If you have fluid in your lungs...

[MongoTheGeek]

Hm, well even so, it can't hurt to see a doctor, right? Even if there's little s/he could do to actually aid the recovery, s/he could prescribe some lovely cough syrup that might allow me actually sleep more than an hour at a time. Mm, codeined cough syrup.

Sometimes doctors can make things worse. Sometimes they go looking for trouble.

I guess if you want something more powerful than NyQuil then yeah go to the doc and get good cough medicine.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Sometimes doctors can make things worse. Sometimes they go looking for trouble.

Yes, they go looking for trouble -- that's their job. This is classic "guy advice" when it comes to health. I used to believe it, but now I know too many people who probably would not be alive (myself included) if they'd followed it.

 

[devilot]

Just got back from the doctor.

Apparently I have strep... but it's weird, in the past I always had a fever and didn't get phlegm in my lungs. Ah well, sign that I'm getting old perhaps?

Got antibiotics but no "fun" cough syrup for me.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Yes, they go looking for trouble -- that's their job. This is classic "guy advice" when it comes to health. I used to believe it, but now I know too many people who probably would not be alive (myself included) if they'd followed it.

The thing is too many of them when they hear hoof beats think Zebras.

Once a cat scan of mine came back with a fatty inclusion in my liver. I asked the doc if it was anything serious. Most common causes are being overweight (Which I am/was) or exposure to any number chemicals which are toxic to the liver(I just finished some chemotherapy which was more aggressive than anything suggested in the literature. And a massive course of steroids). The doctor decided to run some tests for exotic things(7 type of Hepatitis, 30 or so different heavy metals). Rather ironically I watched House recently and heard a "we can't test for all of them" about the tests.

Yes there are certain things you need to see the Doctor for.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Just got back from the doctor.

Apparently I have strep... but it's weird, in the past I always had a fever and didn't get phlegm in my lungs. Ah well, sign that I'm getting old perhaps?

Got antibiotics but no "fun" cough syrup for me.

Yeah, it is odd there wasn't a fever, or a sore throat.

The big sign for me that I have strep is the taste. I would get this nasty taste in my mouth.

 

[Phat Elvis]

Just got back from the doctor.

Apparently I have strep... but it's weird, in the past I always had a fever and didn't get phlegm in my lungs. Ah well, sign that I'm getting old perhaps?

Got antibiotics but no "fun" cough syrup for me.

Good to hear it's not pneumonia. With pneumonia you typically have an increased respiratory rate, fever, and low oxygen saturation. The feeling that there is water in your lungs is the mucus that you are spitting up. That mucus can either come from below (pneumonia) or from above (strep, sinusitis, post-nasal drip). There are a bunch of other factors as well.

Strep can lead to a bunch of mucus in the back of your throat and that can then slip past your vocal cords into your trachea. It should be easy to get out but it may be a little painful to cough that hard. Don't take any cough suppresants (like codeine) since you actually want to cough and get that mucus up.

If they did a rapid strep test and it was positive then good for you! Strep always responds to a penicillin class antibiotic. You should feel better soon. Your boyfriend should be treated if he has strep because the whole idea of antibiotics for strep is to prevent the complications - you typically have ten days from the start of symptoms to treat.

If they didn't do a test and they are calling it strep then they are just guessing. Take the antibiotics anyway and take solace in the fact that your boyfriend got better on his own and you probably will too.

Sorry about the long email. PM me if you have more questions - even though I am used to younger patients.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The thing is too many of them when they hear hoof beats think Zebras.

Once a cat scan of mine came back with a fatty inclusion in my liver. I asked the doc if it was anything serious. Most common causes are being overweight (Which I am/was) or exposure to any number chemicals which are toxic to the liver(I just finished some chemotherapy which was more aggressive than anything suggested in the literature. And a massive course of steroids). The doctor decided to run some tests for exotic things(7 type of Hepatitis, 30 or so different heavy metals). Rather ironically I watched House recently and heard a "we can't test for all of them" about the tests.

Yes there are certain things you need to see the Doctor for.

Look, you're always going to be dealing with the limits of what doctors can know, but unless you're prepared to be your own doctor (not a good idea, generally), then you need to see one unless you have a really good idea what's wrong, and you know it's minor. This is a case in point. Only a doctor can test for strep, and only a doctor can prescribe antibiotics for it.

I'm as frustrated as the next person, if not more so, with the health care system, but I'm not going to start treating myself as a result. If I'd had that mentality this past January, I might not have been here to type this message. Close calls have a way of changing your mind about these things.

 

[devilot]

Wow, thanks for that post, Phat Elvis! I couldn't make sense of how strep caused mucus to accumulate into my lungs and the damned doctor was too busy to even make note of my one-word answers, much less answer any questions I had.

If they did a rapid strep test and it was positive then good for you! Strep always responds to a penicillin class antibiotic. You should feel better soon. Your boyfriend should be treated if he has strep...

She did do a rapid strep test (I hate it when they scrape and poke at my throat-- InstaGag™) and I did already warn the boyfriend (his appointment to see a doctor is on Wednesday).

Thanks again, for your post.

 

[jadekitty24]

Ugg, I feel so bad for you Devilot. Strep sucks. Might I suggest sitting in a steamy bathroom or perhaps boil some water and kind of hover over it, inhaling the steam. This helps to break up the nastiness in your throat and it may temporarily sooth it as well.

 

[angelsdogs]

i just went to er in march with symptoms of heart atttack.....chest pain, pain in jaw, pain down left arm and numbness couldnt breathe.....guess what it was pnnomonia. i had no fever,no coughing. after they admited me i did start throwing up. which didnt help the chest pain. i would go get checked if i was you. also they found my oxygen level was really low.

 

[SamIchi]

Ugg, I feel so bad for you Devilot. Strep sucks. Might I suggest sitting in a steamy bathroom or perhaps boil some water and kind of hover over it, inhaling the steam. This helps to break up the nastiness in your throat and it may temporarily sooth it as well.

Yea that always helps, a nice hot steamy shower. Breaks up all the congestion. Keep a hot cup of tea next to you and breathe in the steam. It really helps.