Is it normal to be congested from a cold for a week?

Could be allergies, but I’m not a doctor and this is the internet.

If you have a cold, antibiotics will not help you.

Not helpful… I know you’re not a Dr and I know this is internet, I’m asking for support not a consultant. Could be allergies you’re right but screw this it’s damn awful!

Is a week a long time to have congestion? Anyone else had it for a week and what did you do to clear it!?

I’ve personally had cold symptoms for over a month at a time. It’s a virus. All you can do is rest and wait for it to pass.

I instantly go to pneumonia though – I don’t want that!

I often have congestion for a cold for a week. Remember that each strain is different, this one just may be stronger. If your congestion is in the head and sinuses, rest easy, it’s not likely pneumonia, which is about the lungs.
If you need meds for this, they will likely be anti-virals, as, unless it is specifically a bacterial event, antibiotics not only won’t help, but will inhibit healing.

Feel better, get into a hot shower (shower steam is pretty miraculous!) and drink some tea.
NSAIDS (aspirin, Advil, Aleve) may help if there is swelling in your nostrils or sinuses.

Thank you x

My doc has a chart on his door that shows the lifecycle of a cold. The congestion is supposed to last for two weeks or more for a common cold. Always has with me, usually about 2.5–3 weeks

Totally normal.

Whether cold or allergies, antibiotics would not help. That would be crossing the cure for one ailment to a different ailment. It is not capable of helping a cold or allergies.
Congestion lasts for a week or longer frequently.
You can flush with nasal saline, and that helps temporarily.
Hot soup helps to dissolve congestion. You can’t go wrong with chicken.

I’ve been congested for about 3 months. Hope you find the answer – maybe it’s mine.

I went to the Dr and he said sinus infection and gave me antibiotics – even I think that’s a bit too early too assume, ha ha…. I’ve got them anyway – I will wait till tomorrow and see – glad to hear it’s normal though thank you and no I’m not seeking help for my anxiety… I’m doomed.

My husband has bad allergies and often gets sinus infections. He went to an ENT doctor and he said he has polyps. His snoring got really bad. Doctor told him to do sinus rinses with saline and water twice a day. He went back two weeks later and his sinuses were cleared and the doctor said he won’t need surgery to get rid of the polyps because they are gone. He did also give him antibiotics.

Anyhow, he also told him to continue doing it when allergies would start or a cold to prevent it from getting bad. When his allergies start he may forget to do the rinses until I remind him and within one night, he is back to breathing well again he’s not snoring. If he forgets, I get no sleep.
See an ENT if this is a recurring problem. But in the meantime, it won’t hurt to do saline nasal rinses. It should at least clear your sinus enough for you to breathe comfortably. Btw, my husband just boils water to sterilize it and uses neilmed sinus rinse packets, so I don’t know if that is something you get over the counter or need a script for. It looks like its over the counter. @Apparently_Im_The_Grumpy_One Maybe this will help you out.

I didn’t read answers above.

Yes, a week is normal. More than a week is not. Day 8 is time to start thinking that maybe you need an antibiotic or that it might be an allergy. If you are in the same home, and working in the same place as always, and not using new cleaning fluids, it isn’t likely an allergy. Ragweed season just passed, so now in mid October it would be odd for an intense outdoor allergy to blame. If you have never had congestion like this from allergies, I doubt you suddenly have an allergy problem, but allergies can develop suddenly. Allergies often cause itchiness and swelling also.

Is the mucous yellow or green? Do you have a cough also? Did the congestion start with a sore throat and then the sore throat went away and it was replaced with congestion? Cold congestion for just 3 days or less is short. Colds typically are congested 4–5 days, if they start with the sore throat.

I vote for antibiotics.

I have had sinus infections last that long – 1 to 2 weeks. I used to get them quite regularly several times a year. Ugh!
I eventually had surgery to remove nasal polyps and my sinus infections went away. It really helped!

I had sinus issues straight away – never a sore throat, just really runny nose, sneezing that wouldn’t stop and this was last saturday and now it’s saturday – I woke up this morning with one nose so blocked that it feels like a cork is in it, my eyes are heavy, my brain feels swarmed by heaviness and I think I’m just going to take the antibiotics.
I’ve been using sinus rinses…. but whilst they do work it’s not getting better.
The Dr said my crackling has gone from my bronchial area so that’s good and I’d love to try battle this sinus out by itself but my initial symptoms were so bad I think it’s just all got stuck,
Could have been allergies as I“m in New Zealand so start of spring here but snot is thick and yellow/green – so better do antibiotics I guess!

Thanks guys!

Definitely sounds bacterial. Start the antibiotics and you should feel significantly better in three days. Make sure you take the meds until they are finished, don’t stop just because you feel better.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor.

