Chest cold....

[yogabonnie]

HI PMR minds... I have a cold .. feeling it in my chest..little headache. ADVICE please. Is it worse since my immune system is suppressed because of prednisone_ or does the reduced inflammation help in getting rid of it? I'll take any and all cold remedies!!! Thanks.

[CT-5012]

Hi, no don't think the pred helps at all. Treat yourself like a fragile little princess. Steam inhalants and pace yourself and rest,test,rest. All good wishes for a speedy recovery. 🤧😊 and chicken soup!

[Marie1479]

Go to the Dr! I made the mistake of going to urgent care because my GP couldn’t see me for 2 days. I had a sore throat, sinus congestion, pressure in my left ear and coughing up green. Urgent care dr diagnosed me with sinus congestion and sent me home. Dr was well aware of my PMR & med list. Went home and progressively got worse. Finally saw GP. Had double ear infection and bronchitis. Lost 1 week of work and still coughing like crazy! Haven’t been sick like this in years.

[yogabonnie in reply to Marie1479]

I will wait until morning. and see how I am...although if I get SUDDENLY worse I'll go to ER. but not thinking that now..although this has come on so quickly. no symptoms but lungs burning feeling and some coughing.

[Marie1479 in reply to yogabonnie]

Be mindful of the color of your phlegm. Feel better 🙏🏻

[Singr in reply to Marie1479]

Can I ask what you mean by the colour of the phlegm. I've had 2 bouts of chest infection close together and my phlegm has been all the colours of the rainbow.

[yogabonnie]

And how rude of me... SO SORRY you are so sick. AWFUL!!!! Thanks for the reply. (I am So ME ME ME. ugh. )

[Marie1479 in reply to yogabonnie]

Lol, I’m sooo much better except cough. On antibiotics for 3 days.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi yogabonnie

You’re more susceptible to coughs, cold etc whe your immune system is compromised - as it is with PMR.

You can take paracetamol (Panadol) safely, drink plenty of fluids (boiled water with honey, lemon) even a hot toddy at bedtime, try steam inhalation to loosen your cough, and if your throat is sore gargle with cooled boiled water, honey & salt.

Most of all, plenty of TLC, and obviously if things get worse then seek medical advice, but if you catch it early days then it shouldn’t develop into anything too serious!

[Toenti]

Hi Yogabonnie, maybe a bit late for you, but drinking a glass of warm water with fresh lemonjuice can ward off a lot of colds and the flu. If this is done every morning before breakfast. Get better soon.

[Sandy1947]

Bonnie I’m so sorry you are sick. Rest, rest, rest. Let everyone wait on you! Breakfast in bed, etc. flood your system with fluids. Not sure about cold meds. PrePMR I liked Theraflu and Mucinex.

Hope you feel better soon.

[yogabonnie in reply to Sandy1947]

Thanks!! fluids.. they have to be the answer!! Hoping to get rid of this in the next week to 10 days because ALASKAN Grandson is waiting to meet his BonBon!! (me cutsie wootsie grandmother name. ) in 2 weeks.

[Sandy1947 in reply to yogabonnie]

Cold will def be gone before visit to Bon Bon! I just got back from babysitting 3 yr. old Jonah and 18 month Juliette. Got up at 3 there by 8, back at my apartment by 11! It’s a bit of a drive by! They are going to a concert from his nursery school. I passed on the experience! May go to the Rubin Gallery after rest period.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Cold remedies are a waste of money IMHO! Unless you are someone who they do make feel better - don't do a thing for me. CT-5012 has it right!

Some people find themselves more susceptible to colds when on pred - but by no means all. I am in the lucky group: one humdinger of a cold per year and that is it. I rarely catch the ones OH develops on a regular basis. I probably have minor ones but the pred suppresses any inflammation so the symptoms are less.

I think it is a watch and wait situation - if you develop "gunge" and FEEL really poorly you definitely need the doctor's opinion.

[yogabonnie in reply to PMRpro]

no "grunge" yet! thanks. just a cold/cough so far. MUST be well in 2 weeks as we leave to see new yet unseen grandson in Alaska.!!

[Telian in reply to yogabonnie]

Coloured mucus means infection is brewing so keep an eye - but as you're going away might be worth seeing your GP before you go if only to check it hasn't gone onto your chest - I've found since being diagnosed with GCA and PMR that I get chest infections in the winter lasting 3 weeks at a time and I only get a mild cough no other symptoms - never had a chest infection in my life previously as a non-smoker.

Hope you get rid of your 'germs' before you go to see your new grandson - how lovely - enjoy..

[Hidden]

I managed to pick up nasty lurgy in November. Felt great one minute then within an hour sore throat and could feel that burning going down into chest. A hacking cracking cough that was like whip snapping in chest and throat. I did the rest paracetamol and plenty of warm and cold fluids...ice lollies for throat . After a week... chest infection. Apologised to Dr for bothering them with a cold but he was (for once!) Supportive. Had to have abx for chest. I do find that the cough stuff for mucus worked but probably not better than steam but I was too ill to do much as I live alone. 5to6 weeks b4 I started feeling better so if it feels worse seek drs advice asap. I am on an immunosuppresant that I apparently should have stopped to speed recovery. That made me believe no point increasing pred in such cases but what do I know. Hope you feel.better already!!🌻

[yogabonnie in reply to Hidden]

Thank you... mine sounds like the beginning of yours. The burning chest..and now the cough is as if I had a cold before prednisone where the END of the cold would be cracking cough. I will steam and do mucus cough stuff and I will go see my doc on Monday if it becomes more unusual. I was SO HAPPY to WAKE UP this morning! Got myself in a state what with the huge numbers of flu fatalities this year!

