Going to the Doctors....

[dixie_darlin]

Originally Posted by Godiva

Take some ibuprofen (Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), and maybe some Robitussin cough gels. In my state, codeine cough syrups are availble behind-the-counter (you have to talk to the rph, but you don't need an rx). Ask your pharmacist if you can buy it OTC and take that instead of Robitussin cough gels. You might find that if you stop taking the decongestant completely, you will get worse... I know it doesn't feel like it's helping, but it's doing something at least.

Are you on any rx meds or do you have any medical conditions (PM me if you don't wanna post LOL)? The mineral oil is a good idea, too.

Are your coughs productive? Do you have greenish yellow mucus coming up when you cough, or is it dry? You don't want to take a suppressant during the day (you can at night) if it's green and yellow.... you want to get that stuff out of your lungs.

LOL Sorry, any questions, PM me.

In florida you have to have a script to get anything w/codiene in it. I was taking Mucinex DM but it wasn't helping. I don't have any medical problems except I'm anemic and hypoglycemic (sp?). When I cough it's a rainbow of colors.. gross, I know. It's yellow, green and sometimes brown.. even had some blood a few times. The only meds I'm on is BC. I try to only take a suppressent at night but sometimes during the day I cough so much and so hard that my body will literally lock up and I can't move or breath. When it does that I have an extremely hard time catching my breath. My chest will burn and tighten up and feels like my throat is closing up. It totally SUCKS when I'm in public or talking to one of my customers and it happens.. especially when it feels like I'm about to lose control of my bladder

When I wake up in the mornings I will cough and it's not productive and I can't catch my breath... I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

i just wanna sleep but I can't because when I lay down I cough continuously for about 20 mins and end up having to sleep sitting up and then my back hurts.... the night before we went to halloween horror nights, I had to wake DH up to help me sit up. I coughed so hard I had pulled muscles in my back

 

[godiva]

Ack! You sound deathly! Blood in cough-up stuff = not good. Be sure to tell the ER that when you go to see them. Sounds like you need an antibiotic ASAP. That will warrant the visit.

I sure hope you feel better!!

 

[beckiboo]

Originally Posted by crittermom

Sometimes the expiration date is ONLY the date when the Pharmacy can legally sell it.
My Sister works for a Drs office and she give me childrens Tylenol and Motrin all the time with expired dates.

I agree. The military did studies on medications, because it was costing them so much to dispose of expired meds. They found most medications that are still in sealed containers were good 10-15 years beyond their expiration date. I work in a doctor's office, and we cannot give patients expired medications, but we know that they are still good for years.

I'd pull the eardrops out of the trash and use them! Also, a warm pack will help your ear feel better. I also like using a cotton ball in the ear...it keeps the cool air out! Let the doc you see know what drops you put in, so they don't think it is a discharge!

One warning, if the eardrum does burst, do not put anything in the ear. It could cause a nasty infection.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

aww..I hope you feel better soon.

 

[godiva]

True, many meds are good years afterwards, but some meds break down into chemical derivatives that will make you ill or be physiologically inactive, which is a very bad thing if the drug has a narrow therapuetic index, is dosed in micrograms, or has hepatotoxic (toxic to the liver) degradation products. Unless you want to consult with a medical chemist for each forumulation out there (even within the same drug), I'd suggest not using it. OTC products are usually okay... but watch out for aspirin, it often expires early. If it smells like vinegar, it's inactive... because it is vinegar!

 

[dixie_darlin]

Originally Posted by Godiva

True, many meds are good years afterwards, but some meds break down into chemical derivatives that will make you ill or be physiologically inactive, which is a very bad thing if the drug has a narrow therapuetic index, is dosed in micrograms, or has hepatotoxic (toxic to the liver) degradation products. Unless you want to consult with a medical chemist for each forumulation out there (even within the same drug), I'd suggest not using it. OTC products are usually okay... but watch out for aspirin, it often expires early. If it smells like vinegar, it's inactive... because it is vinegar!

