Question sort of CF related

[anonymous]

I have a question and it is CF related only because my 3 year old has CF. I who do NOT have CF have had a cough /cold for about 7 days. No temperature just a little tired. My husband has the same thing as well. And I think my 7 year old (No CF) has it too. Maggie with CF had a slight cough but really seems ok and the cough seems to have gone away she has a slight runny nose (that's it). I guess I wonder how long you fight coughs off yourself when you do NOT have CF because I would not want to give my daughter with CF anything bacterial. If my daughter did not have CF I probobly would just ignore my symptoms. But I am still hacking away... DO I ask my doc to give us antibiotics or wait it out? Hope this is not a silly question. I in general do not like to take the antibitics unless necessary. I should add my daughter with CF is on prophylactic antibiotics anyway from being sick last summer.

Thanks,
Rebecca(mom to Sammy 7 no CF and MAggie 3 with CF)

 

[anonymous]

I have a question and it is CF related only because my 3 year old has CF. I who do NOT have CF have had a cough /cold for about 7 days. No temperature just a little tired. My husband has the same thing as well. And I think my 7 year old (No CF) has it too. Maggie with CF had a slight cough but really seems ok and the cough seems to have gone away she has a slight runny nose (that's it). I guess I wonder how long you fight coughs off yourself when you do NOT have CF because I would not want to give my daughter with CF anything bacterial. If my daughter did not have CF I probobly would just ignore my symptoms. But I am still hacking away... DO I ask my doc to give us antibiotics or wait it out? Hope this is not a silly question. I in general do not like to take the antibitics unless necessary. I should add my daughter with CF is on prophylactic antibiotics anyway from being sick last summer.

Thanks,
Rebecca(mom to Sammy 7 no CF and MAggie 3 with CF)

 

[anonymous]

I worry about this too and DS is on prophalctic antibiotics also. I make sure that we all get flu shots. If one of us does get a cold or cough we wash our hands constantly, cough into our arms -- try to minimize contact -- kissing, sharing glasses, spoons, etc. When DS was a newborn the NICU nurse sent home some masks for us to use and I think DH used one when DS was really really little.

Another thing DS's doctor did was write prescriptions for tamiflu for all of us. Said if influenza started going around our workplaces or DS's school, to go on in asap -- even if there aren't any symptoms. We did that when DS was one 'cuz I had an intern who constantly came to work sick and had the flu. Or if DS gets a cough, we are under instructions to increase CPT and call to get him put on a specific course of antibiotics -- septra, cipro...

My parents have asked their doctors to put them on antibiotics prior to visits, so they don't get sick and bring any germs to our house, but don't know how many doctors are willing to do something like that. Our children can't live in bubbles, but something as simple as handwashing and antibacterial hand sanitizer helps quite a bit to prevent the spread of germs.

 

[anonymous]

I worry about this too and DS is on prophalctic antibiotics also. I make sure that we all get flu shots. If one of us does get a cold or cough we wash our hands constantly, cough into our arms -- try to minimize contact -- kissing, sharing glasses, spoons, etc. When DS was a newborn the NICU nurse sent home some masks for us to use and I think DH used one when DS was really really little.

Another thing DS's doctor did was write prescriptions for tamiflu for all of us. Said if influenza started going around our workplaces or DS's school, to go on in asap -- even if there aren't any symptoms. We did that when DS was one 'cuz I had an intern who constantly came to work sick and had the flu. Or if DS gets a cough, we are under instructions to increase CPT and call to get him put on a specific course of antibiotics -- septra, cipro...

My parents have asked their doctors to put them on antibiotics prior to visits, so they don't get sick and bring any germs to our house, but don't know how many doctors are willing to do something like that. Our children can't live in bubbles, but something as simple as handwashing and antibacterial hand sanitizer helps quite a bit to prevent the spread of germs.

 

[JazzysMom]

Unfortunatley no matter how careful U are the chances are good that she will catch that cold. Colds are viruses which is why its hard for anyone to get rid of them as easily as something that is bacterial. At least with a bacterial infection you can use antiobiotics to help fight it. My husband has been sick on/off for almost a month. I finally caught it last week. I thought I was in the clear actually. Maybe because of me thinking this I put down my gaurd & slacked off on different precautions. Doesnt really matter now because I got it. It has gone to my chest a bit, but no where near as bad as it usually would. I am working hard at keeping it under control. I dont have much advice for you. Every person is different, but the "average" cold lasts a week. As to when its the most contagious, that I dont know!

 

[JazzysMom]

Unfortunatley no matter how careful U are the chances are good that she will catch that cold. Colds are viruses which is why its hard for anyone to get rid of them as easily as something that is bacterial. At least with a bacterial infection you can use antiobiotics to help fight it. My husband has been sick on/off for almost a month. I finally caught it last week. I thought I was in the clear actually. Maybe because of me thinking this I put down my gaurd & slacked off on different precautions. Doesnt really matter now because I got it. It has gone to my chest a bit, but no where near as bad as it usually would. I am working hard at keeping it under control. I dont have much advice for you. Every person is different, but the "average" cold lasts a week. As to when its the most contagious, that I dont know!

 

[Mockingbird]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I've heard a cold is contagious before the symptoms even show up.

I found an article; <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm</a>

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold, and usually not contagious at all by day 7 to 10.<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>Once you have "caught" a cold, the symptoms usually begin in 2 or 3 days, though it may take a week.<hr></blockquote>

 

[Mockingbird]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I've heard a cold is contagious before the symptoms even show up.

