Can you belive this???!!!

stevierae · Sep 16, 2004

I have had a cough for about 9 days. My husband has a milder version of it and had lost his voice a couple weeks ago before I started coughing, so I guess we probably have a virus.The cough is the main problem.No fever,no aches etc..., just gets worse at night and I can't sleep well. So today I call my doc's office to beg for a Rx cough med (OTC stuff just won't help much) and I get the "assistant/secretary/whatever" and she just says "are you o.k with codiene?" then says to have the pharmacy call. She MAY have asked the M.D whlile I was transferred to her about this first, don't know. I was not asked how long I have been coughing, any fever, any sputum, etc...For all they(or I know) I could have TB or pneumonia or whatever! Don't doctors ask anymore? I am shocked that I was given a prescription so easily!!! I was glad mind you, just surprised. Is this common?

Well--you got what you wanted, didn't you? I mean, prescription cough syrup contains codiene, generally, which is an old and very effective cough suppressant and helps you sleep.

Had I been the person who answered, I would have told you to make an appointment and be seen--but, it sounds like you would not have been happy with THAT advice, either. You can't have it both ways! If you want a through assessment and physical exam, make an appointment to be seen.

You STATED that you wanted one thing: Prescription cough syrup. Any prescription cough syrup contains codeine. Don't fault the doc and his staff for giving you exactly what you asked for. Had they told you to go to the local drug store and purchase some Nyquil so you could sleep, you would not have been happy with that advice. Also, after 9 days with a cough, if YOU weren't concerned about the possibility of pneumonia or TB to make an appointment, why should he be concerned enough for you, to try to assess you by phone? He's got an office FULL of patients to see!

sharann, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2004

BUSTED ME!

Yes, I do know that I should have tried to be seen, and I would actually have gone in. I also didn't demand cough medicine, I asked. I just know that if I worked there I would at LEAST as the questions. Should I really be worried about TB if coughing is my only symptom though? I was kinda kidding. Now you got me worried.

Unfortunately, my husbands cough has just goten worse tonight, which is why I am up in the middle of the night online. He finally gave up and tooks some Vicks. By the way, I forgot about that good old Nyquil! I shouldv'e tried that first. I am not really fond of opioids.

stevierae · Sep 16, 2004

BUSTED ME!
Yes, I do know that I should have tried to be seen, and I would actually have gone in. I also didn't demand cough medicine, I asked. I just know that if I worked there I would at LEAST as the questions. Should I really be worried about TB if coughing is my only symptom though? I was kinda kidding. Now you got me worried.
Unfortunately, my husbands cough has just goten worse tonight, which is why I am up in the middle of the night online. He finally gave up and tooks some Vicks. By the way, I forgot about that good old Nyquil! I shouldv'e tried that first. I am not really fond of opioids.

Yeah, ya know---I used to think of TB as a thing of the past; or, rather, as a 3rd World Country disease--UNTIL the husband of a nurse friend of mine in San Francisco got it a few years back.

He was really, really sick and lost a LOT of weight, and could not work for almost a year. He SWORE he was exposed to it through riding public transit--in fact, he even narrowed down the bus line--SF city buses are NOTORIOUSLY overcrowded--PACKED like sardines, with the driver contantly yelling, "Move back!" when there's nowhere to MOVE--so, droplet spread by one person with actice TB could certainly have the potential to infect an entire busload of people. Scary.

When I was in nursign school, in 1981, we had a lot of Vietnamese and Cambodian "boat people" with active TB. Wonder if this is still a problem in inner city hospitals?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2004

Get well soon. 9 days is a long time to be coughing. Get a chest xray if you're not feeling better soon.

Jamesdotter · Sep 16, 2004

Pertussis? Is either of you whooping??

sjt9721, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2004

Unfortunately, my husbands cough has just goten worse tonight, which is why I am up in the middle of the night online. He finally gave up and tooks some Vicks. By the way, I forgot about that good old Nyquil! I shouldv'e tried that first. I am not really fond of opioids.

Yeah, who needs Rx opiods when you can have good ol' alcohol in Nyquil? :chuckle

Just teasing you...there comes a point when you need to break down & see your doctor. Don't self-medicate too long if you guys aren't improving!

Feel better soon!

sharann, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2004

Self medicate, who me???

Yes you are right. I will get an appt if no improvement by weekend. Thanks again.

vaughanmk · Sep 20, 2004

Any blood in the sputum? Fever, night sweats? Also pertussis in adults rarely has the whooping noise along with it. try http://www.pertussis.com for audio clips.

I would only wish my Dr's office would call in a script for me from time to time without gouging my or my insurance company in reality. Come on. We are nurses and most of the time wait until we are very sick and have compeletly ruled out a virus. It needs an antibiotic by the time we go. They just want to see us, no labs, no cultures. Then they will call in a script. THere is no trust anymore.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Sep 20, 2004

There is something going around that is giving everyone a cough where I work...and I doubt we all have TB :chuckle Whatever it is, it is viral and lasts about a month! Kind of like bronchitis. Some have tried antibiotics, but the cough just lingers. This year has also been a horrid allergy season here in the northeast.

Our hospital has a huge TB clinic...gives me the heebies to walk past it sometimes :chuckle

Hope you all feel better! :balloons:

sharann, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2004

There is something going around that is giving everyone a cough where I work...and I doubt we all have TB :chuckle Whatever it is, it is viral and lasts about a month! Kind of like bronchitis. Some have tried antibiotics, but the cough just lingers. This year has also been a horrid allergy season here in the northeast.
Our hospital has a huge TB clinic...gives me the heebies to walk past it sometimes :chuckle
Hope you all feel better! :balloons:

Well, I am FINALLY coughing alot less and can actually sleep through the night! I was ruling out a virus and I guess that it was one. I was ready to go tp the doctor but woke up improved(go figure). Almost 3 weeks of coughing, I don't want to see a months worth!