Wonder what I came back with?

[Slip]

The last week I was in the Philippines Harlene had a cough and felt a bit achy body wise.

I returned home Last Tuesday afternoon, returned to work Thursday morning and by the afternoon had a real bad sore throat and kept drinking water and took some paracetamol. By the time I woke up Friday morning at 4.30am for work my sore throat had gone but I had a real bad headache and felt really achy. I'm not one for taking time off from work with a headache ( I suffer from migraines and am used to working with them) but I had to phone up and go sick. Not been back since (last shift was last night) and not due back on shift now until Friday.
The last few days I have just felt like I had a cold, but no runny or blocked nose. I felt really sick when I woke this morning around 4am, but I wasn't sick and haven't been. Took two more paracetamol and at this moment I feel a bit weak but other than that fine..... I have also lost 2kg in weight since I returned home Tuesday as I haven't had much of an appetite (must be missing rice!)

I say it's just a cold caught from Harlene. But my family and Harlene insist I go to the doctors. I don't like to go to the doctors for a cold! But they are all on my case, so had to make an appointment for Wednesday morning, hopefully it is like I say just a cold.... But I am married now with a baby on the way, so got to keep everyone happy

[grahamw48]

Just as likely to have caught something on the plane...breathing in germs from 300 people with that recirculated air.

Could be sinuses infected or blocked. I find that the aircon on the plane affects mine that way...leading to bad headaches. Vicks nasal spray.

[les_taxi]

Something about at moment - I had a stupid cough and phlegm for about 8 days - ache too like you feel as you recover from flu

[Terpe]

I don't want to sound too careful.....but personally I'd go and see the doc. Need to be a little bit wary when it gets like that after a trip to SE Asia.

Just my 2 centavos

[stevewool]

You are right Graham, when we came back from our trip a year or so ago, my throat was so sore I am convinced it was the aircon from the plane

[Doc Alan]

I think you are wise to make the appointment with your doctor .


If it turns out to be a " common cold " then you should feel better by the time you have your appointment next Wednesday.


Each of us may expect an average of 2 – 3 colds / year, which means 1000 / year for the active membership of the Forum ! There’s no vaccine for colds; immunity to one of the 200 or so cold viruses does not confer immunity to the others ; and antibiotics don’t work for viral infections.


It’s impossible for me to make an online diagnosis. However, I know you have a dental abscess awaiting treatment, and that could be contributing to your symptoms.


It’s possible also that your symptoms ( headaches, loss of appetite, weight loss ) might not be due to a cold, especially as you have just returned from the tropics. So without causing alarm, attending your GP and of course mentioning your recent trip, would help rule out any other possible causes for being unwell.


If a fever is present, in around half of adults and older children no cause is identified, and the fever goes itself in a few days. In adults, even if there turns out to be an infection, treatment would usually be delayed until the diagnosis was proven. Apart from clinical examination, simple tests such as on a blood sample, and chest x-ray, would rule out / confirm the diagnosis.



It’s not worth, in my opinion, giving a long list ( which there is ) of possible diagnoses, when your OWN diagnosis of a simple cold may well be correct. Best wishes for a full recovery, and for your forthcoming dental treatment .

[Michael Parnham]

Never had cold or flu for approx. 20 years, but whilst living in Dumaguete I had a slight runny nose, when we went to Siquijor it cleared. In Dumaguete I put it down to air pollution from traffic and fires from cooking!