Suggest Treatment For Continuous Cough, Fever, Body Ache, Chills, And A Sore Throat That Has Turned Into A Very Swollen Throat

Posted on Thu, 5 Oct 2023

Question: I can’t stop coughing, I need to know what I have and what I can do about it. It started with a fever, body aches, chills, and a sore throat, then turned into just a very swollen throat, now it’s just hard to swallow and a really bad cough that I can’t stop.

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
It could be pharyngitis

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

You seem to be suffering from pharyngitis. Mostly its a viral infection. If you have breathing difficulty then deal with it like an emergency.

My advise is as follows:
- Tab Paracetamol 500 mg as and when required (upto 4 times a day) for fever
- Syrup Robitussin cough and chest congestion (has dextromethorphan) 2-3 times a day
- Tab Benadryl allergy plus upto 2 times a day for runny nose, mucous, congestion
- Gargles with salt in warm water every 2-3 hrs.
- Steam inhalation helps
- Lozenges also help
- Take warm fluids and soft food

You can continue above for few days. If it does not get better then you need to see a doctor. If it doesnt get better in 5 days, then we need to run tests like complete blood count, sputum for culture and sensitivity to find any bacteria.

Hope it helps. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Dr Vaishalee

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar