Getting A Cold In Thailand Worse Than In The West?

[connda]

On 2/19/2017 at 4:19 PM, IAMHERE said:

I had my doctor write a prescription for pseudo so I wouldn't get busted by customs at Suvarhnabuhmi. Didn't know about codeine; will get some next trip. Oh, the pseudo cost twice as much as the over the counter pseudo but was prescribed so worth it in the long ruln.

You can get Pseudoephedrine here.  You just need to get it from a doctor at a clinic.  I've got some, but rarely get colds so I don't need it.

[connda]

On 2/19/2017 at 4:25 PM, tropo said:

I get much less sun in Thailand than back at home in Australia. In the tropics, one tends to stay out of it because it's just not enjoyable to be roasting in it, and it's certainly not good for your skin. To have crocodile skin from baking in the sun or D3 deficiency - that's the choice.

 

To get sufficient D3 from sun exposure takes quite a while, and if you're tanned it takes longer. There's a difference between getting enough D3 to eliminate the symptoms of deficiency and obtaining the optimum amount for optimum health. You're not going to get that much unless you spend quite a bit of time in the sun with a fair bit of you skin exposed, and not in the late afternoon or early morning. That's going to wrinkle and ruin your skin prematurely.

 

The situation is even worse for my fair skinned Asian wife. She will not go anywhere near the sun.

 

I believe most people should be supplementing with D3. I put my wife on it 6 months ago and she transformed into the "energizer bunny". That's how profound the difference was. I haven't seen pure D3 capsules here. I get them on iHerb and a year's supply for the 2 of us is about $10.

Doesn't take a long time.  This time of year where I live it takes about 22 minutes exposure around mid-day.  By June that goes down to about 15 minutes.  That's a stroll around the yard doing chores before I go back inside and put on cloths and sunblock. 
For anyone interested, try this <-- vitamin D calculator link.  I have vitamin D3 from iHerb too, but only take them if I don't happen to get outside during the day. 

[tropo]

24 minutes ago, connda said:

Doesn't take a long time.  This time of year where I live it takes about 22 minutes exposure around mid-day.  By June that goes down to about 15 minutes.  That's a stroll around the yard doing chores before I go back inside and put on cloths and sunblock. 
For anyone interested, try this <-- vitamin D calculator link.  I have vitamin D3 from iHerb too, but only take them if I don't happen to get outside during the day. 

 

That's great for you, but try to get a fair skinned Asian lady into the midday sun for 20 minutes every day. She'll have a great tan after a week of that. For most girls tan=ugly. Even the darker ladies don't want to go out if they can avoid it. They need longer than a white guy too.

 

Personally, I think it's a lot easier to pop a D3 every day than stressing about going out.

 

 

[Alan Deer]

8 hours ago, connda said:

Can't say I ever had problems with colds since I got here. Rarely get them as compared to the US.  But!  I did have the 'trots' for about 2 years as my gut got use to the local bacteria in the water and elsewhere.  Guess when you live in a culture where everything needs to be super-sanitized you don't build much immunity to bacteria that third-world and developing countries take for granted.  Glad colds don't effect me here though! 

The reason for "the trots" - (and that is WAY too long BTW!) is that there are many e-coli here that you aren't immune to.......if a Thai person went to US they would be exposed to the same problems.

however the main food poisonings stomach bugs there is no immunity to.

that's to the rise of "chill serve" in the west there was (or maybe still is) a boom in food poisoning associated illnesses.

[mommysboy]

Colds no.  But if you have even a mild nasal allergy then this makes the problem much worse imo.

 

[sandemara]

As soon as I become aware of signals like sneeze repeats, runny nose, itchy throat or "spaced out" feeling in my head I start using a salt in small glass of water habit - gargling for a minute or two every two hours or so, as needed. Most times, if I start early enough the bugs vacate my system within 2 days, with no other 'drugs' required. Also allows you a good night's sleep, which seems important to maintain your body's immune system.

[tropo]

28 minutes ago, sandemara said:

As soon as I become aware of signals like sneeze repeats, runny nose, itchy throat or "spaced out" feeling in my head I start using a salt in small glass of water habit - gargling for a minute or two every two hours or so, as needed. Most times, if I start early enough the bugs vacate my system within 2 days, with no other 'drugs' required. Also allows you a good night's sleep, which seems important to maintain your body's immune system.

 

I find the initial symptoms of a cold can be confused with hayfever unless I get a sore throat.

[sandemara]

I forgot to add; Only gargle, don't rinse.  Salt can be very corrosive on teeth. On long patrols in V/Nam you had to use salt for teeth-cleaning. Toothpaste scum in creeks, ponds attracted too much interest if you didn't want to be seen.  Mates who used too much salt learned the hard way.

