Question: I have massive amounts thick green-yellow snot that is causing sinus pain and now painful coughs when eliminating through hacking. I am traveling overseas for 4 more weeks in 3-world countries. I have Cipro and Penicillin VK that I traveled with from the USA.. The onset of this green-yellow mucus was within 24 hours in the sinus accompanied with a sore throat (the sore throat has since disappeared). I've had the green-yellow for three days with no let up or color change and is now drained to the lungs, thus painful hacking/coughing it up - it's thick. Would you recommend starting either of the antibiotics that I have - if so, Cipro 500mg or Penicillin VK 500mg? Will either work?

My original suspicion as to the origin was either or a combination of swimming is a outdoor community swimming pool in a Philippine Province 3 hours north of Manila, or the towel that I had purchased locally - this towel has unusual shedding of fibers that were certain to have entered my nose, thus possibly introducing a bacterial infection with such a rapid onset.

Dr. Ramana:
Thank you for your response to my inquiry.

I understand your advice is for general information purposes and will be taken as such. Your advice to see a doctor or ENT is noted. However, I am not in a position to do so at the moment, but certainly would if things worsen.

Please give me your opinion though, in a hypothetical case, which I will take for general purposes only, as to whether you find Cipro to be more effective if this green-yellow mucus were to be found bacterial, or if Penicillin VK would be more effective in a hypothetical case that came to your office.

My doctors in the USA provided these prescriptions for instances just like this: severe diarrhea, cold, or complications with a temporary dental crown. My coarse of action will most likely be to refrain from taking anything more than the OTC medications and let this issue run its coarse. This is what I typically do. In the event that I find this to be serious enough for antibiotics, I would go to the local hospital for treatment.

Please advise on a hypothetical basis only, for an otherwise healthy patient.

Thank you for your time and response.

Regards, XXXXXXX