General Medical issues thread

[Buzzard]

Others have posted. Though I do get surprised when people ask to see husband's head post surgery lol..I always oblige

I've got some great head surgery photos.

 

[ellen10]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me for many weeks.

Any thoughts?

 

[prozac]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me of many weeks.

Any thoughts?

My older neighbour who has leukemia tested positive around 10 days ago. Straight onto anti-virals. Her husband reports her covid was mild with the anti-virals and she is no longer testing positive.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Hoping your case is mild @ellen10 and that it doesn't knock you about like your RSV experience.
My GP highly recommends the anti virals but I do not know of anyone who has taken them (so far our small community seems to be dodging this recent bullet but who knows.... )
Am sure your GP will give you good guidance, take care

 

[tgh]

We arrived home from Japan in October with Covid.
I was first and Swmbo followed a few days later, first time for both and we were strongly affected , we are both late 70's.
On advice I had a half strength antivirals at about day four and the symptom improvement was good.
It took about 10 days before I was able to resume normal activity levels but some typical covid symptoms lingered for a few more weeks.
I have had 3 vaccine shots.
Swmbo was much more affected, had full strength antivirals with limited efficacy and was a very sick puppy for many weeks.
She had a supplementary course of antibiotics after the antivirals and testing negative seeking to ameliorate respiratory distress.
It must be about four weeks or more now and she is not 100% every day but improving.
She has had at least five or 6 Covid Vaccinations.

 

[Quickstatus]

The Questions - all similar but asked in different ways...

Take pill, get better

1) Did the pill work?
2) Would the "get better" have occured without the pill?
3) If "get better" occured, was it from the pill or despite it?
4) Does "get better" only occur with a pill?
5) If no pill will it get worse?

It's a question that is forefront everytime I prescribe a pill

 

[Pushka]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me for many weeks.

Any thoughts?

Hope it's really mild. I don't think antivirals are available for under 70 unless comorbidities. I can't take them anyway even though under 70 and have the tick box for prescription. Hopefully your situation will be as mine was, covid was nothing compared with the non Covid respiratory infection I'd had three weeks earlier.

 

[prozac]

Hope it's really mild. I don't think antivirals are available for under 70 unless comorbidities. I can't take them anyway even though under 70 and have the tick box for prescription. Hopefully your situation will be as mine was, covid was nothing compared with the non Covid respiratory infection I'd had three weeks earlier.

Updated eligibility for oral COVID-19 treatments

Most cases of COVID-19 are mild and are manageable at home. Some people who are at higher risk may need specific antiviral treatments prescribed by their healthcare provider. Learn about who is eligible for COVID-19 treatments.

www.health.gov.au

 

[TheRealTMA]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me for many weeks.

Any thoughts?

Friends have used them and say they helped. But see @Quickstatus reply above. Ask GP.

 

[VPS]

I have a stye. Boy is it painful

 

[JohnK]

The Questions - all similar but asked in different ways...

Take pill, get better

That's a tough one but sometimes the patient needs to take the initiative as long as what they're doing is not harmful.

From about 1993-2008 I used to get extremely bad fungal infections in mouth/throat. Usually took 1-3 days before I realised I had them and then off to doctor. In the beginning doctor prescribed some fungal gel and fungilin lozenges and over time we reduced that to Nilstat and fungilin lozenges.

If this was left for a few days I could feel the hair growing inside my mouth/throat. Extremely uncomfortable and made me suicidal. I used to scrape my tongue to the point where I was in pain. I used to get severe headaches from the pain and it also made it difficult to eat. This is not a condition I would encourage anyone to try and get over naturally.

I know this condition is not life threatening but it was suffering. We had to get to the point where I self medicated. There is no other way. I would make sure I always had prescription for fungilin lozenges and Nilstat was over the counter. I made sure I had some on me as well as it was very stressful waiting for next infection and had to medicate quickly otherwise it would take at least 3-4 days for fungus to clear.

I know it can sound like I whinge but I also don't think many have suffered with so called minor conditions that I have suffered over the years. And knock on wood but these infections have stopped for a number of years now.

I am a firm believer of self medicating. I'll quote your post a few more times.

