Brenda Ramos5 said:They’re calling for a cold snap at the end of the month
Oh yeah, because dropping to 86 degrees is just devastating... you better pack a parka, some gloves, and a scarf if you're heading down to the coast...😉
I honestly think it's pretty unlikely if your AST and ALT levels are normal—since they are—because even your bilirubin would probably be elevated by now...
It could just be Gilbert's syndrome, which is a total pain but mostly harmless...
mistyraven42 said:I was reading somewhere that you could drop three pounds just by eating a pound of cherries a day for three days straight. Is there any truth to that?
Sure, the three-day crash diet works... you'll almost certainly lose those three pounds, but it’s definitely not healthy...
You don't even have to stick to cherries; you could do potatoes, bananas, bread, strawberries, bacon... whatever you want. As long as you eat nothing else and only drink water for three days, you'll drop the weight...
You really ought to run that by your doctor first, but I’d just add to what Sam Hall15 said, for adults, that getting vaccinated against chickenpox is worth considering if you haven't already had it. Dealing with that as an adult can be a massive headache, and honestly, it can even be fatal in some cases.
Though, if we're talking about someone who's perfectly healthy and under 45 or 50, I probably wouldn't bother with a flu shot either, unless it was purely for the sake of not missing work...
Nathan Turner4 said:So I finally see the doctor about the yellow discharge and the stinging when I pee, and you won't believe his brilliant advice... he looks at my first morning sample, says there aren't any bacteria found, and then tells me to just drink cranberry tea. No antibiotics, nothing, just eat some dried cranberries and sip tea... does that actually even work? :S
It helps, but it’s not a magic bullet. If you already got the swab done, your best bet is just to follow through with what they said for now... If it drags on, there are a few more tests you might need to go through, which can be slightly awkward, though probably not as bad as you're imagining—just a little stinging and that's about it...
I mention this because last summer I dealt with that same burning sensation for maybe three or four months, and every single test came back totally clean, until my urologist finally put me on an antibiotic like Azithromycin, explaining that sometimes tests for guys can give false negatives... and sure enough, once I finished the course, everything cleared up...
But keep in mind—that was after we tried everything else! Sometimes basic natural stuff like cranberries actually does the trick, or you could try snacking on pumpkin seeds if you think it might be a prostate thing...
Sam Hall15 said:Alright everyone, let's just look at this from a different perspective... While the doctor might have skipped a thorough physical exam, you can actually learn quite a bit just through targeted medical history. I'm not making excuses for a lack of examination, but I do think they are pushing Zithromax a bit too hard. I know from my own experience how demanding patients can be when they demand specific prescriptions or referrals, and unfortunately, some overworked doctors eventually just give in to avoid the hassle. However, I believe sending the patient to an infectious disease specialist was a much more responsible move than simply handing out Zithromax or any other antibiotic... There is far too much empirical prescribing happening these days.
and it happens constantly... my wife told me about this one time she was at the ER with our little girl because of a high fever and a cough—they went in on a Friday afternoon and didn't get seen until Sunday—just so the doctor could listen to her lungs, and once he realized nothing was wrong, he immediately started going into this whole long-winded explanation about why he wouldn't prescribe an antibiotic anyway, but when my wife just laughed and told him she wasn't even there asking for one, the poor guy sighed like a massive weight had finally been lifted off his chest... people clearly don't understand the concept, but apparently, Peter from next door said antibiotics are great and now everyone wants his specific brand of magic pills...
though, in one sense I'm with Alexander Lewis, doctors often fail to explain things the way they really should, and unlike Jose Miller3, I fully believe it's possible that the doctor in the original post was actually just handing over a referral to infectious disease without offering any real reasoning at all...
wanderingcanyon3 said:When you're dealing with severe flu strains and fevers hitting 104 or 105 degrees that linger for more than four days, Zithromax is usually prescribed as a preventative measure...
Sure, that's technically true, though it's hardly necessary or even logical when we're talking about young, healthy people, but technically correct nonetheless... but that’s not really the issue here, because judging by the original post, it sounds like the person was hovering just above 100 degrees for maybe two days before they finally decided to see a doctor...
On top of what Jose Miller3 mentioned, there’s another issue here, which is that we can't just assume there was some throat swab suggesting a bacterial infection... because that hasn't actually happened, at least based on everything we know.
And even if it had, Jose Miller3 already made it clear why that wouldn't change the outcome anyway...
Eric Robinson81, he was totally wiped out, so he went to see a doctor, and after just two days on Zithromax, he was back to his old self. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet he was actually sick for at least four days... he didn't go to the doctor beforehand 😉
another thing—bacterial infections aren't nearly as contagious as viruses. if someone in your house catches the flu, there's a pretty high chance the rest of you will too. but if someone comes down with bacterial pneumonia, you can be fairly certain the rest of the household won't catch it. so, it's honestly unprofessional to jump to conclusions and assume they all have the same bacterial infection just because they share a roof, even if the people starting the thread had tests done, which they clearly didn't...
and finally, his doctor messed up, even if they happened to guess right. because doctors shouldn't be "guessing" at all. he walked in with classic flu symptoms, the doctor saw him in the clinic and just handed him Zithromax. that's not how this works, but unfortunately, a lot of doctors still operate that way...
Sam Hall15 already covered the downsides of antibiotics. taking Zithromax for no reason means that five years from now, when you actually need it, it might not even work. and that goes for patients too; we're so used to being incredibly impatient and wanting everything fixed instantly—not to mention the healthcare system's failure to provide rapid strep tests in clinics like they do elsewhere—but with most bacterial infections, there's absolutely no health risk in waiting two or three days for a swab and the right treatment plan...
