Betty Hayes10 said:It’s not showing HIV, it’s just inflammation. You can get that from basically anything. Why are you dodging the guy's question again? Seriously?
I honestly find it hard to believe anyone would be prescribed 5 to 7 different antibiotics every single year. I mean, besides the fact that they just help bacteria build up resistance (if you actually have constant bacterial infections, which, who knows), they also wreck your organs if you take them too much—and most people are already pulling 2 or 3 a year.
Look, I really don't care whether you believe me or not. If you've got useful advice, spit it out. If not, whatever. That's it.
steelwalker26 - the file is on the computer. I'll try to print it out when I retire (which is happening any day now) 🙂
steelwalker26 said:btw, just in case nobody mentioned this yet, a standard blood count won't catch HIV or any other viruses. It’ll show you things like an elevated ESR or high white blood cell counts if there's some kind of inflammation going on somewhere.
So, are you saying that stuff like high white cell counts and ESR could actually point toward a viral infection like HIV?
I'm probably gonna head in later this week to get my bloodwork done—you know, the whole routine, CBC, metabolic panel, CRP, and all that other junk they always make you get.
I’m definitely switching up my primary care doctor and I'm actually gonna listen to most of the stuff you guys suggested—like fixing my diet, changing some habits, getting those blood tests done, and a throat swab.
The whole HIV thing just spooked me a little bit, though. I guess I'll have to sit down and hash it out with my doctor.
steelwalker26 said:You should probably go get tested for HIV too, since that's what causes AIDS. At the end of the day, having a weak immune system is the big giveaway.
I’m not even exaggerating here... probably 5 to 7 times for sure. Honestly, I feel like I'm getting sick every month and a half on average. And yeah, this has been going on for years now. Just to be clear, we're talking about colds, sore throats, coughing, the occasional fever... like, if a breeze hits me the wrong way, or if I drink too many cold sodas, my throat starts acting up immediately. Things that "normal" people don't even blink at just totally wreck me.
Yeah, every single time he goes through the whole routine, checking everything up and listening to my heart...
At this point, I guess my main focus is just boosting my immune system as much as I can. I just gotta protect myself however possible given how things are right now.
Alright, fine, everything's on me—no doubt about it.
Honestly, I highly doubt there’s some massive underlying infection or whatever. I don't have any other health issues and, I guess, I generally try to stay pretty healthy. I just can't tell you why that doctor keeps prescribing antibiotics for stuff like sore throats and all that nonsense.
I don't smoke and I don't drink, so we can definitely rule that out. Though, I mean, secondhand smoke is kind of hard to avoid sometimes.
You’re totally right to ask that, and yeah, I get where you're coming from regarding the whole virus vs. antibiotics thing. It just feels kinda awkward asking my doctor "why that." 😵
I’ve got this issue I've been too awkward to bring up here... Look, on paper, it sounds super simple, but I honestly have no clue how to fix it or even make it suck less.
I am constantly catching colds. Like, all the time. Sore throats, coughing, the whole nine yards. I don't get the actual flu (I think?), and my joints and muscles feel fine, so it's not that. But man, if there's even a little bit of wind or—God forbid—I step outside with damp hair, I'm toast. I'll be sick.
And the worst part? Even when I'm being super careful, dressing warm, staying cozy... the second the temperature shifts even slightly, I'm down. It's either a sore throat, a low fever, a cough, or just everything hitting me at once.
Since my job is pretty high-stakes, I can't exactly afford to just curl up in bed and call out sick every week. So, I end up taking antibiotics pretty frequently to deal with it. Obviously, I'm not just grabbing them off the shelf myself 🙂
If I had to guess, I probably go through a course of antibiotics maybe 6 or 7 times a year. Amoxicillin, erythromycin, Augmentin... you name it.
Also, I should probably mention that my diet might be part of the problem. I basically never eat salads. Honestly, I've never really been a salad guy.
So my oral surgeon cut me open on Wednesday to drain this abscess, put in a drain, and stitched everything up... told me it should stay put until next Tuesday or Wednesday. But get this—it already popped today. I was being super careful, I swear, but now there’s just this hole left behind. I’m assuming it'll heal over eventually, I guess..
The problem is, the guy is out on vacation and there isn't even an on-call surgeon available at the clinic.... What am I supposed to do? Anyone got advice?
Hey, just jumping back in here to bump this thread. I’ve been scrolling through everything everyone’s said so far on the forum... and honestly, I’m freaking out a bit.
So, here’s the deal: my sister got bitten by a dog out on the street. We aren't even sure whose dog it actually was because there are like 2 or 3 houses nearby with dogs that look almost identical (it was dark out, so I don't know if she can even tell which one did it).
As far as the medical side goes: 1. She washed the wound out as soon as she got home. 2. She went to the doctor and they gave her a tetanus shot and some kind of serum—two injections total—plus some antibiotics. 3. We have to head down to the Department of Public Health on Monday to talk to them.
Regarding the dog itself: Who’s actually in charge of going out there and tracking the dog down? Is that on us to find, or is there some agency we should call for help?