HELP, please! I've been sick for a week!

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McKayMachina
McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
in Motivation and Support
HELP...Cannot stop coughing. It's worse when I lay down. Been going on for a full week now. Throat is raw and cough-burnt and I'm exhausted from no rest. DayQuil, Zicam and cough drops aren't working.

I generally do NOT go to the doctor for colds. It's just a waiting game and rest/hydration are always a surefire way to get through it. I've only had to call out sick from work for one shift and haven't missed any school, but I have a shift coming up tomorrow and really don't want to be coughing into people's drinks. Ew.

Any advice??? What is your go-to cough remedy? We're talking INDUSTRIAL strength, at this point.

I just need a few hours of rest. :(

Replies

  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    Bonus: My abs are sure getting a helluva work out. :laugh: :mad:
  • swissbrit
    swissbrit Posts: 201
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    Cough medicine with codein in it is the strongest, here the best is paracodein drops but you have to have a perscription not sure about where you are...
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    Cough medicine with codein in it is the strongest, here the best is paracodein drops but you have to have a perscription not sure about where you are...

    Unfortunately I am allergic to codeine. :( Thank you for your reply, anyway!
  • texasgrower
    texasgrower Posts: 22
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    The first thing you can do is tackle the throat. Get some lemonade and make it like it says on the container. Pour about 2 cups in a sauce pan and add 1/4 cup real lemon (can use the bottle kind) and put is on the stove. You want to drink it like a cup of hot tea. I will tell you the first 2 sips will be sour, but after that it is OK. Your sore throat will be gone. I would drink this several times a day.

    Next, sleep with 2 pillows. Need to get your head up when you sleep. Take some benedryl before you go to bed. Get some Vicks vapor rub and warm some up in the microwav and put it on your chest. Cover with an old t-shirt because it will be sticky. Put a little bit under your nose. You will not smell good, but it will make you feel better.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    The first thing you can do is tackle the throat. Get some lemonade and make it like it says on the container. Pour about 2 cups in a sauce pan and add 1/4 cup real lemon (can use the bottle kind) and put is on the stove. You want to drink it like a cup of hot tea. I will tell you the first 2 sips will be sour, but after that it is OK. Your sore throat will be gone. I would drink this several times a day.

    Next, sleep with 2 pillows. Need to get your head up when you sleep. Take some benedryl before you go to bed. Get some Vicks vapor rub and warm some up in the microwav and put it on your chest. Cover with an old t-shirt because it will be sticky. Put a little bit under your nose. You will not smell good, but it will make you feel better.

    Thank you! Currently drinking tea with lots of lemon and have Vick's on. Also just did a salt water gargle. Going to keep this up every 3 or 4 hours. Man, nursing a cold is EXHAUSTING. It's a full-time job in and of itself!
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    Have you had a fever at all? I had a terrible cough and had pneumonia. Still recovering. Good luck.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    Have you had a fever at all? I had a terrible cough and had pneumonia. Still recovering. Good luck.

    Luckily no fever whatsoever. Just incessant cough, sinus congestion and sore throat. General exhaustion, too.

    I hope you have a speedy recovery!
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
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    You can sooth your sore throat with honey mixed with some tea. Or suck on a dark chocolate hershey kiss. Both of them will coat your sore throat. If you find yourself coughing incessantly at work, suck on crushed ice.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    Well, I'm still sick. It's been a week and two days. Symptoms come and go but I finally found a combination of medicines that work.