[mommysboy]

20 hours ago, tropo said:

I find the initial symptoms of a cold can be confused with hayfever unless I get a sore throat.

Yes its really lack of sleep that makes people feel bad, and that comes mainly from the effects of a stuffed up/runny nose.

 

What you do is about right imo. I find the only way to mitigate a head cold is rest and decongesting lightly, but frequently, with a long shower being my preferred option as it helps to keep you cool. 

 

People do get symptoms confused.  And then there are different types of viruses that can focus on different areas of URT.

 

By and large I suffer colds much more if I already have allergy symptoms to the extent that they become rather tortuous events.  Also, a heavy cold is not 'just a cold'.

 

Succumbing to a cold seems so random.  Like many I've noticed that I go through periods where I seem to pick up any virus going, whilst at other times I can sail through even when surrounded by sneezing and coughing.  It makes you wonder!

[dageurreotype]

On 20/02/2017 at 8:44 AM, Mangkhut said:

I have also had many of these really long lasting colds/flus while travelling and staying in Thailand and other asian countries. It stuck with me often for 2-3 weeks. Although not very sick, just a bit of cough (could be quite bad cough actually) and "tight chest" and a bit of general not wellbeing feel, fatigue etc - still not very bad. And I thought it was nothing to be done other than symptomatical treatments as of cough, fever etc.

 

But at one stage I got so stuck with one of these - what I belived was colds/flus and the sickness just didnt go away even one week after I had returned home. And since Im a nurse myself and have access to medicines in my job I had treated myself with general antibiotics (benzylpenicillin) but with no cure for my illness - so I went to my GP and I had also done some research myself. And I explained my case to the GP and told him from my research this could be an infection caused by what is called atypical bacterias - the mycoplasma pneumoniae - and that gives whats called an atypical pneumonia also called walking pneumonia in english I belive. It has lighter symptoms than other pneumonias and you often think its a cold or a flu and even goes to work with it. And the GP agreed with me and said that seems very true.

 

So I was given the right antibiotics  - which is Erytromycin or Doxycillin and I got better in 1-2 days and 100 % well after 3-4 days.

 

And after that - if I get something similar cold/flu symptoms thats lasts more than a week and I cough a lot and have a general fatigue etc I have been getting and taking those right antibiotics - and wham-bang better in no time.

 

So if you get cold/flu symptoms thats lasts long and gives you bad cough, fatigue, sore throat, tight chest etc - consider that it can be a atypical pneumonia/walking pneumonia and see a doctor and tell him that. The right antibiotics will cure it very quickly.

I have got atypical pneumonia in Thailand and other asian countries several times and never back home in Europe so I think the mycoplasma pneumonia is more common in Asia.

 

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/walking-pneumonia

 

 

 

Well, thanks for this. I've had a  'cold' for the past several weeks. A search of Walking Pneumonia has thrown up all of my symptoms and no, I'm not a hypochondriac. Also gets a tad embarrassing/annoying when I'm in someone's car and they have the aircon on full blast and have full blown coughing fit as it appears to irritate my already irritable lungs, and I'm not a smoker either. Loathe to visit doctors as another poster said, they do have a tendency to simply throw you out the door with scant info and a bag full of pills. So will call into my local friendly pharmacist (good one) and talk with them about buying some of the antibiotics you mention. 

 

I was talking to a Thai woman who'd told me her English husband had recently died of pneumonia here, at 42! Pneumonia in the tropics, who'd've thunk?

 

Thanks again.

[mommysboy]

13 minutes ago, dageurreotype said:

Well, thanks for this. I've had a  'cold' for the past several weeks. A search of Walking Pneumonia has thrown up all of my symptoms and no, I'm not a hypochondriac. Also gets a tad embarrassing/annoying when I'm in someone's car and they have the aircon on full blast and have full blown coughing fit as it appears to irritate my already irritable lungs, and I'm not a smoker either. Loathe to visit doctors as another poster said, they do have a tendency to simply throw you out the door with scant info and a bag full of pills. So will call into my local friendly pharmacist (good one) and talk with them about buying some of the antibiotics you mention. 

 

I was talking to a Thai woman who'd told me her English husband had recently died of pneumonia here, at 42! Pneumonia in the tropics, who'd've thunk?

 

Thanks again.

 

During my time in Thailand I have had two very severe colds that just seemed to go on weeks. Quite a few have reported the same. Unfortunately there's not a lot to be done.  The chances are although the symptoms are very troublesome and tiring, you don't have anything serious.