When I opened the bottle it had a milky color to it. It's usually almost clear with a slight SLIGHT yellow tint to it. That's why I trashed it.
My oldest son had cronic ear infections. He was a preemie and his eardrums were'nt developed completely. By the time he was 1½yr he had 4 ear surgeries. They had to reconstruct his inner ear. The infection had solidified into something the consistancy of candle wax and broke the tiny bones. He was 80% deaf until then. The Drs we took him to kept putting him on antibiotics and he would become immune towards them. They didn't work. All the while I was insiting he should be seen by an ENT Dr. but w/o a refferal from a reg Dr the insurance wouldn't allow it. I went through 11 Drs before only finally agreed with me. We would go into the office 2 weeks after a Dr would give him meds and his ear would be draining. They would just give him the same meds and send us on our way. It was a LONG year! He now has a learning disability and is a year behind anyone his age, mentally, socially and acedemically. I remember the first time he heard a bird was when we walked out of the hospital after his last surgery. I was carrying him and he looked up a tree with a suprised look on his face. He pointed and said " wa da?" Meaning "whats that".. I started crying and laughing at the same time. I held him tighter and said "That's a bird baby!" and hugged him.. it still brings tears to my eyes

 

[beckiboo]

Good for you throwing it out if it was discolored. Hopefully you will be feeling better real soon!

 

[halfpint]

I hope you feel better there's alot going around about now, but at least you made it to and from the dollar store without bringing any feathered things home didn't you?

No really hope you feel better fast

 

[esrgirl]

I am so glad you called that other ER! I hope you can get in there soon to get this fixed. My mom did something to her rib- I can't remember if she fractured or pulled muscle, or what it was, but it hurt her horribly and was caused by coughing.

The experiences some of the others have had in EDs suprise me. At mine they have a sign up that says if you have chest pains, shortness of breath, or tingling, or numbness in the arms to tell the triage nurse immediately. We have an excellent rate for getting folks from 911 call to cath lab. We are getting busier, especially as we move to trauma center status, but I've never seen anyone get such shoddy care. I wonder if some hospitals are just set up so poorly that it impacts every aspect of care. I can't even imagine anyone being treated the way some of the folks here have been treated. There are some pretty serious violations going on in these hospitals and there should be something we can do about it.

I really wish we had free health care in this country, but I guess that topic belongs in the opinion forum!

 

[dixie_darlin]

Originally Posted by halfpint

but at least you made it to and from the dollar store without bringing any feathered things home didn't you?

I think my house is full now

 

[dixie_darlin]

Originally Posted by esrgirl

I am so glad you called that other ER! I hope you can get in there soon to get this fixed. My mom did something to her rib- I can't remember if she fractured or pulled muscle, or what it was, but it hurt her horribly and was caused by coughing.

The experiences some of the others have had in EDs suprise me. At mine they have a sign up that says if you have chest pains, shortness of breath, or tingling, or numbness in the arms to tell the triage nurse immediately. We have an excellent rate for getting folks from 911 call to cath lab. We are getting busier, especially as we move to trauma center status, but I've never seen anyone get such shoddy care. I wonder if some hospitals are just set up so poorly that it impacts every aspect of care. I can't even imagine anyone being treated the way some of the folks here have been treated. There are some pretty serious violations going on in these hospitals and there should be something we can do about it.

I really wish we had free health care in this country, but I guess that topic belongs in the opinion forum!

