Breast tenderness.

[Wormm]

For the past 3 days my breasts have been sore. They started off kind of sore, but now they are pretty sore. I had unprotected sex the day after my period, he pulled out but we all know that isn't the smartest thing to do.. That was about ten days ago. But, I have also been sick the past few days. The tenderness started when I started to get really sick. I don't know what I have, but my lungs have some sort of infection I know that much. Been coughing up a lot of stuff and had a fever and sinuses are stopped up. I also sleep on my stomach. And I have been sleeping a lot the past couple of days from the cold medication. I also feel a little nauseous but I can't tell if that's from being sick or if its morning sickness.. My breasts feel slightly lumpy too. Does this sound like pregnancy? Or swollen lymph nodes from an infection?.. I'm also only 18.

[Anonymouse88]

You're not covered by your parents' insurance?  Still, you need to get seen, and soon.  If they give you a big itemized bill, you can go through and protest any obviously outrageous charges, and you can usually get a payment plan for dealing with bills.

Phlegm is phlegm.  The times I've had pneumonia, I could feel/hear internally what really felt and sounded like rice crispies in milk.  Really strange feeling, thankfully only in one little section of my lungs.  If you start having trouble breathing, then it's also ER time, insurance or no.  They are not allowed to refuse you treatment, even if you can't pay.

It's up to you where you go, since 1) I can't see you and how sick you really are, and 2) I'm not a healthcare professional.

[Wormm]

Oh and my fever keeps coming back randomly and for a short period of time. It's fluctuating. And idk if you consider the phlegm rattling in my lungs crackling..

[Wormm]

I have no health insurance :(..

[Anonymouse88]

Hard for me to say.  You need to see a doctor soon, but you might be able to go to a CVS with a minute clinic or some other form of urgent care.  It depends on how good your insurance is.  If it's getting a lot worse, then definitely go to the ER.  A continuing fever that you can't get down or one that keeps coming back is a bad sign.  Spots can be a sign of strep, but even trained clinicians have a hard time telling.  Get seen by someone today or tomorrow.  In the meantime, take ibuprofen for the fever and the swelling (tylenol won't help the swelling), something with guaifenisen in it for the cough (mucinex and most robotussin have it), which will help loosen things in your chest, and sudafed for the sinuses.  If you see dextromethorphan in the robotussin or mucinex, it's a cough suppressant that works by convincing you you don't need to cough for that little tickle in your throat.  

I don't usually bother with dayquil or nyquil, since they usually have a shotgun approach that's not quite right, but if you do take them, read the ingredients to make sure you aren't double dosing something.  The nyquil helps you sleep with something similar to benedryl, which dries up your nose and makes you sleepy.  Ibuprofen and tylenol can be taken together, and you can always ask the pharmacist about combinations.  

Sleeping propped up might help, so that the stuff dripping down your throat doesn't stay there to make it sore.  Oh, and if you feel your lungs crackling/feeling like rice crispies, you probably have pneumonia (been there, done that).  

[Wormm]

Sunday***

[Wormm]

The soonest I could get to a clinic would be Saturday, would that be too late? Should I go to the emerg?..

[Wormm]

Thank you that has definitely given me some peace of mind.. Actually I just looked at my throat my tonsils are swollen and it looks like some sort of infection on the left side. Not severe but a yellowish color and it's just a small spot. And the more I swallow the more it is hurting.. Do you think it could be dangerous? Should I go to the emergency room?

[Anonymouse88]

It's too early for a pregnancy test to tell you anything, so you'll just be wasting your money.  You need urgent care, though, because usually when adults get fevers, it's something nasty and more likely to be bacterial.  I don't think you'd have any pregnancy symptoms this early.  Being sick often causes a lack of appetite, but you need to keep eating something and getting fluids.  You have lymph nodes on the sides of your breasts as well, which could be swelling from the chest infection.  Especially if you can feel small nodules, that's probably what those are.  Breasts can feel lumpier during certain stages of your cycle.  

Whatever's causing the pain, the infection is enough reason to see a doctor ASAP.

[Wormm]

Oh and it's just around the sides of my breasts that hurt, not my nipples. And when I touch them it sends a sharp shooting pain into my armpit?! Wtf :(

[Wormm]

I'm going to get a pregnancy test tonight, and I am going to take one although I know it is too early to tell I just want some piece of mind until then, then when my expected period misses (if it does) which is in about 2 weeks, I will take another. Also my glands on my throat are swollen and it hurts to swallow. I also have no appetite, I know the swollen glands are from the sickness, but the lack of appetite may be from pregnancy? Someone please give me some good advice!! :( I can't afford a baby right now.