# ARGH! Two days before vacation - wake up with a sore throat and cough **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664 "2011-01-06T21:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/1 "2011-01-06T21:30:29Z")
It’s our first real vacation in several years and our first visit to Europe. My throat is killing me and my head is woozy. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic (which is going to give me diarrhoea), a cough suppresant, and Tylenol. What do you do when you need to get over an illness, but fast? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/2 "2011-01-06T21:33:34Z")
Eat yogurt which will help prevent stomach problems with an antibiotic. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/3 "2011-01-06T21:35:33Z")
I am not a doctor. Swallow four tablets of Vitamin C. My mom used to make me do that and I always seemed to get over my colds really fast. Could be the placebo effect, though. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/4 "2011-01-06T21:35:35Z")
Chicken soup. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/5 "2011-01-06T21:40:45Z")
An antibiotic? For any legitimate indication? Or did your doc just shotgun you? A virus on its own is annoying enough. A virus with diarrhea, while traveling overseas, well… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/6 "2011-01-06T21:44:11Z")
She looked at my throat, listened to my lungs, blood pressure, temperature. That’s all. So, vitamin C and chicken soup. My brother swears by zinc. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/7 "2011-01-06T22:05:43Z")
Treat the symptoms and let whatever you have run its course. Before you get on a plane though, you should take something to keep your sinuses wide open. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/8 "2011-01-07T02:01:13Z")
Stay in the house, watch TV and play games. Drink OJ. Sleep whenever you can. > [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I am not a doctor. > > Swallow four tablets of Vitamin C. My mom used to make me do that and I always seemed to get over my colds really fast. Could be the placebo effect, though. Maybe it was just a placebo for me too, but whenever I OD’d on vit C it made me constipated. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/9 "2011-01-07T18:56:20Z")
I’m surprised the doctor prescribed antibiotics for what sounds like a plain old cold. In any case, if you have a neti pot, use it. It may help relieve symptoms and/or prevent this turning into a sinus infection (though I guess that’s unlikely if you’re already on antibiotics). I’ve had a couple of times where I’ve really felt like a cold was coming on (sore throat) and immediately started neti-ing every day, and it seemed to interrupt the progression. Could be sheer coincidence, but it certainly didn’t hurt to try. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/10 "2011-01-07T19:03:48Z")
I think the vitimin C, cold thing has been debunked. Vicks First Defence can help stop a cold from spreading, but I think it’s only really effective if you catch it early. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/11 "2011-01-07T19:26:25Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > It may help relieve symptoms and/or prevent this turning into a sinus infection (though I guess that’s unlikely if you’re already on antibiotics). Most sinus infections are viral, not bacterial. Neti pot’s a good idea for symptomatic relief of congestion, though. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/12 "2011-01-07T21:54:50Z")
Sore throat = gargle with salt water. Do it **now.** It always helps me, but the sooner the better. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/13 "2011-01-07T21:57:00Z")
I’ve found I can neti-pot my way out of a cold. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/14 "2011-01-07T21:59:27Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Stay in the house, watch TV and play games. Drink OJ. Sleep whenever you can. > Maybe it was just a placebo for me too, but whenever I OD’d on vit C it made me constipated. I have the opposite reaction. I get the runs. Never heard of vitamin C leading to constipation! **even sven** , how does that work? I can see the neti pot helping you be less stuffy but what about the other aspects of a cold (tired/achiness/headache)? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argh-two-days-before-vacation-wake-up-with-a-sore-throat-and-cough/566664/15 "2011-01-08T16:15:25Z")
Thanks for all the advice! I’m off. Still have a sore throat and a runny nose, but the worst of it seems to have passed.