dear doktor internets

[verbicide]

Okay, so instead of replying four times with the same exact question, I figgered I'd post it here. I am so sorry for those of you with the allergy experience to answer my question. But I always think of allergies as a runny nose and lots of sneezing, but especially discomfort in breathing, no?

My symptoms are:

- dry cough
- some congestion
- and a consistent sore throat--this is the worst of of it, really, hate sore throats
- tender lymph nodes

I never associated a sore throat with allergies, but maybe that is a common side affect? And I have no trouble breathing. And despite the fact that I've used not feeling well to slack off on exercise, I have sufficient energy to do whatever I want to do.

I did get the appt I wanted for today, so hopefully she can check me out and reassure me that I won't be dead of cancer in 5 months. I need to never look things up on the internets. Anything that brings up leukemia and I'm sure that what got my mom is going to get me too. (Oh, yes, believe me, I do know what an insane overreaction that is.)

Comments

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

You can get a sore throat from post-nasal drip, which could be a result of allergies. Or something else caused by your environment. I remember when I moved to Los Angeles, I had coughing and intermittent chest pains for, like, 5-6 months. At one point I thought I even had pneumonia, but it turned out to just be reaction to the pollution.

Re: worrying about medical stuff on the internet: oh, I know how that goes. Whenever I have some sort of abdominal or gynecological issue, I'm all, "OMG DO I HAVE CANCER," which is 100% due to how my mom died and unrelated to any likelihood of actually having cancer.

[pinkminx.livejournal.com]

"Re: worrying about medical stuff on the internet: oh, I know how that goes."

Aaahahaha, I do too. I was convinced I have some type of an infection by FLESH EATING BACTERIA and will shortly die of the damn thing. See, this necrotising fasciitis website I found said that very often the symptoms are so mild people don't realise there's something wrong with them until they're about ready to keel over. Ominous, yes?

And now there are three of us worrying about this, right?

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

My college roommate's dad nearly died from that. I think there were something like 10 cases that year, and 9 of them were from abusers of black tar heroin, and then....her dad. Who got it from some infected flea bite scratch.

It was terrifying, though he did 100% recover from it.

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Okay, good to know about the sore throat from post-nasal drip. (Though omg the 5-6 months of misery. Ugh.)

And I'm glad I'm not the only one rushing to the C word when something goes wrong.

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

I have a sore throat about half the time when I have bad allergies, and Cathy here at work ALWAYS has a cough when her's are bad. Allergies vary so much from person to person (and season to season w/ a person!)! And the breathing problems I have stem from allergies activating my asthma -Grammy, for example, breathes fine when she has them, but gets itchy eyes and big red splotches!

I hope whatever is wrong, the doc fixes it!!

(and stay off medical sites!!!)

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Okay, good to know--though I wish NONE of us had to suffer from any of this crap. But I hope that maybe that's all it is and there can just be some Claritin fix-y-ness.

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

I so hope so!!!

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Thank youuuu!

[pinkminx.livejournal.com]

And lest I forget, I've had all those symptoms with my pollen allergy. (Although I suspect I'm borderline asthmatic, but only where birch pollen is concerned.)

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Okay, good to know--esp since the allergy shit is so awful this year. Maybe it's just starting to get me, too...

[lietya.livejournal.com]

It is really super common, because of the postnasal drip issue, as previously mentioned. :) My allergies to "environmental things" often manifest as horrible stuffy nose followed promptly by nasty sore throat. The dry cough can *also* be postnasal drip; I HAAAAAATE that one, because it goes stuffy nose = cough = asthma flares up = more cough = more asthma, repeat until lung infection. It's apparently even possible to get the postnasal drip without much by way of congestion, which strikes me as hugely unfair.


don't worry, last time I checked the internet I had meningitis AND cancer. ;)


(My allergies to animals end in itchy, swollen eyes and sometimes hives, but that's different.)

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Okay, whew. I'm sorry everyone is so miserable, but I'm glad to know this could just be garden-variety-misery vs FOR SURE ONCOMING DEATH.

[lietya.livejournal.com]

Sometimes even I can't tell the difference between sick and allergies, so - and forgive me for the stupidly obvious suggestion - I usually start by taking a sufficient dose of the allergy med that works best for me (which is Claritin, for me) and seeing if anything changes. :) The sore throat won't abate right away, though, because it's a side effect rather than a symptom.

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

Good to know!!

[merhawk]

- dry cough
- some congestion
- and a consistent sore throat--this is the worst of of it, really, hate sore throats
- tender lymph nodes

I have had all of these. When my lymph nodes start acting up, I first take an allergy pill. If it helps the lymph nodes, I know it's my allergies.

That doesn't mean you're not sick, obviously. But these are all common allergies issues. If it seems like it's allergies, but doesn't point to anything in particular, you could be like me and have "silent" reflux, which manifests in the sinuses instead of as heartburn.

Mind you, that doesn't mean you have it. But I wouldn't stress about this.

Good luck this afternoon!

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

So good to get some feedback. And it was sinus related she thinks--just an infection. So, let's hope the meds work!