I found an article; <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm</a>

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold, and usually not contagious at all by day 7 to 10.<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>Once you have "caught" a cold, the symptoms usually begin in 2 or 3 days, though it may take a week.<hr></blockquote>

 

[Alyssa]

I think you are OK without doing any antibiotics for yourself -- most likely what you have is viral anyway and it will A) do nothing for it and B) it's not bacteria that can give your daughter a lung infection anyway.

We had a similar situation with 3 our of 5 people in the house getting the flu this year -- the cough does linger for quite some time (well over 2 weeks now going on 3-4 weeks) our PCP has said that is ok as long as there are no other symptoms.

For what it's worth my husband (no cf) was coughing up just as much gunk out of his lungs as my son (w/cf) did with this flu -- both have cleared without antibiotics -- well, my son is *almost* clear..... I'm pretty sure he will kick it without antibiotics. Our daughter (w/cf) didn't get the flu, but something did go straight for her lungs, so she did start antibiotics.

 

[Alyssa]

I think you are OK without doing any antibiotics for yourself -- most likely what you have is viral anyway and it will A) do nothing for it and B) it's not bacteria that can give your daughter a lung infection anyway.

We had a similar situation with 3 our of 5 people in the house getting the flu this year -- the cough does linger for quite some time (well over 2 weeks now going on 3-4 weeks) our PCP has said that is ok as long as there are no other symptoms.

For what it's worth my husband (no cf) was coughing up just as much gunk out of his lungs as my son (w/cf) did with this flu -- both have cleared without antibiotics -- well, my son is *almost* clear..... I'm pretty sure he will kick it without antibiotics. Our daughter (w/cf) didn't get the flu, but something did go straight for her lungs, so she did start antibiotics.

 

[anonymous]

I'm non-CF with a CF child. My rule of thumb is to ask for an antibiotic if I start seeing anything green/yellow from my sinuses or coughing on the theory that it is a sign of a bacterial infection. For a cold with normal cough, congestion, clear/white mucus it is pretty much a given that it is a virus and hence there's no point taking antibiotics.

 

[anonymous]

I'm non-CF with a CF child. My rule of thumb is to ask for an antibiotic if I start seeing anything green/yellow from my sinuses or coughing on the theory that it is a sign of a bacterial infection. For a cold with normal cough, congestion, clear/white mucus it is pretty much a given that it is a virus and hence there's no point taking antibiotics.

 

[anonymous]

i guess my concern is that I've(NO CF) been coughing for over a week and it's not post-nasal drip because I'm just not stuffed up. I'm tired and the primary care-giver to my daughter with CF. I'm not coughing all the time but at night I am as well as in the morning and after exersize as well as throughout the day. I just don't where the heck this stuff is coming from. Nothing green or yellow coming from me.

Rebecca(mom to Sammy 7 no CF and MAggie 3 with CF)

 

[anonymous]

i guess my concern is that I've(NO CF) been coughing for over a week and it's not post-nasal drip because I'm just not stuffed up. I'm tired and the primary care-giver to my daughter with CF. I'm not coughing all the time but at night I am as well as in the morning and after exersize as well as throughout the day. I just don't where the heck this stuff is coming from. Nothing green or yellow coming from me.

Rebecca(mom to Sammy 7 no CF and MAggie 3 with CF)

 

[JazzysMom]

Could it be allergies? My daughter had what I thought was a cold for the longest time after starting school a few years ago. I finally took her to the doctor & said HELP! The poor kid was either congested or running nose. He told me she didnt have a cold that it was allergies & put her on meds. She has pretty much been fine since. Just a thought!

 

[JazzysMom]

Could it be allergies? My daughter had what I thought was a cold for the longest time after starting school a few years ago. I finally took her to the doctor & said HELP! The poor kid was either congested or running nose. He told me she didnt have a cold that it was allergies & put her on meds. She has pretty much been fine since. Just a thought!

 

[anonymous]

I had a cold this winter (I'm non-CF) that had little congestion but a horrible cough that went on for 3 weeks and was so bad I had to sleep in a separate room from my spouse. The Dr. said he'd been seeing this particular cold a good bit this year and gave me some Teslac perles - they more or less numb the cough response. No antibiotics though. The cough eventually left and it never made the jump to my son w/CF. I used hand sanitizer constantly.

 

[anonymous]

I had a cold this winter (I'm non-CF) that had little congestion but a horrible cough that went on for 3 weeks and was so bad I had to sleep in a separate room from my spouse. The Dr. said he'd been seeing this particular cold a good bit this year and gave me some Teslac perles - they more or less numb the cough response. No antibiotics though. The cough eventually left and it never made the jump to my son w/CF. I used hand sanitizer constantly.

 

[Cheryl2424]

I got sick with that crud that is running rampant this year. It was terrible and I was down with it for 6 weeks. I ended up being put on anibiotics because it settled in my sinus's leaving me with a sinus infection along with an ear infection... Our daughter who has CF started to get sick a few weeks after me, and her Dr. put her on antibiotics as a precaution, along with increased BD treatments (we went from two a day to 4 a day). She came out of it with flying colors:0)

 

[Cheryl2424]

I got sick with that crud that is running rampant this year. It was terrible and I was down with it for 6 weeks. I ended up being put on anibiotics because it settled in my sinus's leaving me with a sinus infection along with an ear infection... Our daughter who has CF started to get sick a few weeks after me, and her Dr. put her on antibiotics as a precaution, along with increased BD treatments (we went from two a day to 4 a day). She came out of it with flying colors:0)