are cold medicines and fever medicines REALLY safe in h1n1?

[Anonymous]

I have red some postings on different forums that people going over h1n1
might actually get more sick if they are using cold or fever reducing medicine.
Reason being:

The flue comes with the cough, cough supposed to be a body defense mechanism
against mucus being collected in your lungs and by expelling the very mucus
you get rid of bacteria's product from your lungs. If a person uses
the cold / cough medicine to eliminate cough the mucus is
but rather sit there in the lungs and eventually might lead to pneumonia.

As to fever reducing medicines.. the theory was that the fever reducing
medicines artificially bring the fever down and person gets under falls
illusion that one is better and does not provide body enough bed rest..
and goes into the world and all the secondary infections are easy
to contract on vulnerable system.

also the fever medicine (it was said) lowers fevers that is natural
body mechanism to cure itself by combating the bed guys within.
Lowering fever leads in result to getting more sick eventually..


Does anybody agree with those theories? There has been some postings
suggesting that people who did the two above things did get in many
cases in major trouble while having h1n1.

What do you think and or is your experience with this?

Do you know any real people who got better without taking any medicines rather
then home remedies? do you know people who got sicker while taking medicines?

[Anonymous]

Ask your doctor.

[Anonymous]

I heard that with most people, they know within the firt 24 hours of onset of symptoms whether or not the person is going to end up in the hospital due to swine flu. So, I don't think this theory holds true in real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your doctor.

I agree w/this. That said, it's NEVER a good idea to suppress a cough -- esp a "wet" one -- for the exact reason you mentioned, i.e., the mucus can travel downward (as opposed to expelled via coughing) and cause secondary infections.

As for fever, you have to remember, a fever can also tax and dehydrate the body if its sustained and high enough. So for that reason, I almost always treat if it's 102 or above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that with most people, they know within the firt 24 hours of onset of symptoms whether or not the person is going to end up in the hospital due to swine flu. So, I don't think this theory holds true in real life.

Why? How?

[Anonymous]

Seems bogus to me.
For instance, Robitussin's main ingredient's aim is to loosen the mucus so that it is dislodged more easily, so it helps preventing complications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems bogus to me.
For instance, Robitussin's main ingredient's aim is to loosen the mucus so that it is dislodged more easily, so it helps preventing complications.

Yes, the guifenessen (sp) in robitussin and mucinex will loosen -- anything that suppresses a cough (with dextramathorphan, again (sp?) isn't good. Like Delsym, etc.

[Anonymous]

What about Delsym for a dry cough? We sometimes give that at night if the kids are coughing so much it prevents them from sleeping.

Also, my DD has H1N1 right now and we are using Motrin. Her fever was spiking above 103 and that seems too high. Around 101 I leave it alone and give gatorade, jello, apple juice, etc. to stay hydrated, but when it starts approaching 104, medication seems appropriate.