Anyone else struck down with a horrible winter virus/flu thing?

[DruidKnight]

There was a thread on this somewhere but I can't find it now. I've lost track of how many days I've been feeling shit, but it started before Christmas and no signs of improvement. Achy, weak, throbbing sinuses, fever over 38. I survived hosting a family Christmas on ibuprofen and coffee but I just want to feel better now!! Tell me how you're doing and we can moan and groan together... 🫂

Yes! I've been ill in one way or another since late November. Now into a sinus infection and on my second course of antibiotics. I've also survived a family holiday, Christmas and hosting boxing day on lemsip and sheer willpower. I can just tell I'm going to get better just in time for the return to work.

🫂 I hear you - I started Friday now really worried for NYE and new year plans

Im sleeping sitting up as drowning in my own phlegm can’t face coffee as being sick too - yuk!

It's in general health

I had it. I am on the way out now. It’s truly shit OP and you have my empathy. It’s definitely the flu I would say or I hope so. If the common cold is now that bad then we are doomed to very winter. It’ll be like playing viral Russian Roulette. It’s the worst I’ve had and I had a bad one as a teenager where I couldn’t leave my bed for 3 weeks.

Yes had this before Xmas it swept through work.
Unfortunately people are still coughing and sneezing and making no effort to catch, bin or kill extraordinary really

Covid, flu and noro are all the tree at really high rates. RSV also circulating pretty freely.

If you don’t want 4 illnesses this winter, wear a mask on public transport, in hospitals and think about air quality in indoors places.

And if you do come down with something, don’t go out and about spreading it (and if you absolutely have to go out, wear a mask to reduce the viral load you’re inflicting on people)

Because whichever one we had, it was miserable, and there isn’t much you can do other than treat symptoms and ride it out (and in my case, stay close to a loo)

It seems people would choose to be ill rather than wear warmer clothes and have some ventilation in enclosed spaces.

I’m on day 5 and feel dreadful this morning . I seem to improve a bit during day and then go down hill again at night .

Yep.
Started 3 days before Christmas and I’m still feeling wretched. The stuff I’m coughing up is awful and my chest is burning. I kept testing for covid but always negative so who knows whether I’ve got flu/RSV/horrendous cold? 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m just glad I’m still off work atm as I had booked time as holidays over the Christmas period. I would be off sick otherwise. My first illness since the start of Covid though, other than one Covid infection, so I know I’m lucky, just not feeling it atm.

@OrangesCinammonIvy you should have said some people.
Not all of us have windows closed 24/7 and have the heating cranked up,yet I still managed to catch it.

"Unfortunately people are still coughing and sneezing and making no effort to catch, bin or kill extraordinary really"

People decided to "live with it", as I live with we must...

I'm just coming out the other side of some virus. Exhaustion, brain fog, vertigo, sinus pressure, eye strain...now I've just got a lingering cough and tiredness and still not feeling 100% connected to real life.

Both from my own experience and from the many articles I've read there is a huge number of people affected this winter. Doctors have been warning about it for some time now and the pressure on hospitals

Pretty much everyone I've come across recently has had been struck down

a virus doesn’t care what you’re wearing.

Under jo circumstances whatsoever will I ever ever go back to wearing a mask. I would rather be ill.

Day 15 here. Still feeling hot and cold, have stabbing pains in my chest and lower back and am really struggling. Would love nothing more than to stay in bed to recover but I have two small children so have no choice but to try and cope through the day. Feel constantly dizzy like I am going to collapse.

I had this and felt like I wasn’t here. I couldn’t even manage the basics due to brain fog like sending emails or concentrating. It’s lifting now. Still tired.

@Rosscameasdoody doesn't it 🙄.

You can wear slightly warmer clothes or layers if you feel the cold to facilitate having ventilation and some windows open.

Virus also don't care about windows open and ventilation but having a small fresh breeze does help to disperse them.

Fair enough when you’re not ill.

But not fair if you are. Because no matter how cool you might be about catching stuff, it doesn’t make it OK to spread it.

@Walkden really? Do you cough and make no effort to cover up your mouth? 😱

Have had both norovirus (start of the month) and flu this December (the week a d a half pre-xmas). Absolutely hideous on both occasions.

Am still congested with a stupid cough.

I had this this a couple of weeks before Christmas. Try sleeping sitting up or propped up with pillows - it does help. I found l was coughing badly when l lay down and an upright position calmed it down a bit. I still have the cough now, but it’s gradually resolving. I found the only thing that helped was paracetamol 500. I had what seemed like half the flu/cold meds aisle on my bedside table at one point - all useless. Keep warm, drink plenty, ventilate the house a bit, and rest. Hope you feel better soon.

For those with night time coughs try sleeping on your stomach. I've found in the past it's really helped when suffering with a post nasal drip.

@Lostinmusic22 the pp was saying you should wear a mask when you are ill, so you don’t infect others, not that you should wear a mask to prevent getting ill in the first place.

Yes! I partly put it down to complete exhaustion because I had 5 days to shop, clean and prepare Christmas for 7 before I succumbed on Boxing Day. I was bed bound for about three days but yesterday felt much better. It was awful though, fever, shakes, headache, muscle aches. The toddler, too, poor thing. Not sure what it was but it was awful!

Lots of fluids and sleep, you have my sympathies.

Started on Saturday, had to come back into work today as I can't afford to be off, burning chest, cough, headache, cough through the night is the worst, starting to feel sick with it but not sure if that's all the coughing. Aching, pain in my back (where lungs are), blocked sinuses, eye strain.

@BeSharpBee I will try sleeping on my stomach tonight.