Oh, might I add, this is the same hospital my mom went to about 2 yrs ago for pnuemonia. She was admitted and the room they gave her had dried blood on everything. My dad complained for 2 days and had to threaten to call the health department, the news channels and newpaper before the moved her.
What sucks is this is the closest hospital to us. It's about 4 miles from me and about 3 miles from my mom. The other one I'm going to tomm is about 20 mins from here but I've learned it's the best one to go to. I had both my son's there and recieved the BEST care EVER! and the children's hospital is right next door also. DH goes there for Work Comp and he's in and out and they do EVERYTHING to help you. Matter of fact, when DH went to the other ER complaining he had serious back pain and couldn't breath they told him he had pulled his muscles carrying shingles up the ladder. We didn't buy it and went to the other ER... he had walking pnuemonia....I went there before a few months ago VERY sick and vomiting blood.They told me I had food posioning but later found out from a walk in clinic it was a kidney infection. I was on IV's and meds for 6 hours for nothing

But again, it's the closest hospital. I don't think I'm EVER going back there again. I would probably have to be LITERALLY dying before I did... but then again, that would be the only way I could get in

 

[crittermom]

Crittersmom... I'm confused... sell what? (If I am reading what you typed correctly) you are right is illegal to sell expired meds from a pharmacy, and yes, doc offices often don't care about this law and they often give expired meds.

Sorry!!! Yes, I meant expired meds.
I should add that the Drs office doesn't give out the expired meds to me...........my Sister grabs them from her office and gives them to me....and they are samples.
Basically the only meds that I won't use after their expired date is Antibiotics.

 

[godiva]

Oh, okay!

I use expired meds too, but if I were on seizure medications or blood thinners like Coumadin, I wouldn't risk it with those meds. Usually, it's not a big deal, but with some drugs, it can be a really big problem! Antiobiotics, too.

How are you feeling today? Do you go to the ER today? You must be miserable... I don't know how you've held out this long! You probably already have pneumonia yourself!

Let us know how it goes...

And you're scaring me with all those stories... eeck! It's just not right.

I'm sorry you've had to witness/go through all that.

 

[bella713]

Bless your heart. Hope you are feeling better real soon!!!

 

[emrldsky]

To me, that sounds like a sinus infection that has gotten bad enough to put pressure on your ear drums (sinus infections are typically mistaken for colds that won't go away). Have you tried any sinus medication? I get sinus infections several times a year and sometimes I have earaches or infections. One time both eardrums burst from the pressure, and I couldn't hear very well for over a month while they healed.

But, I am not a Dr.

Good luck with everything!!

 

[dixie_darlin]

Originally Posted by Godiva

Oh, okay!

I use expired meds too, but if I were on seizure medications or blood thinners like Coumadin, I wouldn't risk it with those meds. Usually, it's not a big deal, but with some drugs, it can be a really big problem! Antiobiotics, too.

How are you feeling today? Do you go to the ER today? You must be miserable... I don't know how you've held out this long! You probably already have pneumonia yourself!

Let us know how it goes...

And you're scaring me with all those stories... eeck! It's just not right.

I'm sorry you've had to witness/go through all that.

I just got back from the ER. I have bronchitis. No ear infection though. It's just pressure.
They did a chest X-Ray and told me they want me to come back in 2 weeks for another one. They said there is a nodule they found on one of lungs. It could be from the bronchitis or something else. Now I'm scared to death about what it could be

They gave me antibiotics and an inhaler hoping it will clear this up. I also had an albuterol breathing treatment while I was there. It helped a little bit..
I can't help but be scared to death about what it could be. And I'm quitting smoking as of today

 

[ugaimes]

Ouch- earaches are NO FUN! Be glad you've gone this long in life without them! Hope you feel better soon

. (Hide the icepicks!!)

 

[lemur 6]

Originally Posted by DixieDarlin256

I just got back from the ER. I have bronchitis. No ear infection though. It's just pressure.
They did a chest X-Ray and told me they want me to come back in 2 weeks for another one. They said there is a nodule they found on one of lungs. It could be from the bronchitis or something else. Now I'm scared to death about what it could be

They gave me antibiotics and an inhaler hoping it will clear this up. I also had an albuterol breathing treatment while I was there. It helped a little bit..
I can't help but be scared to death about what it could be. And I'm quitting smoking as of today

ACK! Smoking and bronchitis... what a combo... Well, don't worry too much since that can cause other problems. Lots of things show up on X-rays so a little nodule I wouldn't stress too much over. Take it easy, hey at least you're feeling better now!