[Hfalala]

Sore all over with random shooting pains throughout my body. Sore throat, productive cough with yellow/green sputum, shortness of breath, fever, headache. No stomach upset though. Started 4 days ago.

[Wondergirl]

Your symptoms are indicative of a trip to the doctor.

[joypulv]

Call a doctor but before you go, take aspirin or tylenol twice 4 hours apart and take your temp again an hour later.
Also drink plenty of lukewarm or warm broth, water, or watered down juice.
It's a waste of time and money if you don't do that first.

[tickle]

Call a doctor but before you go, take aspirin or tylenol twice 4 hours apart and take your temp again an hour later.
Also drink plenty of lukewarm or warm broth, water, or watered down juice.
It's a waste of time and money if you don't do that first.

Joy, I don't know why or how your advice would help. That's like saying take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

I like please your doctor asap

[tickle]

Your symptoms are indicative of a few issues and not one can be diagnosed here on AMHD. Best advice is don't seek medical advice on the Internet. Follow the suggestions of "see your doctor".

[joypulv]

I have know people with fever and flu-like symptoms who were yelled at for walking in without taking a fever reducer first to see if it WORKED or NOT. It helps the doctor a lot to determine the next step! Did I say 'don't call a doctor' in my response?

[joypulv]

And.. doctors do say 'take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning.'

At least this doctor doesn't have to be exasperated by patients who don't have the sense to do that first.

[tickle]

And.. doctors do say 'take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning.'

At least this doctor doesn't have to be exasperated by patients who don't have the sense to do that first.

I actually hope a lot of people with differing medical issues don't take 2 aspirin and call in the morning because in my neck of the woods, aspirin are a blood thinner, especially the 80mg ones.

This is after all one of my boards, it is a medical issue, so I have a problem with that advice.

[joypulv]

Aspirin is a blood thinner at any mg. There is nothing special about the 81 mg size vs higher mg sizes.
You can have all the problems you want with my advice tickle, but this isn't 'your board.'

[J_9]

Call a doctor but before you go, take aspirin or tylenol twice 4 hours apart and take your temp again an hour later.
Also drink plenty of lukewarm or warm broth, water, or watered down juice.
It's a waste of time and money if you don't do that first.

I have a problem with this also. If I had done this with my son, he would have died 9 years ago as he had menengitis and it couldn't wait 9 hours to be diagnosed.

Best advise is to take the tylenol, not aspirin as we don't know the OPs age, and call the doctor directly.

[joypulv]

OP is obviously not a child.

[J_9]

OP is obviously not a child.

How did you figure that out? Anyone under the age of 16 should not take aspirin.

[joypulv]

Next time I will qualify the 'take tylenol or aspirin' to 'take aspirin only if you are an adult, or tylenol.'

[J_9]

Next time I will qualify the 'take tylenol or aspirin' to 'take aspirin only if you are an adult, or tylenol.'

No need to get nasty. It's just that I, as a registered nurse, do not agree with you.

[Wondergirl]

How did you figure that out? Anyone under the age of 16 should not take aspirin.

The word "sputum" was used correctly and spelled correctly, so I agree, not a child.

[J_9]

The word "sputum" was used correctly and spelled correctly, so I agree, not a child.

Regardless, I don't agree with the advice that was given.

[Wondergirl]

Regardless, I don't agree with the advice that was given.

I agree. There should have been qualifiers.

[joypulv]

J_9, there was absolutely no nastiness intended or showing in what I said or even thought. It was as straight a statement as a statement can be.

[tickle]

Aspirin is a blood thinner at any mg. There is nothing special about the 81 mg size vs higher mg sizes.
You can have all the problems you want with my advice tickle, but this isn't 'your board.'

I may have used the wrong terminology, board, forum. If you go to the expert listings you will find forums which we are considered expert on 'medical conditions and specialties' is one of them. Of course J-9 is the first reference here because she is an RN, I have two disciplines, cert. personal support worker and registered nurses' asst.both qualify me for this forum.

I found your comment not up to your usual standard, one thing I have found here is to take criticism in good grace. I for one have been through the school of hard knocks here at times over the last seven years and try not to come out punching.

[joypulv]

I suppose we could argue about whether I came out swinging. I do feel that if someone asks about symptoms that could be flu, it makes sense to give flu advice in the same sentence as calling a doctor. Which is exactly what I DID. It isn't a matter of who is an RN, LPN, or CNA. I do know about aspirin. I do know about children, and I do know about blood thinning. I do know what is controversial about aspirin. A lot of what people contribute here is from personal experience and/or research, not who has what degree. Same with legal advice, or construction, or pets, or child support.
ERs are flooded with people who have the flu and doctors who plead on various media for people to try the usual palliatives before overburdening the medical system. There is a very good argument to be made for boards like this suggesting that the informed 'patient' can do a lot for himself at home while not avoiding seeing a doctor.
I feel that I have been responsible about not diagnosing online, which is THE important issue here. I meant it when I said that in the future I would qualify my suggestion to take aspirin.