whimper

[pegkerr]

I think this is the sickest I've been in at least the last three or four years. My doctor, when she saw me yesterday, told me she thought I could go back to work next Monday. I came down with it last Sunday. I thought, okay, I can see a day or two, but four days off work for a virus? What the hell?

But she was right, damn her. There is no bloody way I'll be able to go back to work tomorrow. I went to Fiona's school for school conferences tonight, sort of a trial run to see if I might be able to go back to work tomorrow. After two hours I practically crawled out of there, literally crying in pain. My throat hurts so blazingly bad when I cough, as if I'm tearing the tissue apart in shreds, that I keep thinking I'm going to see blood on the kleenex when I cough, as if I'm dying of consumption. And the coughing keeps going on and on, doubling me over in paroxyms of agony. I've already told Rob that I'm not going to attempt Delia's conferences tomorrow, and screw work. They'll get along without me.

Tea, ice cream, italian ices, cough drops, Ibuprophen, Acetaminaphin, humidifier, hot baths, dark chocolate, soup, oatmeal, salt-water gargles, Robitussen cough syrup, Chloraseptic throat spray. Nothing gives me relief for very long. Christ, it hurts.

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Plus, why get teacher sick as well. Stay home and pamper yourself, I'd say.

Feel better soon.

[legomymalfoy.livejournal.com]

Only thing that I could tolerate when I had a reallllllly bad sore throat was boiling water + lemon juice. It tastes like total death in a cup, but it axed my sore throat in a few days.

Hope you feel better soon, that really sucks. I had to attend mass when studying for my Confirmation in the 8th grade (they made us go and the priest had to sign off on a paper proving it. Oh, Catholic school...) and I had a 102 fever. My mom bundled me up in blankets and sat me there -_-

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

Seconding the hot water + lemon, only I usually add a dollop of honey to ease the throat and improve the taste. If I'm really feeling low, some whiskey added in there is a killer cold remedy, if only because you sleep it off . . . not to be mixed with nyquil, though!

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

If the throat pain is that bad, ditch the Chloroseptic. Pick up Cepacol instead. That stuff is FIERCE. I had a problem with recurring strep throat when I was younger, and I got to where I could practically swill Chloroseptic like 2% milk -- but Cepacol knocked my SOCKS off.

Still does.
Use the cherry flavor for starters; then, if that works well and you want something more hard-core, go for the cool menthol.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Rob picked up some Cepacol for me today. Thanks for the recommend.

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

No problem. I hope it helps.
[:: hugs ::]

[quesrah.livejournal.com]

My cold remedies (it sounds like your symptoms are cold-like, whether or not it's a cold) are Good Earth tea (https://www.goodearthteas.com/productinfo.asp?prod=2&typek=1) and Hot and Sour Soup. Not usually together, though. Feel better!

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hate feeling like that. I'm so sorry.

[tizianaj.livejournal.com]

If you have a herbal store nearby I suggest you send your hubby to get your something for your throat. I have found that a tea made of Lady's Mantle and Peppermint to be very effective against sore throats, but they might have a better suggestion.

In the meantime you might find hot water with freshly squeezed lemon juice added to it (2 tablespoons or so) and a bit of honey soothing - but don't drink it scalding hot - let it cool for at least 5 minutes before attempting to drink it (ideally just a bit hotter than lukewarm).

It would be wise to stay away from dairy-based stuff right now - so no ice cream - but popsicles, non-dairy sherbets and cold juices and other drinks are all good (but stick to unsweetened, and not too acidic). Clear soups are also good, but again, don't eat it scalding hot.

You might also want to check out this website to see what other people have done: http://www.ehow.com/tips_9506.html

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

If you like ginger, Celestial Seasonings' Bengal Spice Tea, drunk hot and sweetened with honey, is really nice for a cold and does seem to have some curative effect.

With the kind of cold you're describing, you might want to beware of bronchitis/pneumonia. Honestly, all you really should do until you're feeling better -- and then a day after that -- is just rest, drink lots of liquids, eat, listen to music, have hot showers, and read all the books you've been saving up. Your body really needs the pampering to get better when it's that sick. I've tried being the hero in that case (in fact, I tried going to an SF con), and my experience is that you stay sicker longer.

