I have a nasty chest/head cold. I had a sore throat shortly before Christmas and ended up at her office for it. She prescribed antibiotics. I felt better until around Jan. 20th I started having a scratchy throat again and a cough. I wasn't sure if this was the same infection or I had picked up something new. I used a vaporizer, cough syrup, drank lots of water, blowed my nose constantly. I felt better last weekend and Monday. Tuesday the cough started again. :( My BF and his son have both been sick and I was around them last weekend. I figured BF caught my crud. Not sure about his son, but he was coughing at times. Today I wake up and my ribs hurt from coughing, my right side of my throat is sore and my nose is very congested and I feel really hot. I decide I better make a dr. appointment because I'm pretty sure I have a fever and/or infection.

I go this afternoon. She says "Yes, your throat is really red and appears to have alot of drainage, your lungs sound wheezy and you appear to have a fever". She leaves the room and comes back with a prescription for some sort of inhaler (which I have never used before, I have never had asthma or allergies, etc.) She also gives me some samples of RhinoCort Aqua. I ask why she isn't prescribing an antibiotic? She knows I have issues with sinus problems, I told her about my chronic infection in 2002 which I ended up having laser surgery to clear up. She tells me that I can call on Monday if I'm not feeling better and she will prescribe an antibiotic. I'm really annoyed. I have been battling this crap for 18 days now and she STILL would not prescribe an antibiotic. And it's not like I'm continually running to her asking for them. Grrr. I'm definitely finding a new physician after today's fiasco.

She thinks it's a virus rather than an infection. Antibiotic won't help kill a virus, and doctors are coming under more and more criticism for giving out antibiotics unless they are positive they are warranted because you become immune to them. So then down the road if you did get a bacterial infection and needed antibiotics, they would work for you.



Buy a thermometer so you know when you're running a fever! How weird for her to say you appear to be ... either you are or you aren't...

Maybe she wants to wait and see if it's a virus (rather than bacterial infection) that might clear up on its own. There's certainly one going around. Or maybe she has taken to heart the problems that over-prescribing antibiotics is causing. (Resulting in very bad bugs that aren't responding to drugs anymore.)

I realize none of this helps. Sorry you're feeling lousy in any case.

[Whoops; I was typing while FTR responded. Great minds, etc.]

I sure hope you will be on the mend soon! And, yes, some doctors are really stingy when it comes to antibiotics. In general though, are you usually happy with this doctor? How long have you been with her? Do you normally have a good rapport with her?

Good docs can sometimes be hard to find...

Yup--she thinks it's viral and is being cautious. Sometimes doctors will prescribe an antibiotic if things go on for a very long time, because secondary bacterial infections will begin to take hold while your immune system is suppressed by the primary viral illness. It's too bad her bedside manner isn't a little better--she could have explained that to you.

Maybe it is allergy related? Rhino virus? Sometimes we develop allergies to things even though we have never had allergies to them before.

a) Just because you've never had asthma or allergies, it doesn't mean you couldn't develop either one.

b) Lots of medications are now dispensed in an inhaler-type dispenser.

As others have said, over-prescription of antibiotics is a huge, huge problem that seems to be getting worse, not better. Not every illness responds to them, and it's a mistake to assume they're a cure-all.

In the US, this is pretty much the worst time of year for exactly the sort of symptoms you're experiencing, so try to have some patience.

Yeah, she could be wrong, and things could get worse before they get better, but why take it out on the doctor? Based on the symptoms you have NOW, it seems to me she's taken some appropriate measures.

I think she's exactly right to hold off on antibiotics, for now.

Rosebud--I can't add much to the very excellent advice that has already been offered. I agree with all that's been said.
If you otherwise really like this doctor and haven't had any previous difficulties, do try to talk this through either with her or with a member of her staff so that you understand exactly why she took the course that she did. If you can't talk directly with the doctor about your concerns sometimes there is someone else in the office (nurse, nurse practitioner) who could take a few moments to explain the rationale behind the doctor's method of treatment.
Caution using very expensive antibiotics is to be commended. If one becomes highly resistant to the antibiotics we have today there will be NO recourse for them when attacted by a bug and that will certainly be more difficult and perhaps deadly and following this course of treatment for a bit.

Ditto FTR. Unless it's bacterial, which it very often is not, antibiotics won't do you any good. I know it's frustrating. We often prescribe inhalers and nasal sprays to patients to ease the symptoms of a very long viral run because we know it's uncomfortable but that's about all the providers can really do that is useful if it's viral.

