ask: How long does a cold last?
I am getting a little worried that my cold has lasted longer than two weeks. Coughing, sneezing, aching....I feel like a Nyquil commercial. How long should a cold last? Should I go and see my physician?
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Yes, you should go see your doctor. If a cold hasn't cleared up within 7-8 days, it's probably some sort of bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics.
January 10, 2009 - 5:04pmThis Comment
Melissa, you may actually have influenza (the flu) and not just a common cold. The flu can easily take 10 days for a person to feel good again, sometimes a little longer. Have you had fevers?
January 10, 2009 - 6:24pmYeah, if you're feeling aches at all, I'd guess you might have the flu. Or a sinus infection. I'd say it's definitely a good time to go to the doctor, especially if Monday morning rolls around and you're not any better.
January 10, 2009 - 10:13pmI will certainly call on Monday for an appointment. I was thinking that this feeling shouldn't last this long and you have just reassured me. Thanks for all the input.
January 11, 2009 - 9:13amIt may also have been a cold that has turned into a respiratory infection. I went through a bunch of years in the '90s when it seemed like almost every cold I had would go well for the first few days -- speeding through the sneezing sniffling stuffy part, and I would think that I was getting over it quickly. But then the cough would never go away, and it was a nasty cough, too, that got worse at night by far.
Maybe it's just a particularly nasty cold; maybe it's the flu; or you might have bronchitis, walking pneumonia or reactive airway disease. Take care and let us know how it goes at the doctor's office.
January 12, 2009 - 10:49amI have been in bed with this miserable cold for 3 days now. No relief in sight and I'm getting no sleep! I have a prescription cough medicine but it doesnt seem to work. Please help...I dont ever remember a cold confining me to my bed for this long before!
February 3, 2010 - 2:33pmI, too, have been bed-ridden for 4 days. It started with a severe sore throat - cough, non productive, keeping me up all night long - fever of 101 or more. I feel achy and sore all over -- I can't get comfortable. Every Bone hurts -- today is the 5th day and I'm still a mess - doctor said that it's viral and take Tylenol - lungs are clear.. It'll run its course he says... Grr!! I wish it would speed up.. I'm exhausted and sore. I can't find relief anywhere.. I hope this ends soon!
May 6, 2010 - 2:49pmEveryone has a good point, I am not trying to say this is what is wrong with you, but have you ever considered taken and HIV test, a very weak ammun system could be your answer and alot of people try to deny the fact that this can happen to anyone, especialy if your sexualy active. Once you notice your cold or flu is still here even after 2 weeks, you should see your doctor, that really could mean that something is really wrong with you. He or she will give you a blood test and some X-rays then they will be able to better determine why your cold, or flu isn't going away.
September 22, 2010 - 6:59am