[Hidden in reply to yogabonnie]

Yes. It is a concern especially when immune system all over the place. It would be nice if it did its job instead of picking on us lol

[Jackoh]

Hi- have got this too, although have been really trying to avoid crowds, been washing hands, Vit C and Zinc, scarves etc. Have just been resting and as Dorset Lady said have been gargling with salt water. Have been drinking loads of hot water with lemon and honey and paracetamol when needed. Hacking cough has gone and sore throat but still a lot of cold in the head and also a little on the chest. Have pre booked an appointment end of next week just in case chest not better ( you need to know when you're going to be ill with our GP system and plan ahead!!!😬) I think it is rest, rest and just to see how it progresses , drinking as much as you can , generally looking after yourself. Hope you ( and me!!!) will soon feel much better.

[yogabonnie in reply to Jackoh]

Thank you. Get well... and I am off to the kitchen for the salt water then some lemon and honey. Is Ibuprofen NOT a good idea? Tylenol.. (paracetamol) better?

[Jackoh]

No ibuprofen not a good idea with Pred but paracetamol ok if you have temperature or head ache.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jackoh]

Except your body creates the raised temperature to help fight the bugs - so a mild fever is a GOOD THING. I believe there was a study recently that showed leaving the temperature to itself until it got to really high levels (and it was over 41C that was mentioned) does help in infections. In the lab, temps in the 40-41C range inhibit viral replication in certain cases.

[yogabonnie in reply to PMRpro]

Interesting. No fever yet. I think I have only had a fever a few times in my life.. my husband and daughter BURN up when sick but I stay fever less.. but if I get one I will let it go until it is higher. (have to figure that in F!)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to yogabonnie]

104 to 105.8F is the range - above that is a time to do something.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Mine rarely gets above 36 no matter how feverish I feel. And I have gone through several thermometers just in case. I used low morning temperature tracking to finally convince Dr to check thyroid. Of course hypothyroidism.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

And is it now more normal?

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Runs @36.5 rather than 35.4 so higher. Only once went to 40 when I had swine flu.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Strange thing is I run hot usually. Wear t shirts in winter etc. On recently have I started to feel cold during taper.

[yogabonnie in reply to Jackoh]

thanks. I'll stop the ibuprofen.. it usually has been my go to med.. but that was before PMR because of muscle pain etc. (from all that working out haha)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to yogabonnie]

Just amended it - to "when it gets to that it is time to do something". 104 and rising - use medication.

But before that, don't huddle up with a pile of blankets - that makes the fever keep rising!

[Jackoh]

Oh right interesting - exact opposite to what we were always told i.e to keep temperature down

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jackoh]

It's been disputed for years - but it is an evolutionary thing that has stuck so that does suggest it was a beneficial thing. However - you wouldn't do that in small children or if you were someone who was immunocompromised. Low doses of pred wouldn't come in there, methotrexate and so on might. You should stop mtx if you have an infection - but not pred.

And if you have any really concerning symptoms like stiff neck, dislike of light. or the temp continues to rise above 104F/40C you must start to do something.

My MIL always told me off for letting the girls go round with less clothing when they had a fever - even a tiny one! She thought I was dreadful...

[Jackoh]

Does that mean PMRpro that you should also stop taking Lefloudomide if you have an infection the same as Mtx?

[bunnymom]

Hope you are feeling better by the time you meet the new one. 💕

[mngirl]

I was at the dr. friday. My cold is now sinus infection. Her advise use the nasal spray frequently, vaporizer, be sure to have humidity about 48% eat yogurt and she gave me an antibiotic. I am on 20mg pred and it has affected my immune system a lot. My head and face pain drove me in to see her. I was at the rheumy Mon and my markers were 36 an 2.48.

So I was afraid of the worst. The humidity and saline spray have helped the headache and face pain are much better. I sure hope you feel better

[Insight329]

So sorry to hear that you aren’t feeling well. I have nothing to add as far as treatment, but did want to send you wishes for a speedy recovery!

Do you have Netflix? There’s a show you might be interested in watching: ‘On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace”. Discription: A debilitating injury drove the intrepid photographer to look inward. And his camera followed suit.

I watched it today and found it fascinating.

Get well soon!

[yogabonnie in reply to Insight329]

Thank you so much!!! I watched Swedish crime movies.. a little Yoga might do me good!!

[Insight329 in reply to yogabonnie]

It’s only 90 minutes long and fir me seemed like it was over in 30 minutes.

I binged the series The Killing, also on Netflix. If you like crime movies, I think you’d like it.

[yogabonnie]

Day 4. It is NOT the flu. No fever. every day a little looser..but feel better. Common Cold thank heavens. who knew I'd be GRATEFUL for a common cold!! Sort of like being grateful to the thief who steals your car but leaves it intact with the keys in it miles away. !