cold persists for 12 days

[greatgatsby]

My son started going to daycare in mid-February.

Since then I've been almost sick continuously.

First I got a cold/flu that developed into bronchitus at end of February.  The cough never went away.
Then 12 days ago, I became sick again. It started with an acute sore throat, followed by runny nose (thick
green yellowish snot) all day, spells of ticklish cough (with phlegm), sneezing, bodily aches, headaches, deep
voice, dry mouth with metallic taste.

I tried to take some cold medicine to allieviate the symptoms, and also taking vitamin C and zinc supplement,
and euchanicia.

Normally cold/flu goes away about a week.  But this time, it STAYS.

Today is day 12, and I'm still feeling almost the same symptoms which began last week.

Have you experienced such long-lasting and stubborn colds?

What else can I do?  What's your advice?

If you are a parents, any ideas why the viruses children pass to you are so powerful?

Thanks!
Tags: Cold, Flu, Sever Bronchitus, sinusitis, Improvement, cough, sinus

[lovelifetruly]

All I know is that every fall when our 2 boys returned to school my husband & I Always came down with the most horrible illnesses.  We dreaded their return to school knowing the germ assault we were going to have to deal with.  Teachers must acquire a special immune system when they receive their diploma.....  

[greatgatsby]

Thanks for the comment.  Antibiotics is the solution here.

After doing some research, I believe this is what happened to me:

I got a common cold from a rhinovirus.  This led to sinusitis (inflammation
of the sinus, runny nose, hoarse voice, coughing, headache).  My symptoms seemed to get better after a few days, but then got alot worse after 1 week!
This is because I'm having a secondary bacterial infection.

Most common colds go away after 1 week or so without need for antibiotics.
But secondary bacterial infection is the case where antibiotics can curb the
menace of the bacteria.

I'm taking Clarithromycin, one of the antibiotics varieties.  There's risk of taking antibiotics unnecessarily, which is bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Thanks.

[17mthssober275]

I would really worry about my daughters asthma and I was chronically ill from worry.  Always getting lung infections/bronchitus. Do you think you are really stressed about something. Are you worried for your child also? I would have to go see the doctor and get antibiotics because I wouldn't get better. My daughter outgrew the asthma and I got rid of the chronic bronchitis.