Flu - tell me I'm not alone

Kalimah · 30-12-2022 2:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045509#Comment_120045509

I had a bad reaction to the flu vaccine in 1988 - that was the last one I had. I’m thinking at 60 it might be wise to start getting it now.

victor8600 · 30-12-2022 2:34am

I got sniffles on the 16th, then up to 40 degrees fever after 3 days, then very bad cough for few days. Still coughing today + sore throat. Started a course of antibiotics and a steroidal inhaler two days ago, feel much better today, but still like crap.

Purple Mountain · 30-12-2022 3:26am

I had it a week ago for 48 hours. The chills, aches in weird places , literally couldn't get out of bed only when absolutely necessary to use the toilet.

Went into my chest with a cough but the chest symptoms were mild compared to the feeling of absolute doom.

A week on and I'm still breathless and flattened. Walking up the stairs is taking my energy.

I'm lucky I'm off work for another week so I can try and recover.

odyssey06 · 30-12-2022 4:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045523#Comment_120045523

Try to get it when you can take it easy for few days afterwards if you need to and dont have any major plans lined up.

.Donegal. · 30-12-2022 5:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045523#Comment_120045523

Did you have an immediate bad reaction to it? Or was it in the days that followed? Better to discuss it with your doctor, for some people who may have reactions they can administer it and keep you in for an hour or so for observation all depends on what your reaction was back then.

Graces7 · 30-12-2022 6:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043581#Comment_120043581

That was when I decided on total isolation. My immune system is down. It was wise.

30-12-2022 10:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045523#Comment_120045523

A bad reaction (presume we are not talking about a life threatening anaphylaxis reaction here), not matter how uncomfortable is better than any 2 or more weeks of being absolutely floored by flu. I had a bad reaction to 2nd Covid vax, but none of the others, on bed for a couple of days, but touch wood, never got ill with covid so presume I had developed a particularly good resistance.

30-12-2022 4:40pm

A miserable dose all right. First few days awful fatigue and muscle aches, then the head cold with added cough. Crazy congestion, mucus production and soreness around nose - can't breathe, can't sleep much - and any little bit of sleep, waking up absolutely drenched. Sick of changing bedding! Antihistamines and Nurofen helped, as well as steroid nasal spray (on prescription for chronic sinusitis). Better now but you'd be drained and weak. Lasted more than a fortnight. And once I was able to sleep properly, I was lucky enough to be able to have marathon snoozes, which helped greatly with getting better.

I got the 'flu vaccination in November, but why would that prevent it? It's not influenza - it's the common cold. A horrible strain of it, but still just a cold.

fits · 30-12-2022 5:00pm

I’d be fairly willing to bet what you had was flu actually.

30-12-2022 6:16pm

Well I've had flu three times and could barely get out of the bed. Had to crawl to the toilet because if I stood, the room would spin and I'd need to vomit. It was pain and heaviness in my joints rather than achiness/stiffness. And the chills would have my teeth chattering, and the fever making me feel like I was gonna spontaneously combust.

This dose didn't have me confined to bed like that. I dunno. Maybe there are milder strains of flu but I've always remembered being told by a GP that if you can get out of the bed, even if you feel miserable, you don't have flu.

The common cold is thought of as just mild - and it can be, but it can be severe too, and if ignored can lead to pneumonia or bronchitis.

odyssey06 · 30-12-2022 6:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047168#Comment_120047168

Or maybe the reduction in severity is because you were vaccinated... it didn't kick in enough to prevent infection.

Or maybe you had RSV.

Or maybe you had a strain of flu that wasn't in the vaccine but maybe which you had a similar variant of \ or had been past vaccinated against, and there was some lingering protection deep in your memory cells.

"The extent to which a person’s immune protection is reduced against an antigenically drifted flu virus can vary, in part because different people may have different levels of pre-existing immunity against that flu virus. "

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm#:~:text=Flu%20viruses%20that%20are%20closely,%E2%80%9Ccross%2Dprotection%E2%80%9D).

mcburns07 · 30-12-2022 6:50pm

Probably a cold virus rather than the flu, I’d imagine a lot of people’s immunity has declined with the lack of exposure over the past few years so the severity is worse than usual.

mcburns07 · 30-12-2022 6:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043137#Comment_120043137

Going for an antibiotic to treat a viral infection. No wonder our antibiotics are becoming less effective, have heard supplies of them are quite hard to come by right now as well.

KrakityJones · 30-12-2022 9:32pm

I'm panned out again, bed ridden the past 3 days, bearing in mind this started 3 weeks ago I'm getting pretty fed up of this. This relapse is the worst though.

Anyway has anyone experienced this? The weirdest thing I've ever encountered with sickness/fever.

I go through the exact same cycles - temperature starts rising and my hands and legs get frozen, shakes and chills along with it, can't warm up. Then I take Panadol, and I slowly start to feel my hands and legs warm up. But the weird part - for about about a half hour my temperature goes up, (pre Panadol sitting maybe around 39.4,post Panadol 40.4 and has gotten higher). Eventually it all evens out and I can get an hour sleep but within 2 hours I'm back to the freezing and creeping temperature until the next dose of Panadol. Anyone ever have that? I certainly haven't and I've have fevers, flu etc in the past.

