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Suggest Treatment For Sore Throat, Body Pain, Chills And Hot Flashes
Question: I've had chills, hot flashes, body aches, sore throat, exhaustion, cramps in my feet and stomach, runny/congested nose and no fever for 3 days. I've taken OTC nighttime cold meds, tried tea with honey and lozenges. What do I have? No one else in my house is sick
Brief Answer:
About your infection:
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
I think I just responded to your question in the free XXXXXXX app, but here I can write more.
Most likely this is an upper respiratory virus, and will pass in a few more days (total 7-10 days on average). However I am concerned that you have chills plus a sore throat. If your throat is quite sore, I recommend you go in to your doctor or urgent care clinic to have a throat swab, as there is the possibility it is strep pharyngitis (strep throat). This will give a bad sore throat, and even if you don't have a recorded fever, the chills and hot flashes could be signs that there are times that you are having a fever. Usually there are also swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck. While viral infections can't be treated with antibiotics, strep should be treated with antibiotics because of the risk of complications like rheumatic heart disease afterwards.
It doesn't matter that no one else in your house is sick. You clearly are and may have picked it up somewhere the rest of your family did not. Instruct your family to not touch their eyes or nose without having just washed their hands as I have no doubt you are contagious right now.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information for you.
About your infection:
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
I think I just responded to your question in the free XXXXXXX app, but here I can write more.
Most likely this is an upper respiratory virus, and will pass in a few more days (total 7-10 days on average). However I am concerned that you have chills plus a sore throat. If your throat is quite sore, I recommend you go in to your doctor or urgent care clinic to have a throat swab, as there is the possibility it is strep pharyngitis (strep throat). This will give a bad sore throat, and even if you don't have a recorded fever, the chills and hot flashes could be signs that there are times that you are having a fever. Usually there are also swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck. While viral infections can't be treated with antibiotics, strep should be treated with antibiotics because of the risk of complications like rheumatic heart disease afterwards.
It doesn't matter that no one else in your house is sick. You clearly are and may have picked it up somewhere the rest of your family did not. Instruct your family to not touch their eyes or nose without having just washed their hands as I have no doubt you are contagious right now.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information for you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
My doctor prescribed an antibiotic. Ive been taking it for 2 full days and i feel better. Im still exhausted and my feet keep cramping. Im pretty sure this is/was a virus because my throat was never as painful as it is when i get strep. It was just irritated - my whole throat, not one side. So my question is, are you aware of a virus that causes mustle aches like the flu and muscle cramps in the feet and stomach? Still no fever.
Brief Answer:
Information:
Detailed Answer:
Yes, there are viruses that cause generalized muscle aching. Influenza is one of the most prominent of these, but it causes a cough, and also this time of year isn't "flu season". But at any given time there are other respiratory viruses that can make you feel pretty badly.
An antibiotic is useless for a virus, so either you are recovering naturally and feel better now, or it was a bacterial cause.
I'm not sure about the muscle cramping, but when there are muscle aches and inflammation in the body from an infection, some people can get cramping. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Information:
Detailed Answer:
Yes, there are viruses that cause generalized muscle aching. Influenza is one of the most prominent of these, but it causes a cough, and also this time of year isn't "flu season". But at any given time there are other respiratory viruses that can make you feel pretty badly.
An antibiotic is useless for a virus, so either you are recovering naturally and feel better now, or it was a bacterial cause.
I'm not sure about the muscle cramping, but when there are muscle aches and inflammation in the body from an infection, some people can get cramping. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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