My mother, who is elderly with various medical conditions, had the same sort of cold for several weeks. She tried everything except antibiotics;a towel over her head over a bowl of hot water with Vicks, helped some; but she took Zicam and said that seemed to knock it out fast.

I do know that there is a prevalence of antibiotics being over-prescribed in the U.S. When my sister lived in Switzerland, the doctors were primarily holistic and would only resort to antibiotics in a rare case.
I guess I'm just concerned that this long drawn out seige of sickness with a few days reprieve here and there is going to wreck havoc on my sinuses again and I sure don't wanna go down that road again.
It's a rather difficult situation.
I did call and speak to my Dr.'s nurse this morning. I took my temperature and I do have a fever---100.2. Nurse said to me "We won't prescribe antibiotics unless you are running a fever". I told her I am and I was when I came in to see the Dr. yesterday. She pulled my chart, talked to my Dr. and I now have Zithromyicin waiting on me at the drugstore. Hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel. I haven't missed this much work for years.

The inhaler was for Albuterol, which is mainly used for asthma and emphysema, right? I realize you can develop asthma at any time during your life,too, but I hesitate to start inhaling that stuff until I've tried antibiotics to see if this crud clears up.

P.S. I've only been to this Dr. three times. Once for poison ivy, last December and yesterday.

Lisa, I hope you get the attention you need and that you get to feeling better soon, hon.

For over two weeks I've been on an King Kong antibiotic for a really bad infection I had in my breast.
Two days after I saw the nurse practioner I came down with a cough and severe congestion in my head which drained into my trachea, gradually moving into my bronchial tubes.
OK. NP tells me that at least I'm on the antibiotics if the sinuses and bronchitis go to a secondary infection.
Fast forward a week...and I actually feel worse, am running a higher fever, and while my breast is better...I'm feeling worse than ever.
And all that leads me to believe this HAS to be strictly viral or it's something which isn't responding to the antibiotic I was given, and that antibiotic is broad spectrum and prescribed for upper respiratory and lung infections.
*shrug*
My main beef is that I have been back to my doctor's office three times...and I've not been able to see my doctor. I am being cared for by the NP, and I am resentful about this.
I know she is qualified to see patients, yadda, yadda, but my doctor knows me well, knows all the meds I can and can't take...and he would have NEVER done something she did, which actually caused the infection in my breast to spread and swell more, despite my telling her NOT to do it, as I know the results of such an action.
It boils down to the fact that I honestly don't like this woman, don't trust her, and I feel resentful towards my doctor for not seeing me.
I'm hoping I don't end up in the ER this weekend.

You know...for far too many years antibiotics have been over-prescribed and we now have smart bacteria which has become resistent to many of those meds.
I think that doctors are trying to remedy this situation, and sometimes I fear they may wind up being overly cautious.
And that's why I feel it's so important to have a lot of trust in your doc and the care he/she provides.

Feel better, dear.

I had the same problem. I had a bad case of coughing to the point where I was vomiting. My coughing fits lasted 2 weeks. I went to see my doctor and prescribed me Asmanax. Before the Asmanax, he prescribed albuteral. I was actually loosing breath and my chest/lungs were hurting me quite a bit. Then I went back and I did the nubulizer, that didn't work and he prescribed Asmanax. I never had asthma and he said that this medicine helps soothe the bronchial tubes and bags and will help your lungs produce. It was a godsend.

I thought I needed antibiotics, he said it won't work for what I had. What I had was viral. Believe me, I thought my doctor didn't know what he was talking about. I guess he did and it worked.

I was sick with sort of bronchial thing since November - finally 2 rounds of zithromax and an albuterol inhaler did the trick. She said the inhaler would reduce the inflammation in the brochioles so I would stop wheezing and the phlegm could actually get out of my lungs. Don't be afraid of the inhaler - I avoided using one for years and now that I finally tried it, it has been a God-send.

I guess when people hear inhaler, automatically they think it is for asthma. Not necessarily so. As you can see, it helped Demetrue and me. I researched about about inhalers and persistent coughs and it always comes up, that using an inhaler helps the lungs to produce thus reducing the coughing. You continue to use the inhaler until you are done with your coughing completely - for me, I used the inhaler for over 20 days. I never quite shook off my cold completely that is why I had the persistent coughing.

What worries me is the fact that none of the doctors took a throat culture to see if there was a bacterial infection. They used to do this years ago. Now it's guesswork and it's quick, cuz time is money and the insurance companies don't pay.

