cold- when do you go to the doctor?

[Deleted]

I never know if my cold is going to go away in a few days or if it's one of those bastards that sticks around for weeks on end. At what point do you give up on your OTC meds and go see the doctor?

[cjeanette]

For a cold? Never. If you worry it is becoming a sinus infection I would get looked at.

[mrssavy42112]

3 days. If you’re taking OTC meds consistently during that time & barely any improvement, time to call it in. Or, at any time that the mucus gets colored (i.e. infection).

[Awkward]

For a cold itself, never. The only time I've gone to the doctor for a "cold" was when it became acute bronchitis and I could barely breathe.

Can a doctor DO anything for a cold that's not an infection? It's a virus, right?

[cjeanette]

Oct 11, 2012 13:16:02 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

Or, at any time that the mucus gets colored (i.e. infection).

My pedi told me this was a myth?

[jaylea]

A doctor can't do anything for a cold, so don't waste the time/money.

If you have complications (like an infection of the ear or sinus, or difficulty breathing, or a lingering cough weeks later) then go in. But a few days in? It's likely just a cold.

[Deleted]

Perhaps I should have said "when is a cold no longer a cold?" lol

[mrssavy42112]

Oct 11, 2012 13:18:20 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

Oct 11, 2012 13:16:02 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

Or, at any time that the mucus gets colored (i.e. infection).

My pedi told me this was a myth?

Every time I go to the Dr. they ask what color the discharge is.

Everyone basically has the same answer: when it moves from a cold to an infection. There's not much you can do for a regular cold.

[evergreen]

If I feel worse after a week I go to the doctor. I figure even if its not bacterial (no antibiotics), they can give me the good cough medicine and recommend better OTC meds.

[Deleted]

7-10 days

[Deleted]

I know a cold is no longer a cold when I'm getting worse 7 days later. Usually it starts improving around day 3 if it's a cold for me.

[mmmomof2]

If I have yellow snot for more than a week or a fever for more than a few days.

[dr.girlfriend]

Hmm, I've never gone in for a cold. Once for a super-high fever that gave me the shakes, once for a six-week cough when I started coughing up blood. I just figure most things have to run their course.

[moolarkey]

Many years ago I read that the average cold takes 2 weeks to go away. If it isn't gone in 2 weeks then go to the doctor. I've found this to be true, the one time I let a cold go past 2 weeks without seeing the doc I ended up with pneumonia. So for the first 2 weeks I suck it up and take OTC drugs.

[Deleted]

You all are some tough old birds. lol Please send some of your excellent immune systems my way!

[pitterwoo]

I guess I would go if I was still having a hard time after 10 days or so. Then I would be concerned that another infection was taking over. Usually I just give myself the time to rest and recover by taking a day or 2 off or staying in bed all weekend. I find that if I really give in and sleep and maybe take some nyquill I kick its ass within 3 days.

[cjeanette]

Oct 11, 2012 15:22:52 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

You all are some tough old birds. lol Please send some of your excellent immune systems my way!

I am so not tough. Biggest whimp alive and a huge baby when I am sick. You know how most women on here complain that their husbands act worthless at the first sign of a cough? That is me. I just don't need a dr to tell me I have a virus. I pump myself full of OTC drugs, esp sudafed to try to avoid an infection and ride it out.

[chessie]

I wait a while..Doctor normally doesn't give me anything anyway and I have wasted money to go to the doctors. After 2 weeks of being sick normally I will call and normally to see if its something worse. Rest and fluids really what it comes down to most of the time..40 bucks a pop for a visit, so I make sure its really worth it.

[pitterwoo]

Oct 11, 2012 15:22:52 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

You all are some tough old birds. lol Please send some of your excellent immune systems my way!

I was a sickly kid and picked up just about every illness so I've had to learn the hard way how to keep healthy.
here's what works for me:

• keep going for walks when the weather turns colder to acclimate to the cold temps. I have a dog, so I go out with him.
  
