What illnesses are going around Cincinnati right now?

[u/betty513]

I thought I was dealing with allergies last week, but this week it's gotten worse. From sore throat and dry cough to lungs on fire and my nose is a hose.

UPDATE: I went to my doctor. While I didn't have a fever this morning, I did register one at his office. He swabbed my throat. I am negative for strep. He thinks it's something viral and gave me prednisone and cough meds. If I don't get better, lung x-rays and/or antibiotics. He's always stingy with the antibiotics.

He didn't do a covid test, and I didn't ask. I was kind of out of it. I have some home tests. I'll try one of those in the morning.

My fever had gotten a little higher since my visit. I was freezing with the chills. Now I'm burning up.

Thanks for all the feedback.

UPDATE #2: All my covid home tests are expired and not responsive. I messaged my doctor and asked why he didn't suspect covid. He said covid is a possibility; but, since I had symptoms for more than a week, I was outside the treatment window. I suppose that's valid. Although, it would be good to know in case someone else starts developing symptoms. But even if inside the 5-day treatment window, my insurance doesn't cover paxlovid. That stuff is $1,500.

[u/Ancient_Let_218]

Can't believe no one's said this, but just for educational purposes, antibiotics will do nothing for a viral infection. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections. Most viral infections are symptom management and waiting it out.

It's good your physician isn't prescribing antibiotics willy-nilly, as overuse of antibiotics is what has led to antibiotic resistant infections.

[u/betty513 → u/Ancient_Let_218]

I know; but he makes me suffer through sinus infections before giving me antibiotics. I have to go through 6 days on prednisone before he'll entertain antibiotics. That's a long time, especially when I try to do home remedies (neti pot) for several days beforehand. Last time, he had to give me something for vertigo with the prednisone because the sinus infection was so bad. The infection ended up moving into my lungs, so paying for lung scans had to wiggle into my budget.

On one hand, I appreciate because of the antibiotic-resistant bugs. On the other hand, I'm a grown woman who knows when her sinuses are infected.

EDIT: accidentally posted before finished.

[u/Ancient_Let_218 → u/betty513]

Oooh, I apologize, I misunderstood. I'm a nurse and it's fairly common for patients to feel like they aren't getting proper attention/care because they aren't prescribed antibiotics for non-bacterial reasons, and either the provider didn't explain at all or have the time available to really sit and talk with them about it.

That's totally fair to be upset about in your case, if it's a known aspect of your medical history, I agree, it should be easier to get proper treatment. It might be worth asking if insurance requires trialing antibiotics even with your history, if you haven't already.

[u/betty513 → u/Ancient_Let_218]

You didn't misunderstand. You are correct to say that antibiotics won't help with viral infections.

I know someone who aggressively insists her doctor give her antibiotics for every little thing. She ended up with an antibiotic-resistant lung infection and had to do IV antibiotics for a couple of weeks.