Flu? I don’t know what to do 😭 medical people please

[Cathbach]

For background I am lucky that I am not often ill. I am very much a get on with it person.

But I’ve been ill since Saturday night and getting worried now because I’m not getting better.
The kids have had it too but they don’t seem as bad. They’ve had high temps, temperature, cough, sore throat, lethargy etc. 3-4 days off school each so quite bad. But followed the usual, ‘ill - very ill - get better each day - well’ process.

But I am just another level. All classic flu symptoms, I can’t do anything. It’s taking ages to write this. I got to the pharmacy yesterday as the pain in my throat was making me want to cry. Can’t cry though it would be agony. The pharmacist said my tonsils looked bad but not terrible, so gave me antibiotics. Started them yesterday and I thought mild improvement, but this morning if anything I’m worse. Temp is back and I just can’t move. Everything hurts.

Is this normal for flu? I haven’t had the jab this year, I usually do due to work but haven’t gotten around to it. I’m just not getting better.

Ive had about 6 hours sleep and 500 calories since Saturday night. If I ring NHS Direct they will tell me to go to the GP because that’s what they tell everyone. I’m too late for tamiflu though so I’m not sure what I’d gain. But I’m just so ill ☹️

Sounds very much like flu. I've only had it once a few years ago and it's the most ill I've ever been. Just need time, lots of rest, ibuprofen/paracetamol and lots of fluids. It took me 6 weeks to feel better but I did get a secondary chest infection needing antibiotics, so hopefully you will be better much quicker.
Loads of flu around this year, our hospital is full of it at the moment. Hope you feel better soon.

Proper flu usually lasts about 10-14 days and possibly weeks to get back to full health. For a nasty virus 5-10 days is completely normal. I've had flu twice and both times couldn't even all I was in that much pain and that weak. Hope you feel better soon.

Ds (adult) has a cold and we all swear by this stuff for a sore throat, it tastes very medicinal but also recommended by an A&E doctor I follow on social media.

www.boots.com/difflam--sore-throat-rinse-200ml-10205095?srsltid=AfmBOooFBRgyW3qVVdcUENTqy1In7favkZG6xGOnacRLkpHIzjIT6bZv

It does come as a throat spray too. It will help tide you over until those antibiotics kick in.

Flu is miserable. Anyone who is standing upright and says they have the flu, does not have the flu.

The only thing that really helps is time, paracetamol and ibuprofen. Unfortunately, the antibiotics would help.

Remember, fever is not necessarily a bad thing. We have evolved to develop fevers as it probably helps fight the infection by raising the body temperature to kill the bugs that live a normal body temperature.

As others have said, you might feel ill for a week or two. Rest up, drink fluids with calories, get well soon.

Oh that sounds really awful.Flu is dreadful.

You need bed rest, propped up to drain sinuses. And lots of warm drinks (if someone can make you lemon and honey; don’t make it with boiling water as you’ll denature the vitamin C in the lemon which you need). Later chicken broth helps. Once you can manage it, a long hot bath with some Olbas oils to inhale might help sweat it out and clear your head. Saltwater gargles for your throat, steam inhalations for your sinuses.

I wouldn’t otherwise do much except suffer through and wait for the antibiotics to kick in. Wishing you speedy relief.

Flu is miserable. My mother and daughter both had it last year. I took my daughter to the hospital (on drs advice) because her temp wouldn't go down and she had some other worrying symptoms. They did a swab test for flu and I bought some to test my mum (arrived next day via amazon). If you want to confirm you could do a test, otherwise just rest and keep drinking. Hope you feel better soon.

Should have said the antibiotics won’t help.

And please don’t “sweat it out” or try to raise your body temperature. You’ll feel more unwell, get dehydrated and it really won’t help. (I’m a doctor with some specialism in infections).

Thanks all.

The antibiotics are for the secondary tonsillitis which looks bacterial.

I am managing to stand upright but that doesn’t mean it’s not flu, I do need to visit the loo.

Whatever it is it is awful ☹️

I think the Difflam would help but I’ve never been able to gargle.

I’ve got a phone consultation with the GP now for this morning although I don’t know what they can do.

Got two kids off school too. Thank goodness for Christmas films.

As others have said flu can last a fortnight before you turn a corner and the left over symptoms, especially fatigue, can last a couple of months. It really is nasty.

Rest, drink plenty, paracetamol and lots and lots of soup. I will repeat saying you need to rest - my grandfather didn't and tried to push through and he ended up having a heart attack.