I hope it abates soon... Coughing like that is such a misery.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Ah, excellent suggestion. I had Rob pick me up some Bengal Spice tea, and you're right, it was extremely soothing. Thanks, I'll remember that!

[pameladean]

They really ought to give you some cough syrup with codeine in it, unless you're allergic to it or something. You can't get better if you can't rest. I had an evil virus last year, and the only thing that gave me any rest at all was Robitussin with codeine. I didn't even have to take the recommended dose; I got away with half of it. But it really worked.

P.

[naomikritzer]

I agree with the codeine. If it's a virus, they can't make it go away with the magic of antibiotics, but they can at least treat the symptoms so you're less miserable while you wait for your immune system to do its thing.

I also second the Cepacol; that's what Ed took during the mysterious and excruciating throat problems he had this summer. And if you keep getting worse you might go back and see if it's pneumonia or mono or something else that wouldn't show up on a strep test.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Yes on codeine. Call your doctor and demand that they call a prescription in for you.

K.

[ivyblossom.livejournal.com]

I had it. It took 6-8 weeks for the cough to go away. Stay away from dairy to cut down the phgelm, but otherwise...yeah, it's brutal. :/

[slythwolf.livejournal.com]

Here via mistful's flist because I figure the people she reads must be fun.

My goodness, what have you got? One of my friends had somewhat similar symptoms recently and it turned out she had walking pneumonia; not fun. I hope you feel better soon. The getting-plenty-of-rest thing is usually a good idea.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Just an excessively nasty virus. I did see my doctor and she listened to my lungs, so no pneumonia, I'm quite sure.

I'm still feverish and coughing today, but the sore throat isn't quite as excrutiating today. Thank heavens.

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

Seriously? A bit of whiskey. Even if you don't like whiskey, just splash it into your tea.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

Arg. I'm sorry you're feeling so wretched. :-(

[aome.livejournal.com]

And they're SURE it doesn't require antibiotics? There's more than just strep out there. I'm sorry you feel so awful. :( I've been thinking of you.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

She did give me a prescription for an antibiotic and told me to fill it Sunday if I don't feel any better. I hope to God I can hang on that long.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

If you're coughing that hard that you're doubled over in agony, splint the cough on a pillow. Seriously. You can crack a rib coughing that hard, and then the misery of the cold is extended with the misery of cracked ribs. Hug the pillow hard to your middle, so you're doubling over around it (and not able to double over as much due to the pillow in the way).

Sorry for shoving my nose in, but -- pillow! Really!

And feel better soon!

pillow?

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Codeine.

K.

Re: pillow?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The codeine I had helped, but not enough to keep me from cracking ribs once. Codeine and pillows have, so far as I know, no bad drug interactions at this dosage.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yep, good suggestion. I have been worried about cracked ribs because the coughing has been murderous, and yes, I've been using a pillow. Thanks.

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

So sorry. Want to reiterate my ginger suggestion : ginger tea, ginger in chicken soup etc.

Also, if you have plain Robitussin (guaifenesin) with nothing else in it (dextromorpahn, psuedoephedrine, etc) my doctor has told me in the past that you can drink a lot of it to loosen the phlegm without side effects. One prescription strength version pill of guaifenesin is about a bottle worths of the OTC stuff. Just drink lots of water with it.

(Call your doctor of course to verify this ... in fact, it would be a good idea to call your dr anyway to report the painful coughing)

http://www.drugs.com/guaifenesin.html

And sleep & rest. Really hoping you feel better soon.

[pazlazuli.livejournal.com]

are you sure it's not something more serious than a cold? Have they done the 24 hour strep test? Taken x-rays?

take care of yourself...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've had the strep test (both rapid test and the 48 hour culture), and my doctor listened to my lungs and didn't hear the crackling sounds that you get with pneumonia.

It's just a nasty virus that's kicking my butt.

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

Oh, feel better soon!

Catherine

Serious sympathy -- feel better soon!

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

All my usual suggestions about tea and a pillow have been offered. I agree that if it's not easing up by Monday, you need to think about something more serious.

Yes, there's something going around that has a lingering cough. BUT -- the thing we often forget is that when you pass on the germs from a cold, they may give another person a cold -- or bronchitis -- or pneumonia. It hits people differently.

You need a good LMT to loosen the trigger points in your intercostals (rib muscles) but not until the coughing recedes!