 

[love_the_life]

I have a stye. Boy is it painful

I haven't heard of people having a stye for ages. You are right though - painful. I remember having one when I was in early high school (from memory). Mother took me to the doctor but he didn't need to lance it as it had already broken. I did get a few days off school which was a bonus as it was contagious. Mother may have taken me to doctor as I had had myocarditis as an infant and there was a lot of worry about infections.

 

[ellen10]

Thank you all for your care and suggestions
Well I had my telehealth appointment. I'm not eligible for the antivirals, I don't have the required other problems to be prescribed antivirals.

Thats fine, its just a new ventolin puffer and steroi_ puffer for me at this stage and panadol, also as I suffer from migraines I will use that medication when the headaches get bad. Can't have much else as I am allergic to other medications. Lots of fluids etc. runny nose and coughing and quite a few aches and pains but hopefully symptoms will be mild.

 

[Seat0B]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me for many weeks.

Any thoughts?

My 89 year old mum had covid earlier this year was put straight onto antivirals and was sick to the extent of "bad flu" for about 10 days and then fine. She complained about the foul taste caused by the antivirals and found strong peppermints or ginger the best for managing that. I'm taking antivirals (going into my 9th week now) as post chemo support and can attest that the foul taste is truly foul and very real. But I'd say it's worth it for the better recovery.

I hope you have a relatively easy ride with Covid @ellen10 and that you recover promptly.

Edit to add: Sorry @ellen10 I just read your later post, so disregard mine. Not relevant now.

 

[Pushka]

We reckon MrP had covid a couple of weeks ago but the RATs were negative and tbh we simply don't know how to get a PCR anymore. He had the exact symptoms he had when he tested positive 18 months ago. It seems many don't test positive these days, I wonder if the RAT aren't effective in detection anymore. Anyways I didnt get it unless like last time, I had no symptoms. I didn't bother to test this time.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I have a stye. Boy is it painful

you just need to add an 'l' to it and all will be well!

 

[JohnK]

So today I have tested positive to Covid, my first time.
I have a telehealth appointment with a doctor from my practice. I wish to enquire about the antivirals and was wondering if anyone has used them. I have just turned 65. I had a very bad case of RSV back in July/August which floored me for many weeks.

Any thoughts?

Sorry to hear. Hope you get over it quickly.

Your post reminded me that I need to check if I can get the antivirals in Thailand. Somehow I don't think they'll be as cheap as the antibiotics.

By the way I'm still a Novid and no desire to find out what it's like.

 

[Seat0B]

We reckon MrP had covid a couple of weeks ago but the RATs were negative and tbh we simply don't know how to get a PCR anymore. He had the exact symptoms he had when he tested positive 18 months ago. It seems many don't test positive these days, I wonder if the RAT aren't effective in detection anymore.

Same sort of thing a couple of months back for our family. Seat Daughter and Granddaughter both tested positive on RAT for COVID but were not too sick. My DIL was very sick for several weeks but tested negative, despite living with 2 people who tested positive, one of whom could only be described as a child sized biological hazard factory even by her doting grandmother . And Seat DIL's mother (who was minding the mutual granddaughter while I was waiting for chemo), also had mild symptoms and tested positive. So I agree the RATS seem pretty hit or miss!.

 

[jgm]

I'm now 5 1/2 months post reverse shoulder replacement. For the past 6 weeks the shoulder has been red and physio advised me to see GP who sent me for an ultrasound and blood test which didn't show up anything. It got worse in the next few days so he put me onto antibiotics. The redness would almost disappear in the morning but come back during the day. Then on Monday I woke up with a large red lump on the shoulder, so headed into A & E. They admitted me straight away and I had an ultrasound and CT scan yesterday, and an aspiration under ultrasound and they got 15 (?) ml out of it but the rest was too thick to get out.

As I have no real issues apart from the shoulder, they've let me go home, and am booked in next Thursday for a wash out and clean up. The ortho registrar told me they will change the replaceable parts of the implant which surprised me as I didn't thought it was just two solid parts.

The hard part is that I will have to start again with 6 weeks immobilisation again. Also I'll have to convince the surgeon that I'm OK to go skiing mid January (might have to promise not to do bumps).

 

[ellen10]

Well now that I am few days into my first Covid experience, still with awful coughing, coughing up some cough, headaches and congested nose. But the nights are the worst, sleeping propped up is the best and now I have shared it with my husband!

He has had a telehealth appointment and because of a few other conditions is eligible for the antivirals. We will see how that goes.