My son's Doc has prescribed albuterol on occasion for a nagging cough. As she explained it, it is a form of a asthma, usually allergy induced, but a bad cold can trigger it too. It usually clears it up within a week, and it's only been bad enough that he was wheezing once.

Lisa, why wouldn't you want to use your inhaler? It's important to get enough oxygen.

Don't know about Lisa, but they make me jittery. Can't remember what was in the one prescribed for me when I had bronchitis years ago, but I definitely got the shakes. I can't do caffeine or decongestants either, same reason.

I'd rather have the jitters than not be able to take a full breath...

Honestly Rosebud, I would find another doctor for a second opinion.

Inhalers don't just make me jittery, they cause my heart to race and give me panic attacks.
I love being able to draw a decent breath, but it's hard to do when your heart is coming off like a jackhammer and you're hyperventilating from panic.

Do they still sell those Vicks Vaporub vaporizers? We always slept with those in our rooms when we were little and had colds. They worked.

Oh, Rosebud... It stinks to be sick and it's horrible the way viruses and bacteria will sneak in and kick you when you're down.

I think what others have said makes a good deal of sense, but do listen to your gut. If you feel your body is not getting better, you may have to call the doc again and demand further tests.

I would also give some plant-based supplements a try if you haven't already. There are some quite effective herbs which are proven to boost the body's immune response. As I'm no doctor, don't take my word for it—ask around—but there is a supplement that Whole Foods and health stores sell called "Wellness Formula (Tablets)" by Source Naturals. The bottle is white with a teal cap. They are loaded with garlic (known antibiotic properties), capsicum (red pepper=vitamin C), mullein leaf, Chinese herbs, astragalus, and many other known immune stimulators. As far as I know there is nothing harmful in these, so it can't hurt to try them. I have chased away many an infection with them before. Also, eating raw garlic really is supposed to help fight infection. And it will never harm you (though others may complain about your new "perfume"!)

Please stay in bed if you can and let your body heal. Feel better soon!

I work in medicine, so maybe I am a bit biased, but I think antibiotics are to be avoided as much as possible for reasons others have stated so well. I struggle with explaining to mother in law, who wants antibiotics for every respiratory infection, why routine prescribing of antibiotics is not helpful. Her argument: "Last time I got antibiotics and I started feeling better after a few days." It is difficult to explain to her that she would have been feeling better in few days with or without antibiotics, that if one divides all the respiratory infection patients into 2 groups and give half of them antibiotics and half a placebo, most will be feeling better in a few days no matter what they got. She finally kept calling her doctor until he relented and then what happened: she developed nausea and diarrhea from the antiobiotic she got, after paying quite a sum for it, and did not end up taking much of the medicine.

A few other notes: giving antibiotics for strep throat is not done to help the sore throat resolve but to prevent the sequelae of rheumatic fever. And offices can charge for the rapid strep test they do in the office. And it should be done for significant sore throats, though maybe not with the mild sore throat one gets with "colds."

Also, no matter how great or crummy your doctor (or NP) is, if you leave the office and, after a few days continue to feel bad, CALL BACK. This really goes for any problem. The doctor needs to know if you are getting better or not, otherwise he cannot help you. With regard to a respiratory or sinus infection, persistent symptoms and fever do tend to indicate that a secondary bacterial infection may be setting in and antibiotics are indicated.

Sorry that you've not been well, but I am glad to hear of doctors using more sense in doling out antibiotics. They have been greatly overused.

Sorry I was slow to get back to this thread - you need to find an inhaler that works without the side effects - neurepinephrine, which I've had to take on a couple of occasions when I ended up in the ER with respiratory distress, will cause heart palpatations, etc - if you don't know to expect that, you'll think you're having a heart attack - BUT you can die from an untreated asthma attack, so I'll take the nebulizer's temporary side effect over possible death. My albuterol emergency inhaler makes me feel a bit hyper after I use it, but I don't need to use it very often and you can lessen the effect by only taking one puff and only holding your breath for 5 or 10 seconds instead of 30 seconds. I don't notice any side effects at all from the Asmacort maintenance inhaler - that one is a topical steroid to shrink inflammation in the bronchioles and should not really have any systemic side effects.

Good info, Demetrue -- thanks.

I too would rather be able to breathe and be somewhat panicky than otherwise, but it's a rotten choice to have to make. I'm glad there are other options.