Useful medical tool.

[legacyoneup]

Not really badass but something useful that i discovered recently.

I contracted a sore throat from an office colleague recently. It was friday night when it began to take hold. I knew her's was a bacterial infection and it had become severe (she assumed it was viral so delayed going to a doctor).

Most of the ENT docs in the nearby hospitals are not available on weekends. Fortunately, my company is a customer of SwiftMD services.

http://www.swiftmd.com/how-it-works/

I was able to call them and schedule an appointment. A doctor called me about 20 minutes later. The prescription was sent to the CVS pharmacy close by ( a course of amox). I walked over and picked it up an hour later. No consultation fees :-)

[TomTX]

That looks really neat. If we get a high deductible option, I'll give them serious consideration.

[FuckRx]

yea they make their money by giving out meds that most other docs won't. amox for a sore throat, case in point. antibiotics for any upper respiratory infection is a no-no.

[Secret Stache]

if you were in a pinch you could just go to a pet store and pick up some Fish Mox with no script required.  identical to Amox for humans, if you know what you are doing.  Obviously not recommended under normal circumstances and you should always consult your doctor first with regards to meds

[legacyoneup]

yea they make their money by giving out meds that most other docs won't. amox for a sore throat, case in point. antibiotics for any upper respiratory infection is a no-no.

So I guess if you ever got whooping cough, you wouldn't need antibiotics. After all, it's an upper respiratory infection.

[FuckRx]

I am picking up on the sarcasm. however, whooping cough can be self limiting and doesn't always require antibiotics. More importantly, whooping cough is a bacterial bronchitis therefore a lower respiratory infection.

[Numbers Man]

The drug stores in my area have the minute clinic where a nurse can write scripts for anitbiotics, etc. It beats being miserable all weekend waiting to set up an appointment with your Doctor.

[HopetoFIRE]

yea they make their money by giving out meds that most other docs won't. amox for a sore throat, case in point. antibiotics for any upper respiratory infection is a no-no.

Agree.  Great way to contribute to antibiotic resistance.

[legacyoneup]

In my case, it was bacterial. The sore throat vanished within the first two doses. This worked out well for me.

[FuckRx]

not to beat a dead horse, but this is hopefully informative for others as well. antibiotics will almost always make you feel better. they have anti-inflammatory properties. azithromycin and doxycycline are probably some of the best known. as a matter of fact patient with inflammatory disorders will get prescribed low dose of antibiotics not to kill bacteria but to help with inflammation and they act different from how the traditional anti-inflammatories work there they are more potent. which is why cattle are given hefty doses of antibiotics, makes the feel healthier, they eat more etc. ok i'll shut about about antibiotics now. i'm glad you are better though, but even though you have access to these online docs try every natural home remedy as long as your symptoms aren't severe and if all fails i guess there is always the doc to go see.

[legacyoneup]

not to beat a dead horse, but this is hopefully informative for others as well. antibiotics will almost always make you feel better. they have anti-inflammatory properties. azithromycin and doxycycline are probably some of the best known. as a matter of fact patient with inflammatory disorders will get prescribed low dose of antibiotics not to kill bacteria but to help with inflammation and they act different from how the traditional anti-inflammatories work there they are more potent. which is why cattle are given hefty doses of antibiotics, makes the feel healthier, they eat more etc. ok i'll shut about about antibiotics now. i'm glad you are better though, but even though you have access to these online docs try every natural home remedy as long as your symptoms aren't severe and if all fails i guess there is always the doc to go see.

Thanks for this info. I was not aware of it.

[Rbuckyfuller]

I have a recommendation that works.

I know it is expensive (like $15 a bottle), but I am telling you that Zicam works.  If you are starting to get a cold, and you take it as directed, you will not get sick.  You will feel 99% better in 2 days.

You have to catch it early, but for me $15 is worth not getting a cold and feeling terrible for 2 weeks.  Also, I don't really have a job that allows me to be sick.

[chicagomeg]

The drug stores in my area have the minute clinic where a nurse can write scripts for anitbiotics, etc. It beats being miserable all weekend waiting to set up an appointment with your Doctor.

CVS no longer writes prescriptions for any upper resp infections, per the comments of the wise folks above. I found this out when my coworkers bullied me into going there for a bad cold last winter. They were all appalled...I didn't bother trying to argue with them.

[arebelspy]

I have a recommendation that works.

I know it is expensive (like $15 a bottle), but I am telling you that Zicam works.  If you are starting to get a cold, and you take it as directed, you will not get sick.  You will feel 99% better in 2 days.

You have to catch it early, but for me $15 is worth not getting a cold and feeling terrible for 2 weeks.  Also, I don't really have a job that allows me to be sick.

From my research on the topic, Zicam's a scam similar to Airborne.  They've had products recalled by the FDA for being dangerous, and the rest are homeopathic placebos.  I'd avoid ZiScam, personally.

[Rbuckyfuller]

I have a recommendation that works.

I know it is expensive (like $15 a bottle), but I am telling you that Zicam works.  If you are starting to get a cold, and you take it as directed, you will not get sick.  You will feel 99% better in 2 days.

You have to catch it early, but for me $15 is worth not getting a cold and feeling terrible for 2 weeks.  Also, I don't really have a job that allows me to be sick.

From my research on the topic, Zicam's a scam similar to Airborne.  They've had products recalled by the FDA for being dangerous, and the rest are homeopathic placebos.  I'd avoid ZiScam, personally.

The first one you quote is scary.  Nonetheless, I never had success with Airborne but have had success with Zicam every time I've tried it.  (Admittedly, my sample size is small).  Whether I want to lose my sense of smell in order to avoid a cold is another matter -- i use the dissolve melts, but still is scary.

[Daleth]

I have a bottle of kimchi in the fridge for respiratory infections. If you eat enough of it, it will knock out anything respiratory. Bronchitis, laryngitis, whatever. I even saw a study on the BBC News site years ago where they fed kimchi to a bunch of chickens afflicted with bird flu, and all but one of them survived that normally lethal (to birds) illness.

Allegedly sauerkraut has similar properties, but personally I'm a believer in the kimchi.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=218816

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/17/entertainment/et-magnier17

[Gracie]

LOL. the most important factor is all these "cures" is that they are healthy adults to starts

And BOOOOO the poor prescribing behavior. Treating patients with multidrug resistant organisms (because they got abx every time they sneezed) is a pain in my rear end.

Trying to get patients to accept when they do not need antibiotics is also a pain.

[Thegoblinchief]

Peak antibiotic is far scarier than peak oil, IMO.

[ASquared]

Ugh these kind of places are such a disappointment to see.  Anything for people to make a buck I guess. Of course the patients are happy - they only give you what you want!!! Which may very well be NOT what you need.  Because for the kind of patients they are willing to care for, simple home remedies and time are often all that is need. 

We're running out of antibacterial drugs folks.  Stop pestering your prescribers.