How often do you get debilitating flu?

[CharlotteRumpling]

I am hardly ever ill, but once a year or so I get a terrible bout of flu. Got it now and can barely get out of bed. ( have had my flu jab).

DH has flu several times a year but not severe attacks. Can usually keep going but just WFH.

He's always quite taken aback by how ill I get quite quickly.

I have worked with children for over 30 years so I have picked up loads of viruses.

I’ve had flu twice. Flu hits quick and very hard.

I have a little “test” for the cold/heavy cold/ flu conundrum:

You are ill, lying in bed. A £50 note flies in through the open window and lands on the window sill. Do you
a. Get up and grab it before it flies away?
b. See it and drag yourself over to the window.
c. What £50? What window? I can’t lift my head up.

If the answer is is A, you have a cold. B, a heavy cold. C, it is probably flu.

Never had flu!
Might get a cold every 2yrs of so
Covid once- you can test for that OP, did you know?

Most debilitating thing was norovirus, back when DH and I lived in a flat with only 1 toilet! 😬

I get a proper, "can hardly get out of bed, bone aching, sleep for 20 hours with fever dreams", virus every few years.

That feels fairly like a fairly normal cadence to me.

I’m 40 and I’ve had it once. And it really was debilitating. Not like a cold at all.

X post @76evie!

I'm otherwise fairly healthy, I get a cold every couple of years.

I have. I was sent to A&E a couple of months ago. Nothing apart from the usual signs of viral infection. But I'm trying to get more tests to find out the underlying cause. It's relentless.

I'm 33 and have had it twice, floored for about 2 weeks both times.

I have had propr flu once when I was at primary school. I am 66 now and have had some shocking colds, but not flu since. I now have annual flu jabs.

Once in 47 years, was wiped out for almost 5 weeks. I remember at the time the doctor saying that genuine flu cases are quite rare, they’ll only see a couple of cases a year

But colds seem to have got worse. I used to feel very ill with a cold for just three days with a few shivers and sniffles either side of that. Now it's three weeks, with temperature, brain fog, unable to function at all, tonsilitis, laryngitis, lasting weeks on end. That's not the common cold. But lots of people seem to be suffering from these extended and severe viruses. May not be flu technically but it's a lot worse than wanting your duvet while you struggle on at work.

Once, suspected swine flu

This is what’s been happening to me for a few years and my GP doesn’t seem able to explain why! I do have low ferritin but I’m not sure that’s the complete cause. It’s ruining my life.

Once in nearly 48 years. I was about 14. Got on the bus after school, started feeling a bit ill. By late evening was soooo ill and bed ridden for days after.

I'd guess most times people say they 'think' have the flu, they don't. It's a really heavy cold. Flu is another level and you are in no doubt when you have it.

I've only had it once for definite (unless I maybe had it as a child) and that was over 10 years ago. Couldn't get out of bed for several days, one day when my throat was excruciatingly sore, and the days I did get up I felt terrible (only did so as it was Xmas holidays and wanted to see the kids playing). Felt badly fatigued afterwards for several weeks and couldn't go back to work. I know it was flu as there was a well published epidemic of it at the time.

I have had a few occasions where I've had an awful cold and felt tired and rundown for a few days, so stayed in bed because it was easiest - though could have got up if I wanted to. But I wouldn't call those flu.

35, never had flu. Tonsillitis loved me as a teenager.

I've had really bad colds, maybe once every 1.5-2 year. Mild temp for 24-48hours, banging head and chest cough. Never flu.

Common colds come and go. I seen to have 3 on the trot then nothing for a year

I remember my dad having flu. He slept on the couch for a week as he couldn't even walk up stairs and lost 20lbs. If that was happening regularly I'd be extremely concerned

Twice in my life - once aged 16 and once in my twenties at university.

I’m 52.

last year my husband had Covid. I slept next to him for a week and didn’t catch it.

I think I might have had flu once when I was a child. I can’t remember it but I think I remember my mum telling me years later that I’d had it. Not since though; I am 47.

This is what makes me laugh when people say COVID is like the flu.

Never had flu and well into middle age
Confirmed positive test with COVID 5 times and don't test anymore so could be higher...

I’ve had flu once, when I was 16, I could hardly lift my head up off the pillow, and couldn’t even hold a glass to my mouth for a drink, my mum had to help me, she even had to help me to the toilet.
Took me about 3 weeks to recover from it.

I had flu in February 1996. Never had it before or since.

How do people know for certain they have / never had flu?
You know some people can have flu without any symptoms at all right?

You can only 100% know if you had a test in hospital

And please dont say ‘i had every symptom of flu’
Because that still isnt a way to know for sure

Iv recently had 2 weeks of being very poorly Chills, temperature, headache, sore throat, blocked nose, aches, Pains, Cough, few bouts of sickness, exhaustion
Literally every symptom of flu
But it wasnt flu

I’m 69 and have never had the flu or Covid. Husband had flu once, 30 years ago , and Covid twice.

I used to get 'flu / heavy cold once a year, without fail - always completely knocked out for a week plus, including a few days in bed - until I took a regime consisting of behaving exactly the same as always but with the addition of spinach & cod liver oil daily. The cod liver oil in a capsule; the spinach if not as part of a cooked meal then simply a couple of raw leaves daily. Incidence of 'flu went from annual to about every three years 👌🏾

I think I’ve only had it once, in my early 20s. I was bedridden for a week, shivers, aching, felt like death. I lost a stone. I think you know if you’ve had it, and never describe a cold as the flu again!