I will try that tonight

My new favorite cure all -- miso soup.

EatRealFoo, I posted you a message in the flu shots thread, but I will repeat some of it here.

I understand that you don't want to take medicine early on. But you said it has been about a MONTH now and you are still sick. Friend, if you're not getting well, isn't it time to think about a medical treatment?

Yes, paracetamol only treats symptoms like fever. But if you have an infection, an antibiotic or antiviral will treat the cause, not just the symptoms.

Please think about it. It would be terrible for you to end up with pneumonia or chronic, long-term bronchitis.

Edited to add: Sorry, I just saw your response in the other thread. Good luck with any treatments you take. I hope you feel better soon!

Should I have a blood test of something to determine whether I have N1H1. Doctors get mad when I mention the influenza type A as if I was some kind of tv junky who believe in imaginary conspirations. They refused to believe there's any influenza type A at the moment.

poke, I've been prescribed cortison.
What's that for? What are the side effects?

Hi EatRealFoo. I am not a doctor, so I can only offer general information.

I don't know if you need to be tested for H1N1 specifically. It is just a subtype of influenza type A. Often the treatments for regular seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu are similar.

If I were in your situation and it had been this long, I would probably be asking for tests for common bacterial and viral infections, and general influenza. Sometimes they do blood tests, other times they do a throat swab, or ask you to urinate in a cup. It depends on what they are looking for.

Sometimes it takes a while for the results to come back, though. It is normal for the doctor to give you the prescription for the antibiotic and tell you to take it while you are waiting for the results, especially if you have a lot of signs of bacterial infection. Again, if it were me, I would be taking the antibiotics by now if your doctor has prescribed them.

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. Cortisone is anti-inflammatory. It is supposed to ease the inflammation and irritation in your lungs to allow you to heal more easily.

Here is some information about cortisone, including side effects.
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/cortisone.html
Remember that most people do not have serious side effects.

I responded in the "flu shot" thread as well, but the short answer to that question is, cortisone is the steroid that will help to reduce the inflammation that is swelling your breathing passages. You really do have to relieve that swelling if you want to continue breathing!

You need soemthing like the paracetomol to bring your temperature down. If your doctor is advising certain drugs I think you ought to consider them. People die of flu. A lot of people in the UK have died of flu so far this year. Do you wan to be a statistic?

I always try natural cures first, but if you're not healing, that's where modern medicine comes in; I'd also get a second opinion from a naturopath.
I was on antibiotics for Mastitis. Mastitis is an infection of breast tissue. You can die from it. All the garlic in the world wouldn't have saved me. After my antibiotics I was on probiotics for a month. Avoiding dairy and other intestinal irritants will also help minimize negative affects of abx.

This is a home treatment suggestion that goes along with any advice from your physician. A small vaporizer the small ones that cover your nose and mouth and you breath in the mist are really helpful for sinus and lung infections and very inexpensive. It helps loosen the mucous. When I have an infection I steam up the bathroom with the shower, use a humidifier and breath as much warm, steamy air as possible. The cough medications with guafisen (sp?) will help you expel the gunk in your lungs. You want productive coughing, dry coughs are irritating to your lungs and worsen bronchitis.

You mentioned asthma, unfortunately that complicates things, if you don't improve soon, you might need the bigger gun meds to help you get over this.

That one has been around for awhile. Snopes puts it down as false...
http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/onion.asp