Should I still be taking Advil?

Dealing with the flu. Spent some time in the ER two days ago and they put me on Johnson & Johnson and Advil. Instructions were one dose of Johnson & Johnson a day, and Advil twice daily. My fever finally broke, thank god, but I'm wondering if I should stick with the Advil or if there's no point in continuing at this stage.
Plus, my whole body is aching, and Advil helps with that too. Honestly, maybe it’s just because I've been stuck in bed for three days straight.

Johnson & Johnson and the flu simply don't mix. Johnson & Johnson is an antibiotic, whereas the flu is viral—you can't fight a virus with antibiotics because they just don't work on them. My advice? Don't bother treating it with anything specific; just stay in bed and focus on managing the fever.
It honestly strikes me as a bit odd how generous those ER doctors were being with the Johnson & Johnson prescriptions—and the way they seemed to prescribe "therapy" entirely off the top of their heads, even though it’s something you absolutely shouldn't be doing for the flu. (Though, I suppose there are always those quiet "advocates" who claim it's perfectly fine to use antibiotics regardless).

Perhaps they were considering a potential, albeit possible, secondary bacterial infection—but as for the Ibuprofen, that's really just for masking the aches that come naturally with a virus or a nasty cold. It probably isn't the smartest move to keep loading up on meds while this passes; it's better to just ride it out.

Sophia Wells72 said:Amoxicillin and the flu don't mix. Amoxicillin is an antibiotic, and the flu is viral; antibiotics won't touch a virus. Don't take anything. Just stay in bed and try to bring the fever down.
It’s a little weird to me that the ER staff was handing out Amoxicillin like candy and prescribing "treatment" based on guesswork—especially since you'd never actually prescribe that for the flu. (Though I know there are some quiet "believers" who think it's fine to use antibiotics regardless).

Maybe they were worried about a possible bacterial infection, but Ibuprofen is just for masking the pain that comes naturally with a virus or a bad cold. It isn't really smart to keep drugging yourself through it; better to just lie down and wait it out.

They didn't even really examine me at the ER; the doctor just guessed. Diagnosed me in one second. She added that since I have a 104 fever, maybe I forgot to mention that part. Probably important.
Thanks for the advice.👍

dustyskipper12 said:The ER doctor didn't even really examine me; she just made an educated guess. It was a one-second diagnosis. I suppose when you mention having a 104 fever, that might be a relevant detail I neglected to highlight, right?
Thanks for the advice, though.👍

Well, why not just head over to your primary care physician to get a proper checkup and make sure everything is actually alright?

Or at the very least, give them a call and ask for some guidance on what to do next.

ironsurfer8 said:just go see your primary care physician. get a checkup to make sure everything is actually fine

or at least give them a call to figure out your next move

It's fine now. Doesn't matter.

Sophia Wells72 said:Amoxicillin and the flu don't mix. Amoxicillin is an antibiotic, and since the flu is viral, antibiotics won't touch it. Don't try to medicate it away; just stay in bed and focus on managing your fever.
It honestly surprises me that the ER staff was so quick to hand out Amoxicillin, and even more so that they prescribed a "treatment plan" from memory that makes zero sense for the flu. (Even though there are some quiet "advocates" out there who swear antibiotics are fine for everything).

They might have been prepping for a potential bacterial infection, but Ibuprofen is really just for masking the pain that comes naturally with a virus or a nasty cold. It’s probably not wise to keep popping pills while you're fighting this; it's better to just rest through it.

ironsurfer8 said:Look, just go see your primary care physician to get a proper exam and make sure everything is okay.

Or at least give them a call to get some professional advice on what to do next.

That’s the fundamental issue with our healthcare system here. You feel pressured to give the patient *something*—like Amoxicillin—just so they feel heard. Who cares if that's how we spread MRSA or VRE? If you don't prescribe something, they'll just take their paperwork and head to a clinic where doctors hand out meds like candy.

So, my friend, your colleagues have given you all the answers. Lie down, bundle up, and sweat it out.
Don't just treat Ibuprofen like Tic Tacs. It can cause complications that end up being worse than the actual illness. And I'm certain that Amoxicillin didn't help you one bit. You're just another victim of this nonsensical "pass the buck" medical system (one that I am unfortunately a part of myself).

Best regards, hope you feel better soon.

dustyskipper12 said:The doctor didn't even really examine me at the ER—it was all just guesswork. She basically made a diagnosis in a single second. I suppose she figured that since I have a 104-degree fever, maybe I forgot to mention that part... though, arguably, it might be somewhat relevant.

Well, that sort of explains why they handed you those meds (which, if I recall, is also what Eric Wright29 mentioned)—even if it’s a shame the actual exam was essentially a shot in the dark. It’s pretty much what you come to expect from an ER visit, I guess. Anyway, I hope you're feeling better and that you've managed to ride out whatever this ended up being.😉

Eric Wright29 said:That's the systemic issue here. You always feel pressured to give a patient something—say, some Amoxicillin—just so they'll leave you alone. As for how that contributes to the spread of MRSA or VRE? Who knows, I suppose. If you don't prescribe anything, they'll just grab their paperwork and head straight to a clinic where doctors hand out antibiotics like candy.

True enough. I'd sign my name to that.👍

I honestly can’t wrap my head around it—it’s always baffled me how some doctors will just hand out antibiotics for the flu or any other viral bug, and let's be real, they do it way more often than they should! I mean, what is going through their minds?! 😕

We can't even be certain at this stage that the doctor made a mistake. It’s entirely possible that alongside the flu, there's a more severe respiratory infection taking hold, which opens the door to a nasty bacterial flare-up. Look, you have to weigh both sides of the coin before passing judgment.

I think I’m actually a perfect example of this. I live with asthma, so whenever I catch a virus—and I can usually tell just by the symptoms when it's happening—it’s a bit of a gamble. If I just take it easy and follow all the standard recovery protocols, everything usually clears up fine. But sometimes, instead of getting better, things take a turn for the worse. I’ll start coughing heavily, bringing up yellow phlegm, running a low-grade fever, and feeling like it’s settled deep in my lungs. When I head to the doctor in those situations, they almost always prescribe an antibiotic. It’s pretty clear that things have become complicated; that yellow mucus is a dead giveaway that a bacterial infection has moved in, especially with the risk of an asthma attack, a lingering fever, and that worsening cough...
For over a year, I didn't even have a sniffle, but then suddenly, twice within three months, I dealt exactly what I described above. I had to take antibiotics, and it wasn't until then that I finally started feeling better.