I had flu about 3 years ago and it knocked me flat for about 2 weeks. I was in bed only getting as far as the loo for a good week. I wasn’t watching tv or scrolling my phone or anything in that time. My manager phoned me on about day 10 to check I wasn’t dead and apparently I was completely incomprehensible. If you have managed to get to the pharmacy on day 4 and can type in day 5 then it’s likely you will feel much better by day 8-10. I ALWAYS think I’ll be better by tomorrow despite experience that it does take maybe 5 days to get over a mild virus and closer to 10 for a nasty one. When I had actual flu I was still feeling it 3 weeks later but I was functioning after 2.

You can get difflam spray, so no need to gargle
Co codamol is a good painkiller and you can use it for 3 days
You need to be having ibuprofen and co codamol on a strict time schedule...

Poor you OP :(

I had something early this year that wiped me out for TWO WEEKS. Not sure if flu, or COVID or what. I've never been as ill before, had to sleep in an armchair to breathe. All I could do was cycle paracetamol and ibuprofen for the throat/eye socket/facial pain (am intolerant to codeine). Got some saline spray for sinuses. But honestly I got little relief from anything other than time.

(didn't speak to GP mind)

Hope you feel better soon!!

Not uncommon for flu to last 5 days before you even peak.

Are you talking 4 doses of paracetamol in 24 hours and 3 doses of ibuprofen (if safe to do so)?

It sucks but if you are able to get yourself out of the house to the pharmacy you are doing okay.

Please don't dose up on ibuprofen without stomach protection. If you are not eating or taking a PPI, ibuprofen can cause all sorts of nasty stomach issues.

Check any other tablets you happen to be on too. Blood pressure tablets and anti coagulation in particular, (and lots of other medications), can interact with ibuprofen.

That is nonsense. I’m tired of saying this on MN but Flu can be asymptomatic, mild, moderate or severe.

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/yahoo-life-why-does-the-flu-make-some-people-sick-but-not-others

I hope that you feel better soon, OP.

Poor you op.

flu is awful but tbh there isn’t much you can do apart from fluids and rest. Once you’ve had proper flu you realise people say flu is different to a cold

Our family has had this as well; still recovering now and judging by my friends and family it’s doing the rounds of schools and universities now.

I tested for covid, but it wasn’t that.

Just sleep as much as you can and keep your fluids up.

Im hoping this means we’ll all be well for Xmas at least 🤷‍♀️

The trope that people can't stand up/walk with flu is nonsense. Normal people can get to the bathroom and don't lie in a soiled bed even if they do feel rubbish!

People can be infected with the flu virus and show no symptoms. Some people can have mild symptoms and variations to severe depending on age and condition of patient and the exact genetic make up of the virus.

I've seen estimates around 30% of flu cases are asymptomatic.

Call it flu if you want to irrespective of what has been said here.

That sounds normal for flu! We’ve had it in this house recently. I’ve been vaccinated and it was still awful! Hopefully the GP will reassure you.

You can get a difflam throat spray which might help? A saline nasal spray might help too.

Sounds very normal for flu. Just lots of painkillers, fluids and eat/drink what you can.

Jeez. I can’t do nuance on a short post, wasn’t trying to write an in-depth article on influenza A. I was exaggerating in sympathy with the OP because flu can make you feel truly awful, and people underestimate how bad it makes you feel.

🙄

Sounds like a form flu/respiritory virus/covid? You've only been sick 3 days so far!

I have it too, started Friday evening, felt awful all day Sat and lethargic, achey, high temp, cough, Sat unable to motivate myself to do anything and slept a lot, no appetitie, still high temp, Monday temp had come down, still lethargic and lack of appetite and coughing and aching, weds- starting to eat a bit more now, still off work and lacking motivation but general symptoms improving.

It’s a very irritating and rather dangerous myth. I’m not particularly picking on you. I’ve lost count of how often I’ve seen people say it on MN so it’s understandable that others repeat but it isn’t true and I try to correct it when I see it because you aren’t always severely ill with flu.

Flu, over NY in 2000, is the illest I have ever been. Delirium for three days and really unwell for 10 days. Always have the jab now I'm over 60.

All sounds normal to me, flu plus laryngitis/tonsillitis. Id think it's normal to take 7-10 days to get over flu. It's not like a cold.
Try to drink some lucozade or soup or ice cream or something to get some calories in. Rest up.