I have a QUANDARY...plz advise if you can

[elpasolady]

I am in a quandary and I need some good advice from all  you expert people. :)
I have had a fever now for 13 days, ranging from 100 to 102. I wake up in the morning w/o fever but like clockwork, come 10:30, 11:00, I start feeling the same old fever stirrings.  Usally starts with a few chills.
I went to the Dr on Monday ( not my gastro) and he swears I have the Flu because of my other symptoms as well.  I have had a real dry cough, but that. at least HAS gotten better, overall.  I have fatigue, mild headaches, no appetite and mild body aches at times. He took a flu swab of my nose and it came back negative.  He checked for pneumonia and it came back negative.  He still thinks it is the Flu, and he is aware of my hep C and what interferon can do to  you, which is his explanation on why this is not definitive. So, I have been on antibotics for one week ( prescribed originally from my Gastro) and he put me on TamiFlu, just because he said it can't hurt. ( I wasn't real craxy about that, expecially when my copay was $70. :(

My quandary is this.....he wanted to see me again in 2 days.  Today is day 3 and fever is back to 101. The only thing I can tell him is that the cough is a little better.  We just lost our health insurance on Jan 31st so everything will be self pay and my husband has not been working now for 4 months. It's not very pretty here now, financially.
Am I going to waste my time and money to go back to him as he "guesses"  his way through this?   Obviously if something is really wrong, I want to know about it. ON the other hand, this could be side effects, even though I have never  had this type of SX before.  I just finished pills on Tues and  my last shot was on Jan 18.

Anyone have this experience with a constant fever and just rode it out or eventually figured out what was going on?

Thanks, Dear Forum friends.....
Hugs..Debbie

[mikesimon]

Yes, I agree with you. I think if it was really effective - in any form - against influenza we'd have heard about it by now. But, then again, maybe not.
They've also tried interferon against influenza and I read somewhere that it's effectiveness inversely related to dosage - the lower doses were more effective.........if I am remembering right.......but, that does sound weird.
It really doesn't matter because at any dose interferon wasn't very effective.
Mike

[desrt]

Should have read " I don't know if...".

[desrt]

The riba they use in Mexico is administered directly to the lungs by inhaler. I know if oral riba would even have the limited success this seems to have on existing infecton. The only studies I've seen in this country were on cases in children.

[desrt]

I was about 3 hours east of you in Alpine, Tx. at my GP's office this morning. Waiting room full of sick people, two confirmed cases of viral influenza just while I was there. Doc says none of the strains showing up were covered by this year's vaccine. Looks like W. Tx. flu seaon is hitting late.

[CatLil]

I 'm In Alabama and that was one of the first questions they ask I have had both vaccines. I lost my sister to HepC in1995 she started her cycle and bleed to death. I was so concerned about having the same thing happening to me after I had an episode I had a hysterectomy. I have spent several years preparing for the day there was a cure. I hope everything that I have done helps but who knows at least it made me feel like I was doing something to beat this monster. Best of luck to all we can all beat this we just have to stay strong and rely on one another. I am women hear me roar and be there for each other when we are mice.

[Grandmajane420]

Not that this will help the original question on this posting but where I live, the Dr sent me for flu shots and a pneumonia vaccine before I started tx. This is standard for all who go on tx up here.

Did you get vaccinated? Do they do that elsewhere?  If not, Why not?