• absolutely nothing sweet if I'm feeling like I might come down with something. No juice, soda, candy, sugary cereal, carby stuff. just course correcting this and sticking with some hearty meals is enough to back out of it if I feel like I'm getting sick.
  
• take echinacha pills or other "immune support" type of supplement. take some emergen-c packets.
  
• get plenty of sleep and take time off (if possible) when coming down with something. trying to push through it just drags it out twice as long.
  

[mrssandro]

The people who have never gone in for a cold I sorta side eye. What if the cold lasted longer than a week? Clearly at this point it's a infection. If I am not seeing improvement after a week I well go in. Hesitantly, but I do it because I am about sick to death of it. That and I really don't want to be transferring whatever the crap I have to my kid and then my husband.

Edit: To add every time I go after the week of suffering they tell me it's a ear/nose/throat infection and give me meds and I get better.

[ckinla]

not for a cold.

[The Impossible Girl]

Oct 11, 2012 13:15:37 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

For a cold? Never. If you worry it is becoming a sinus infection I would get looked at.

[thumper55]

I usually start feeling better after 3 days.
I'd wait a week, and go if I didn't start feeling better

[sa]

Oct 11, 2012 15:40:15 GMT -5 @little said:

Oct 11, 2012 15:35:39 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

The people who have never gone in for a cold I sorta side eye. What if the cold lasted longer than a week? Clearly at this point it's a infection. If I am not seeing improvement after a week I well go in. Hesitantly, but I do it because I am about sick to death of it. That and I really don't want to be transferring whatever the crap I have to my kid and then my husband.

Everything I've ever read on colds says they last 7-12 days. Over a week is fine. Over two weeks is not.

I've never had a cold last less than two weeks. I'll go to the doctor if I still have a bad cough after 4 weeks.

[chessie]

Oct 11, 2012 16:00:45 GMT -5 sa said:

Oct 11, 2012 15:40:15 GMT -5 @little said:

Everything I've ever read on colds says they last 7-12 days. Over a week is fine. Over two weeks is not.

I've never had a cold last less than two weeks. I'll go to the doctor if I still have a bad cough after 4 weeks.

Pretty much same for me. It happens. Many times I am sicker longer, I can work from home so doesn't matter in scheme of things passing any germs.

[mrssavy42112]

Oct 11, 2012 16:04:17 GMT -5 chessie said:

Oct 11, 2012 16:00:45 GMT -5 sa said:

I've never had a cold last less than two weeks. I'll go to the doctor if I still have a bad cough after 4 weeks.

Pretty much same for me. It happens. Many times I am sicker longer, I can work from home so doesn't matter in scheme of things passing any germs.

Wow, I've never had a cold for more than 7-10 days. Yeah, I might have a random cough here or there, but the majority of the symptoms are gone. I can't imagine being miserable for that long. I wouldn't survive.

[hbomdiggity]

Never.

[chessie]

Oct 11, 2012 16:07:58 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

Oct 11, 2012 16:04:17 GMT -5 chessie said:

Pretty much same for me. It happens. Many times I am sicker longer, I can work from home so doesn't matter in scheme of things passing any germs.

Wow, I've never had a cold for more than 7-10 days. Yeah, I might have a random cough here or there, but the majority of the symptoms are gone. I can't imagine being miserable for that long. I wouldn't survive.

I have other issues which limit which meds I can use, so I know really most of the time the doc can't do anything. Mind u many times it might take longer cause I am not truly resting, even if I am sick I still have to do chores, for the animals..so usually that adds to it. I am used to be in pain all the time anyway..so its something I am pretty used to at this point.

[gibbinator]

Never? No that's not true. I work at a call center so I talk all day on the phone. As soon as I get a sore throat I go to the Dr for a note to miss time. Because if I work with a sore throat it gets worse forever. Like 3months of cough and sore throat once.

[mrssandro]

I can't think of a time where the doctor didn't give me a steroid shot of some kind and meds after a week. I never was told just go buy OTC medicine. Usually by that point I already tried the OTC stuff. I just can't imagine being sick for a month..especially with our current family schedule.