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Are Over The Counter Medicines For Cold Advisable While On Hydromet?
Seeking input on drug interactions and hypothetical misdiagnosis. Persistent, mild head cold (congestion, post nasal drip, throat discomfort) over past week; managing with non-prescription meds. No history of allergies. Severe throat pain developed day prior to yesterday; seems to be worsening. Sandpaper-like pain when swallowing; stabbing pain when breathing cold air; difficulty sleeping. Lost voice. Low-grade fever yesterday (below 100) but no fever today. Inflammation in back of throat is more pronounced today than yesterday; spotted a white pustule (new) in back of throat on self-exam this morning. Proceeded to Walk-in Clinic. Nurse Practitioner said ouch, looks like strep on physical exam of throat; noted no fever, good vitals; said lungs/chest sounded clear. Rapid strep test came back negative; NP said that false negatives weren t uncommon (did not order culture/add l labwork). Diagnosis: Acute Laryngitis, Pharyngitis (Presumed Strep). Prescribed: Hydromet, Amoxicillin, Prednisone. Steroid shot administered in office. Question 1: In the off chance that strep was misdiagnosed, could the prescribed steroid complicate recovery from other causes of a severe sore throat? Question 2: When taking Hydromet, is it safe to continue taking OTC medications for managing my head cold symptoms? Currently: Claritin, Phenylephrine, and Mucinex DM. Question 3: Currently alternating between double recommended dosage of Advil and Tylenol for throat pain. If throat pain persists after switching to Hydromet, which OTC medication would be safest to take in addition to Hydromet (e.g. Hydromet + Advil, Aspirin, or Tylenol)?
Mon, 30 Mar 2020
Hello,
Here are my sequential answers to your doubts as follows:
1. There does not sound to be missing of strep possibility, and the steroids prescribed is demand of time to recover better, smoother and faster.
2. When taking Hydromet, it is not recommended to consume similar molecules for head cold, which may provoke excess sedation and hence only Loratidine or Phexophenadine would be safest for this purpose.
3. There is no suggestion of any other additional analgesic for throat pain as you are already on highest doses of the pain killer tablets.
Can try for gargles with salted lukewarm water for throat pain relief.
Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bhagyesh V. Patel, General Surgeon
Here are my sequential answers to your doubts as follows:
1. There does not sound to be missing of strep possibility, and the steroids prescribed is demand of time to recover better, smoother and faster.
2. When taking Hydromet, it is not recommended to consume similar molecules for head cold, which may provoke excess sedation and hence only Loratidine or Phexophenadine would be safest for this purpose.
3. There is no suggestion of any other additional analgesic for throat pain as you are already on highest doses of the pain killer tablets.
Can try for gargles with salted lukewarm water for throat pain relief.
Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bhagyesh V. Patel, General Surgeon
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