Yeah I will try them… they are Doxcycline… apparently not the best for sinus either – but I really hope this works – I can’t express how OVER this I am! xo

Why doxi? So many drugs are usually much better. It still should work though I think. I’m pretty sure back in the day it was used for people allergic to penicillin.

Be extra careful about sun exposure if you’re on Doxycycline, some people (including me!) become extra sensitive to UV exposure. I practically burst into flame.

^^Good thing to mention. The sun warning should be right on the prescription bottle.

Everyone should always read the warnings on OTC and script. A lot of people don’t.

Got the sun warning! I still have eye pain and still congested, I’m thinking maybe its viral and now i feel bad taking antibiotics, i will finish though, but I’m really over this! I’m allergic to penicillin too. I want to breathe through my nose again!!

They could have given you Levaquin or Zithromax. They might be called something else in your country. You’re not in the US right? I don’t think it’s viral, it’s lasting too long. The Doxi still might work, aren’t you only starting your 3rd day of meds? It takes 72 hours usually to start feeling better.

What’s your reaction to penicillin?

So the Dr took me off Doxycycline as I was in so much pain last night and had the worst upset stomach today – so now I“m on a steroid spray – I hope this gets better soon – I can breathe again but sinus pain worse and now I’d rather take the antibiotic and deal with the ‘crap’ than have a sinus infection!
What if now it’s made it worse by coming off the antibiotic.
She didn’t give me another one just told me to come in if it gets worse!

It won’t make it worse because you stopped the antibiotics except now you will have to start all over again with antibiotics. Oy. If you eat with the doxi it should prevent stomach upset. Severe nausea is not uncommon when doxi is taken on an empty stomach. I think you should take the doxi at least for 4 days and make sure it’s not working. You can still take another pill if you took one within the last 15 hours, it has a very long half life, but I hesitate to even say that, because there are more effective drugs in my mind.

Meanwhile, what I think would be best is a broader spectrum antibiotic. I’d bet $100 you will wind up on another antibiotic and have suffered an additional week for nothing. Every time you start antibiotics it will take 3 days to feel better if they are working. So, you have been sick almost ten days already, now you are going to try steroids for a few days, and if they don’t help, start antibiotics again and have to wait another set of three days to see if the new antibiotic is working. I hope I’m wrong.

I hate steroids, but hopefully it gives you some relief.

What is your reaction to penicillin?

Reminder: I’m not a doctor.

You mentioned pneumonia, do you have a bad cough?

I don’t have pneumonia, I do have hay fever, I did go in to see the Dr today and she said most sinus infections are viral.
I even phoned up again right now and asked If I could keep taking the Doxi and the nurse just said that the Dr I saw was a good one and to trust her.
I ate on the Doxy – i had no issues but last night – I was in so much pain and now my stomach feels very sore-I almost wish i hadn’t gone to the dr and complained.
I took the pill at 12.30pm yesterday. I do feel better but now got myself between a rock and a hard place!

Thanks @JLeslie x

I got a rash on penicillin, this was 12 years ago1

Rash is serious.

I only ask because my husband for years said he was allergic to penicillin, but there came a time I needed him to take it. My husband had no idea what his reaction was, just that his mom always said he was allergic. The doctor prescribed it for him. Not allergic.

Why hay fever? It didn’t sound like hay fever. Green mucous, pain in your sinuses, sudden onset.

You are in a tough spot. Follow the doctor’s advice I guess. Let’s hope she is right and I am wrong. I hope so. Let us know how you are doing.

So I spoke to my Dr and he said that if i don’t feel better in two days to start the Doxycycline again and if I get the same reaction then he will change it.

That has actually made me feel better knowing if I get worse i can retake!
feel like Im playing russian roulette with antibiotics though!

So he is sticking with the same drug? Ugh. So frustrating. Sure, you can take it again, why not? Now you are starting all over though. It would have been better to get through to day 4 and see if it helped at all. You would have at least known it’s almost certainly bacterial. I think he should have just switched your meds. He is just hoping you fight it off yourself whether viral or bacterial.

I can’t help thinking he is giving you the cheap medication rather than a more likely drug that will work. Doxicycline is a great drug for many things, and a great thing about it is it has been around a long time and usually is inexpensive, and I think doctors should opt for the old drugs whenever the situation fits, but this isn’t the time in my opinion.

The last time I was on Doxy my doctor had me on some hard-core OTC probiotics: Culturelle and Florastor. It seemed excessive to me, but I had no stomach upset at all.
Just sayin’. Good probiotics can’t hurt.

Doxi actually usually does not screw up the tummy flora very much, and rarely causes yeast infections. Some people take doxi for months.