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.

Twice in 45 years.

I had it Christmas just gone (proper flu, type A, was swabbed), felt proper rough and ended up on lots of medications, but to be honest carried on with daily life - working, doing stuff with kids etc. I certainly wasn't bed bound.

Once in my teens

I’ve had numerous colds, some really nasty but nothing beats proper flu.

I’ve had flu two times - really debilitating which meant I stayed in bed sleeping, had to crawl to the toilet, lost weight and was weak for several weeks afterwards.

I have in-laws and a friend who practically gets flu every month. It's not flu season,if you're in the UK, how do you tell the difference between colds,flu,COVID you can get tests..or you realise,you don't work with flu,you can barely get to the toilet..I'm in my 70s can remember the 1958 epidemic, I didn't catch it. I had it once about 30 years ago followed by pneumonia. I was nursing over 40 years, never got a cough, cold sore throat,winter vomiting virus, although I had small DKs then gks,looked after them with d and v, and Covid, got Covid once 2 years ago, wiped me out for a couple of months.

I’ve had flu 4 times in my life, twice in my teens and twice in the last year at 34/35 since my youngest started nursery. All 4 times have been really memorable and undoubtedly flu- it’s the drenching night sweats that are the giveaway for me.

I’ve had flu a couple of times. Both times I was bedridden for a few days. I could probably pick up a £50 note just like I could get up and go to the toilet and not wet the bed.
And that’s enough to exhaust you. I couldn’t watch tv or go in my phone but then I didn’t want to.
once I started to feel bored and manage to listen to audiobooks, I knew I was starting to feel better.

Using the £50 test I definitely don't have flu.
But getting up to brush my teeth and shower has exhausted me. A nasty bug of some kind I guess.

A covid test is much cheaper than that and you can order them online- if you mean you are currently ill?

Ha ha the £50 test suggested upthread is: if you can lean over to pick up a £50 note you don't have the flu. Not a real test.🙂
If I am not better by tomorrow will test for Covid but there hardly seems much point these days.

Once, when I was 17. Just before Xmas.

I have never been so ill in my life. My mum was furious at my dad because he'd taken me into town for Xmas shopping, she was at work, and I made him drive me back home after one shop as I was about to collapse.

Spent two or three days in bed after that.

Only once in my life where it was debilitating for a week.

Otherwise maybe a heavy cold every couple of years.

Three times that I'm vaguely aware of. None at all since it's been so easy to access flu vaccination.

Great things, vaccines.

just before I get pregnant.

Twice - mid 20s and early 50s.Both times diagnosed in hospital by blood test as they caused a serious asthma attack. flu A both times. However, neither time was I so debilitated that I couldn't have picked up a £50 note. In fact, the second time I didnt feel particularly unwell at all. The only symptom, apart from the asthma, was a really runny nose. The day before I was admitted I cooked a big family dinner, woke up next day and thought my asthma felt a bit worse and maybe I needed a nebuliser. Went to A&E (it was xmas morning), whisked straight through, admitted, in icu 24 hours later, over 2 weeks in hospital but I never felt like these descriptions of flu admittedly, the first time I felt much more ill. Always have the flu jab.

LOL- apologies. I'd thought you'd bought an actual flu detection test kit for £50! Even though they are only about £3 to buy and are different to the covid tests. I understand now. 😆

I think I had it once as a kid. I've had other viruses that have been bad, but very rarely.

The thing with flu is that it mutates a lot, there are many strains, and when they choose the strain to base the vaccine on, it's more of a best guess scenario. There's also interaction with previous infections to take into consideration, so if a population had X related strain a few years ago they might assume some degree of residual immunity from that. Possibly there's been a late surge in a strain that didn't make it into the vaccine.

Only had it once and I’m immunocompromised
tonsillitis I seem to get all the time

I’m in my 60s and have never had flu.

I've had proper flu twice, I'm mid 40's with a normal immune response.

I’m 50. Had it once in my 30s.

I have never had it!

I'm not sure I've ever had flu in 60 years. I have had very bad colds with severe temperatures and aches, where I have stayed in bed for about 5 days, probably 2 or 3 times.in my life, but, having heard how other people have flu and need help going to the loo and spend weeks afterwards recuperating, I'm not sure my illnesses have been full blown flu.

The severity of the illness doesn’t tell you at all whether you have flu or not. You can bring up the banknote test as much as you want but it simply isn’t true. I’ve tested positive for influenza A with nothing but cold symptoms, as did the whole family (three asymptomatic, one almost died).
It makes much better sense to describe your symptoms rather than guessing which virus caused it.

I've spent all day in classrooms full of kids for 30 years and I've only ever had flu once!

Once in 60 years when I was in my 20s.