When cough, congestion, and other cold-like symptoms are the side effects of a medication, are those conditions contagious?

***Totally off topic – how’s your son doing?

Good question. I wish I knew the answer.

My guess is that, no, they’re not contagious since you don’t actually have whatever virus it is that causes colds and your symptoms are only caused by the medicine…

He’s great, thanks for asking! Ate all day, kept it all down, back to school tomorrow!!

Glad he’s better. I have no real answer for your Q, other than to say I doubt you’re contagious as the symptoms are not virus or bacteria related.

You aren’t in any way, shape, or form, contagious. Being contagious requires you to actually be a carrier of some sort of germ (virus, bacteria, fungus, etc.), which you clearly do not have.

Totally called that shit.

You did totally call that shit. I am totally confused. It’s like I have a cold, but I don’t really have a cold? The mucus is real, and green, but I feel fine, other than being congested, and I can’t pop my ears. I am the poster child for medication side effects, I swear. I no longer taste anything the same. I crave freaking banana peppers, and my hands and feet are tingling. On the upside…the last two headaches haven’t been as severe. Ugh.

What is this mystery medicine? That sounds awful. I’ve never heard of those side effects before.

Topamax. It’s an anticonvulsant, but I’m on it to prevent headaches. I’ve been on so many different medications, and gone through so many different side effects, it’s ridiculous!

Ok. I take back what I said above. In theory, you could be contagious, since, taking a look at the side effect profile of Topamax, an increased incidence of viral infections do appear to be more commonly cited as side effects. So, your “side effect” might actually be a real infection, and thus, you might be contagious.

Ahhh crap. I really need to decide whether I stick this one out or toss the script.