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think your doctor really missed the mark here... Just "checking you out" and handing out Zithromax like candy is pretty outdated, and honestly, you don't see that happening much in modern American medicine anymore, though there are still plenty of old-school practitioners who love to prescribe things they don't need.
Antibiotics do absolutely nothing for a virus; if anything, they just cause more harm in the long run, so prescribing them without confirming a bacterial infection is just plain reckless.
Everything you’re describing sounds exactly like the flu to me—and antibiotics are completely useless against the flu... we all had it hit our house recently, and while it lasted anywhere from three to eight days for different people, not a single one of us touched an antibiotic.
If we're talking about Hodgkin, there's actually a way through even in the most severe stages... As for non-Hodgkin, it’s impossible to say without a specific diagnosis, though realistically, the odds aren't exactly in your favor...
Walter Morris3, we aren't exactly kids anymore, damn it...😉 It’s always worth double-checking, but honestly, it doesn't seem that strange. Just last month I caught a standard little virus, spent maybe two or three days stuck at home with a mild fever of 99.5, just lounging around watching TV, and yet that period of lying around left me feeling totally wiped out for several days after...
Sam Hughes5 said:aaaaaaaaa I feel like I might be next in line... and honestly, I thought I was being so careful. But then the other day I stopped by a coworker's place—he was feeling under the weather—and then yesterday at the university, it felt like everyone was just spreading viruses left and right. 🙂 But I guess it takes a few more days for them to really multiply and actually hit you.
😢
Don't worry, you won't catch it... 😉 At least the flu won't get you... The flu doesn't really "catch" you... it just hits you like a freight train out of nowhere... 🙂 You were doing just fine, and now you’ve gone and caught a 103 fever... There’s always that specific moment with the flu where you get that heavy, sinking feeling like you’re about to crash, and then sure enough, you wake up actually sick...
Walter Myers4 said:You aren't just going to go out and grab antibiotics on your own. The way it works is, you'll know if it's bacterial if that mucus from your nose or the stuff you're coughing up stops being clear and turns yellow or green. Anyway, the general rule is you head to the doctor if that fever doesn't break after three days.
That’s just for your run-of-the-mill virus, though most times a flu lasts way longer than three days...
I don't even want to get into that other topic, because honestly, it’s a massive blunder... claiming those white patches on the throat is a reason to reach for antibiotics is one of the biggest drivers behind antibiotic overuse globally, especially in places like ours. It isn't just some misguided "old wives' tale," either; it’s frankly shocking that so many doctors still operate based on a theory that was debunked ages ago...
The MedlinePlus Medicine Encyclopedia keeps insisting on certain things, though...
The way doctors hand out antibiotics like they're candy at a birthday party is getting a bit ridiculous... honestly, if you catch a sniffle, it feels like they’ll prescribe anything from Augmentin to a heavy hitter just to get you out of the office faster.
Most people seem to jump straight to the conclusion that if their nasal discharge turns green or yellow, they’ve suddenly caught a bacterial bug that needs a round of antibiotics... but that's not exactly how biology works. That’s just not how it works...Cold symptoms often kick off with that clear, runny nose, but give it a few days and things usually shift toward a creamy yellow or even green hue... Since colds are just viral, popping an antibiotic isn't going to do a damn thing, and that green or yellow discharge is... Wait, I think you might have missed something there... or maybe you didn't... If you’re feeling like death warmed over and that nagging cough just won't quit, it might be time to check if you actually need some antibiotics... though I'm sure the doctor will tell you to just drink more tea and pray.
Just because you're coughing up green gunk doesn't mean it isn't bacterial... it definitely can be. If that lasts longer than a week or starts pairing up with other symptoms that hint at an actual infection, you really should get it checked out...
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on anyone, but I honestly find it hilarious how everything seems to be labeled a "sport" these days...
It’s certainly an intense and pretty interesting way to spend your time, but calling it a sport feels about as accurate as calling traveling, yoga, or even just hanging out a sport.
Actually, if you look at this piece from The New York Times, they mention how "guys in NYC get a little triggered when people call parkour an extreme sport." It isn't even a real sport, let alone an extreme one.😉
Jacob Jones65, you aren't entirely wrong... you don't really expect this kind of thing at a decent restaurant, since it’s usually just some unpleasant, temporary bout of food poisoning... but shellfish can be legitimately lethal if you aren't careful, especially with things like open mussels or oysters, so one should probably watch their step...
jadeskipper18 said:So now I'm wondering what kind of needle they actually use for a biopsy, how long the whole thing takes, if you have to stay overnight afterward, and all that...
I'm seriously considering this, but before I go calling the hospital, I wanted to see if anyone here has actually been through it so I can get the real story instead of bugging them first...🙂
And btw, is it general anesthesia where you're awake, or when they put you under? (I always mix that up with local)...
None of that applies to you. When you sign up as a donor, it’s usually just a standard blood draw.
Only if it turns out you're a "perfect match" for a patient does this actual procedure happen, and unfortunately, those odds are incredibly slim. That's exactly why it's so vital to have as many people as possible register as potential donors.
Now, if you actually got called in as a specific donor, people have talked about it on here before, but briefly: typically, it’s general anesthesia—meaning you're put under—though some places might use local. The process is completely safe, there are absolutely no consequences for the donor's health, and while it's a tiny bit painful, it's negligible compared to the humanity of the act and saving someone's life. You can basically head home the same day, though some doctors prefer you sleep it off for one night...