

What's funny is I got a huge lecture on how antibiotics wouldn't do anything. I responded that was great since that was NOT what I was there for.

They gave me a cough suppressant with codeine. It does make you sleepy--so I couldn't have it until right before the show started. But it worked wonders and my cough went away in a few days (plus while I was drugged up I didn't cough).

My cough was preventing me from doing things--so that is why I went.

So if nothing else is working, I would go.

 

[ducklite]

I agree, the Musinex can work wonders! Try that with a decongestant, and see how you feel in a few days unless your "discharge" is greenish--that could indicate an infection.

Anne

 

[CheshireVal]

I wouldn't bother. Cough medicines never really work anyway, and it's probably not a bacterial infection.

Then again, I'd rather do just about anything than go to the doctor!

 

[Christine]

Thanks, all. I am of the mindset that I REALLY don't want to go to the doctor. On top of it all, I really hate taking any medication so even if he gave me a cough medicine, I doubt I'd take it. I've just been coughing so hard, I swear I've damaged my pharanyx or vocal chords. My "discharge" is yellow in the morning, which I believe is normal. The stuff I cough up in the A.M. is tan. As the day progresses, it gets more clear.

I just drove my daughter to school and I had a HUGE coughing fit in rush hour traffic. If wasn't pretty.

C. Ann--Nope I've never hurt my ribs coughing. I'm getting more of a lower ab workout!

Well, I just popped a Sudafed, which is *something* for me. As I said, I hate meds and I hate the Sudafed jitters but if it helps some of this drainage, it might be worth it.

 

[poohluvrs]

We just got over this, colds can last 2 weeks, hang in there! Think of all the extra germs at the Dr's office, then go home, make some tea, get some cough drops, take a steam shower, go to bed early!

 

[Christine]

We just got over this, colds can last 2 weeks, hang in there! Think of all the extra germs at the Dr's office, then go home, make some tea, get some cough drops, take a steam shower, go to bed early!

Did you have the horrible coughing?

I just feel so bad because I was out for almost a week last week when my son got either a virus or influenza (they are not sure). When he finished up, I started coming down with it. So now I'm going on missing almost 2 weeks of work!! I feel like such a wimp since I "just have a cold." One of the reasons I am staying out is that I work in a cubicle situation and I feel bad for everyone having to listen to me nor do I want to make anyone sick. I used to have an office and I could shut the door. But no more.

 

[mtemm]

We are just getting over this. DS and I started a week ago monday, dh had started the previous saturday. We just let it run its course, although my MIL, who also started a week ago monday, did go to the dr. and got anti biotics. The cold pretty much ran for a little over a week...the worst of it (fever/exhaustion/feeling generally inhuman) was over for dh and I within 5 days, the coughing continued for a few more days...I'm still coughing from time to time, but not bad and it doesn't keep me up.

One thing I did that I've never done before is take nyquil. It was the only cough meds we had in the house (dh likes it) so I took it one night...and I slept. It was wonderful. I ended up taking it several nights in a row and the sleep really helped.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[golfgal]

Colored discharge usually indicates an infection. I would call the dr. There are all kinds of things going around now bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, etc. Normal discharge is clear or white.

 

[Christine]

Colored discharge usually indicates an infection. I would call the dr. There are all kinds of things going around now bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, etc. Normal discharge is clear or white.

Actually (according to the internet ) they've stopped saying that. Used to be that they always thought discolored mucous meant infection, but now they only say that if you are like 10-14 days out. Normal colds have a progression of colors to the mucous ranging from clear to yellow to green. And the longer the congestion sits (like when I get up in the morning), the more it changes colors. For instance, when I blew my nose this morning, it was a beautiful pale, yellow shade and somewhat thick. After a few hours of moving around, it is totally clear. The stuff in my throat has turned beige but that's because it's been sitting. Now didn't you really want to know that?

From the National Institutes of Health website:

OVERUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS

Many people think that a green or yellow nasal discharge means a bacterial infection, which requires antibiotics. This is NOT true. Colds will often begin with a clear nasal discharge, but after several days it usually turns creamy yellow or green. Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics will not help. A green or yellow nasal discharge is not a sign you need antibiotics.

 

[ducklite]

Gosh this thread is getting gross!

I think if it's coming from your nose as long as it's not accompanied by pain in the sinus area or earache it's OK.

When it's coming from your chest green it's time to see the doctor.

If you've got nothing coming out of your chest--just a dry unproductive cough, seriously try the Musinex, it did wonders for me a couple weeks ago when I had a rotten cold. It's a small pill you take twice a day--no side effects--no brain fog or buzziness, no dry mouth.

Anne

 

[Christine]

Gosh this thread is getting gross!

I think if it's coming from your nose as long as it's not accompanied by pain in the sinus area or earache it's OK.

When it's coming from your chest green it's time to see the doctor.

If you've got nothing coming out of your chest--just a dry unproductive cough, seriously try the Musinex, it did wonders for me a couple weeks ago when I had a rotten cold. It's a small pill you take twice a day--no side effects--no brain fog or buzziness, no dry mouth.

Anne

Thanks Anne. Now if I can just get someone to stop by the store for me to get this stuff I will use it. Isn't it guafenisin.

As for stuff coming from my chest--I really believe it is coming from the lower pharanyx area. It drips down all night long and when I get up I have this "blob" of stuff that I spend 3 hours coughing up. Once I do that, I just cough unproductively for most of the day. Occcasionally, I will get some phlegm. Yes, this is gross.