Cluedo Monopoly · 30-12-2022 9:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047168#Comment_120047168

There are milder strains and a flu can affect you differently depending on your immune system and general health. For example, getting flu after a lot of drinking can result in more severe symptoms. It does sound like a mildish flu.

I only had a bad flu once and it nearly killed me. I was in mid 20s and not the healthiest at the time. I am positive I have had mild flus in the 25 years since but nothing like the first one. It was horrendous.

TheRiverman · 30-12-2022 9:54pm

How many people posting here have had the flu vaccine or are in the age group that should be getting it ? I have been getting the vaccine for the past four years, it does work.

KrakityJones · 30-12-2022 9:57pm

Ive never gotten it but by christ I'll be getting it every year from now on. Wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Why didn't I? I dunno, complacency I guess.

odyssey06 · 30-12-2022 10:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047865#Comment_120047865

Some years the vaccine is not well matched to the strains in circulation.

I dunno what hit in winter 2019. It wasnt covid but I and multiple colleagues got hit with chest infections. All vaccinated v flu. Lot of boards posts about it.

TheRiverman · 30-12-2022 10:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047880#Comment_120047880

Honest post, hope you are clear of it soon.

greasepalm · 30-12-2022 10:52pm

I got both the Flu and the Covid booster as immune system is fecked up.

fits · 30-12-2022 10:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047749#Comment_120047749

Could be a secondary infection like pneumonia. Get thee to a doctor.

KrakityJones · 30-12-2022 11:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120048113#Comment_120048113

Aye might have to soon alright, it's going on way too long now.

30-12-2022 11:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277322/flu-tell-me-im-not-alone

I had similar, diagnosed as chest infection but felt very weak with the physical symptoms of flu

31-12-2022 12:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047778#Comment_120047778

I got the flu twice when I was a young kid, and then pretty much exactly 18 years ago - new year's eve 2004. Had to leave the new year's celebrations. Oh my god, it was horrendous - like you described. Scary. You're wondering if you'll make it.

I dunno... flu feels different to a bad cold. It's not even the respiratory part that's the issue with flu. I don't recall much in the way of blocked nose or cough. It was the muscle pains, the bare ability to get out of bed - I mean I obviously had to for the loo, but it was a real struggle. And the chills and fever and feeling like there were weights attached to my limbs. It's a different experience to any bad cold.

Cluedo Monopoly · 31-12-2022 12:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120048325#Comment_120048325

I agree and from what I have heard the virus doing the rounds now is giving people body aches and chills and serious fatigue. That's why I think it's the flu virus rather than the common cold. And some people are completely wiped out by it.

31-12-2022 12:17am

Yeah fair point. With this one a lot of high temperatures when asleep, and muscle aches. Not as bad as flu ones, but still far from insignificant.

No loss of appetite for me though - the opposite. Body crying out for calories. 😊

31-12-2022 12:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047749#Comment_120047749

Ah god you poor poor thing, that's nasty. My friend was in bed for two weeks and not as bad as that. Please call your doc.

Cartman78 · 31-12-2022 12:24am

Got flu jab in early October .

Have been sick for the last 10 days or so. Missus and kids had variations of it as well.

Initially put on Tamiflu and steroids which cleared my chest, but head was still very congested and was achey, tired etc.

Barely left the house tbh and daytime naps were very much en vogue.

Just finished a 5 day course of antibiotics and feel finally halfways normal today.

Can't wait to take the Christmas tree down...sick looking at it as this stage 😂

fits · 31-12-2022 12:25am

In general. If there’s fever in adults it’s flu. And it’s not always severe but it can be.

I had a bad dose in January 13 in my first week in a new apartment abroad. Fairly miserable and nobody to help. Luckily there was a shop on the ground floor. I was barely able to get even that far.

John_Rambo · 31-12-2022 1:10am

This isn't a lecture, & I know all of you are probably doing this, please don't take offence but for those that don't... vitamin D tablets in the winter every day, lots of fruit, veg, nuts, berries & honey. Particularly oranges, peppers, grapefruit, salmon, oysters, beef, lamb, mushrooms, cereals, eggs, dairy, beans & legumes. Try to keep the family diet to things you can pick, pull out of the ground or sea, kill & cook. Keep the house vented, open the windows, let the air in and out for a couple of hours every day & try get out for a couple of hours.

If you're sick try and get your hands on Dioralyte (there's a shortage, try and get some or similar) and follow the guidelines.

I've a rake of kids of all ages from creche to college that are mixing, we're fastidious about the above and it's working (so far).

The stories are pretty awful on this thread, my heart goes out to you. I caught swine flu in 2010 and it was horrible, I had a quinsy on a cross channel boat delivery that had to be lanced when we hit shore, but not as bad as what some of you describe.

Flu - tell me I'm not alone

Comments