 

One big problem is that mucosal linings become very inflamed leading to the irritation you describe, where things that might not normally trouble you lead to coughing fits. I suppose in effect it is like having an allergy.  Cold air makes for phlegm, as you are painfully aware.  Ther coughing is likely phlegm from upper airways.

 

The chances are you have a very long duration virus that has been very slow to self limit.  Some of these viruses are worse than the flu!  Of course you are right to get it checked out, but perhaps a visit to a doctor would honestly be best. A pharmacist can't give an examination after all.  The problem is beyond trifling anyway, isn't it?

 

It could be you tend to a non specific allergy, as I do. In this case, you have to review things around you, eg, traffic pollution, air con, dust in your house.  People aren't going to turn down the car aircon, it's up to you to avoid or get a mask.  Unfortunately again, there is little to be done about extreme heat, which sadly can also cause problems with the airways.

[dageurreotype]

21 hours ago, mommysboy said:

 

During my time in Thailand I have had two very severe colds that just seemed to go on weeks. Quite a few have reported the same. Unfortunately there's not a lot to be done.  The chances are although the symptoms are very troublesome and tiring, you don't have anything serious.

 

One big problem is that mucosal linings become very inflamed leading to the irritation you describe, where things that might not normally trouble you lead to coughing fits. I suppose in effect it is like having an allergy.  Cold air makes for phlegm, as you are painfully aware.  Ther coughing is likely phlegm from upper airways.

 

The chances are you have a very long duration virus that has been very slow to self limit.  Some of these viruses are worse than the flu!  Of course you are right to get it checked out, but perhaps a visit to a doctor would honestly be best. A pharmacist can't give an examination after all.  The problem is beyond trifling anyway, isn't it?

 

It could be you tend to a non specific allergy, as I do. In this case, you have to review things around you, eg, traffic pollution, air con, dust in your house.  People aren't going to turn down the car aircon, it's up to you to avoid or get a mask.  Unfortunately again, there is little to be done about extreme heat, which sadly can also cause problems with the airways.

I've had Dengue which I self treated with now unavailable Benadryl and para, so no harm in giving the suggested antibiotics a shot. 

 

One thing I remember is being able to breathe as a newborn after I'd sprayed some Rattan with a general store bought anti termite spray (blue can) many years ago. Maybe buy some puffer of some kind but that wouldn't do away with all the other flu like symptoms and lethargy. I don't have aircon in my house. I'd specified this to the architect and have louvred doors and windows. Quiet area but can't help but to come into contact with other people whilst out and about, and dust everywhere in Asia. 

 

Thanks for response.

[Sheryl]

On 2/25/2017 at 1:59 PM, dageurreotype said:

Well, thanks for this. I've had a  'cold' for the past several weeks. A search of Walking Pneumonia has thrown up all of my symptoms and no, I'm not a hypochondriac. Also gets a tad embarrassing/annoying when I'm in someone's car and they have the aircon on full blast and have full blown coughing fit as it appears to irritate my already irritable lungs, and I'm not a smoker either. Loathe to visit doctors as another poster said, they do have a tendency to simply throw you out the door with scant info and a bag full of pills. So will call into my local friendly pharmacist (good one) and talk with them about buying some of the antibiotics you mention. 

 

I was talking to a Thai woman who'd told me her English husband had recently died of pneumonia here, at 42! Pneumonia in the tropics, who'd've thunk?

 

Thanks again.

 

Do not self treat with antibiotics, bad idea.

 

Also be wary of "Dr. Google". It will be full of diagnoses that your symptoms fit, none of which you actually have.  Medical diagnosis  not made a simple matter of  taking a list of symptoms and matching them up.

 

Though there are other possibilities as well, the irritation and coughing fits you describe can often be due to post-nasal drip which in turn can be due to allergy and/or chronic sinus infection.

 

Not all doctors are the same .You need to see a good ENT - not a random village doctor, not whatever ENT you are directed to when you walk into a hospital ENT dept, but one specifically chosen. If you are in or near Bangkok, Prof. Songklot Aeumjaturapatat St Louis Hosp is very good.  I have taken several different friends with complaints similiar to yours to see him, all got careful evaluation, very detailed explanations, and no one was over-medicated. (He is also available at Bangkok Hospital but it will cost more there).

[Dagnabbit]

Cold sufferers here are morel likely to get infections. A throat infection is very common. 

 

A doctor did explain this to me at one point but I can't remember the reasons now - if it was climate or the air quality.

 

I had a cold last week and sure enough, got an infection at the end of it....