    Figured I'd share it here in case anyone else stumbles across this thread:

    Dextromethorphan (DM) cough syrup
    Advil Cold & Sinus Liquid Gels

    Saving my life right now! I can breeeeeathe!
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
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    green tea extract capsules, lots and lots of vitamin c capsules, raw honey by the spoonful
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    If you have been that sick for over a week, it probably isn't a cold. And it is probably time to call the doctor.
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
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    GO TO THE DOCTORS!!!! if it's been that long somethings up. it may be something in your lungs... bronchitis, pneumonia,... better to get checked. if there's an infection you need to get meds.
  • mzhokie
    mzhokie Posts: 349 Member
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    Have you tried mucinex? Is there a lot of congestion? if so I would go to the pharmacy counter for some real sudafed to help dry it up. sounds like you have some sort of drainage.

    last time I had something similiar I stayed drugged up on sudafed, mucinex, and lots of Halls Sugar Free Cough drops with menthol. I drank a ton of water and Vitamin Water with loads of vitamin c and electrolytes. Tried to stay hydrated and just got a ton of sleep. Chicken noodle soup or chicken stock. It really does help and makes your throat feel better.

    find some frozen greek yogurt because cold stuff really does make our throat feel better too.
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    My doctor prescribed me an aspirin gargle (2 aspirin dissolved in water, gargle and spit) when I had tonsillitis last Christmas . Did the trick. Could be worth a go for your throat..
  • TheDarlingOne
    TheDarlingOne Posts: 255 Member
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    *IF YOU ARE OF AGE - AS YOU MENTION YOU HAVEN'T MISSED SCHOOL -- then jack daniels mixed with peppermint hard candy (the one with the red and white stripes)- drop some peppermint hard candy in it and let it start to melt/fizzle down in the liquid.

    Give it say 10min, and then take you a few good swigs.

    Will taste like CRIZ-APP! - but will get you that good nights rest you are looking for.

    My mother used to do that to us as teens. we'd be going to bed at night for school and be like OMG shhh shut up don't cough or she'll get the jack!

    But it works 100% promise ha.
    (i'm 31 now - so - don't no body be callin defacs on my mama or nothin lol)
  • dance_fit
    dance_fit Posts: 53 Member
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    Get a neti pot with saline wash

    I was told by a doctor once that my sore throat was being caused by post nasal drip which can be helped with the neti pot. Now when ever I start to get that tickle in my throat I use my neti pot a couple of times a day for a few days and it never gets worse. I was a hard sell on them because it seems gross to wash the inside of your nose, but it totally works. I really love it.
  • flutterbye811
    flutterbye811 Posts: 86 Member
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    ugh, i just started feeling this way Saturday night and it's gotten gradually worse over the last 2 days (definitely didn't help that I completed a 7k walk in 25 degree weather yesterday, haha). Lungs are definitely not in tip top shape and my head is all sinusy and hurts a lot- all I feel like doing is sleeping (and don't have the energy to exercise but don't want to push myself, either.) Tea has definitely become my best friend, and I'll have to get some lemons.

    Hope you start feeling better ASAP!
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,672 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the advice!

    I don't have health insurance and the low-cost clinic downtown is such an enormous waste of time. It's basically an exercise in getting verbally abused by disgruntled nurses. So I'm going to skip that. I really NEVER go to the doctor for colds, even if they are extended. It's been a week and a half now and it's subsiding. Still have congestion but that's about it and the Advil Cold & Sinus is doing the trick.

    I'm a bar tender so I'll have to try that JD and peppermint trick, Alternatively, we have a cinnamon whisky that actually tastes good so that might be a less disgusting approach. lol!

    I actually bought a neti pot when I first got sick. It arrived a couple of days ago and I tried it once. The water somehow went up into my ear and caused me an ear ache! It still hurts a little bit but is going away. I knew ear, nose and throat were all interconnected but I didn't know water in the nostril would cause ear pain! I will try it again sometime when I'm not sick to learn how to properly use it. In the meantime, Advil is my friend.

    P.S.: This could be allergies, too. I am in a new state and there's pollen everywhere, Big change from the barren desertscape of Arizona. If this is still going on in a few days, I'll try some benadryl instead. :)

    Thanks again, all.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    I second the neti pot. its easy to have ready, kind of hurts when i feel the water run through my whole nasal pasage but a must to give no chance for that infection you got going on!. Blow your nose always don't let that stuff set up shop in your body. I am still sick (about a week now) and hubby wants me to go to dr.s soon but Im feeling waaay better now and down to using tissues only when I eat now so…gotta try the neti- weird but awesome stuff!!

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