bacterial infection
"58 year old male. Self-diagnosed Epiglottitis via google... all the classic symptoms (headache, bodyache, fever, inflamed upper throat -> actually area of epiglottis, painful swallowing, some difficulty breathing when trying to sleep)... and when I saw on a Saturday - that it could possibly be fatal (asphyxiation)... but treatable with antibiotics, I reached for the 1st antibiotic I saw listed for the condition (although do not have that reference handy.)
Cipro 500 mg, 2xday, 5 day course (expired 5 years ago, 2011)
12 hrs (after 1st dose) - fever gone
18 hrs - headache / body ache gone
24 hrs - epiglottis still inflamed, but less-so? pain swallowing
36 hrs - epiglottis less inflamed? less pain swallowing?
48 hrs - epiglottitis resolved!!!"