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 ☹️

Given the numbers who have flu at the moment and the fact that it is increasingly rapidly it is far more likely to be flu

Flu is worst around day 4. Our household had flu and it took a good 3 weeks to go. My husband says it’s the most ill/longest he’s ever been ill. There were 7 mutations to the flu virus over the summer which means it’s not really covered by this year’s flu vaccine and there’s not much immunity in the community. Hope you feel better soon

This was me when I had covid and kept thinking each day would be better, except it wasn't. I was up and down like a yoyo for 11 days :(

If antibiotics do anything it’s going to take a few days.

If you can manage something I would try, even it’s just drinking a little bit of soup. If you are sweating etc it will help replace the salts and give you some energy.
But yes, if it’s flu, you are going to be unwell for a few days yet. If you can be in bed, be in bed. it’s incredibly boring but the only way.

I had it a couple of weeks ago.

it’s fucking brutal.

I had a secondary ear infection so got antibiotics but was in bed for a week.

i tried to eat little and often. Not too much. Alternated paracetamol with codeine (co-codamol) and ib. The medical profession are currently in a panic about ibuprofen apparently so the advice to take it with food if possible or drink if not.

I’m sorry you have it.

Not much else you can do now.

Make sure you all get your jabs next year. Our grandchild had his nose drops at school a couple of weeks ago. Have yours not been offered?

Yes, you should try to eat a bit. You need food to give your body energy to fight the virus, having a fever expends a huge amount of energy. Chicken soup or even just toast will do. You also need to eat if you're taking ibuprofen, don't take that on an empty stomach.

And yes, kids definitely get Covid. They may not have such severe symptoms (although some do), but they certainly get ill. Every time my son's had it (used to have to test for nursery) he's had a streaming cold and a fever. There are also many kids with long Covid. That's such a weird thing for a medical professional to say.

I had flu once and my mum had to drive down to college to pick me up as I could barely make it to my own on-suite toilet let alone look after myself. I hallucinated most of the way home due to the fever and spent a fortnight in bed at home and another 2 weeks recovering in an arm chair downstairs before heading back to Uni. I get the rage when people say they were ill last week with flu or a touch of flu. If you had flu you'd know it. People die from flu (obviously not all!)

Hope you feel better soon. Fluids, paracetamol, treat the secondary infections.

Oh you poor thing. I hope you’re over the worst of it really soon. Having the flu can be absolutely horrendous and takes some time to improve. I remember having it a few years ago and I genuinely thought I might die. At some points I wanted to 🙈 Dramatic, I know.

I just tried to stay as hydrated as possible and would eat a little bit when I felt able to. The rest of the time I just tried to sleep which I appreciate is difficult when you have children. I also took cold and flu tablets and strepsils but they didn’t do much. I’d say it took a good two weeks before I felt better and then a further week to be fully back to normal.

I had flu last year. No symptoms except fever and I slept pretty much solidly, waking only to use the bathroom, for 72 hours at its peak. Had to crawl to the toilet though- literally couldn’t stand. ExDP had to come and stay because I couldn’t look after DS. Only lasted 5 days though. Absolutely the weirdest illness I’ve ever had.

And some died. Yes, far fewer than adults. My kids had only mild symptoms though they tested positive a couple of times a few years ago, but that wasn't the case for everyone. As for LFTs, pharmacists have said the old ones might not be reliable, and that just relying on one negative test can be a problem.

I have the flu vaccine every test. £10 from Superdrug.

Hope you feel better soon.

Didn't know that about the jab, as I was thinking that as a midwife, she'd have had that at work. I know my FIL got flu (hospital confirmed) even with the jab. He was very ill with it, and we were told to wear masks to visit. I think we got it from him, as we were ill after, but we weren't particularly bad, like other people say not everyone is (I suppose we might have had a different bug, but the timing seems coincidental).

I’m on day 17 of one of the worst illnesses I’ve ever had. I’m very slowly starting to improve but only in the last couple of days. I had the typical flu symptoms, but the worst was the razor blade sore throat for 10 days, absolutely horrific. I also posted on here for support as I was so worried that I wasn’t getting better. Rest as much as you can, it really knocks you for six.

Flu really is hell on earth and is what started all my health problems in 1998.

I tried to do too much too soon and vomited and fainted in the street..

Feel bad for you op, I’ve only had flu once and it absolutely wrote me off, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t think, I was burning up but freezing cold, didn’t sleep just rolled around wanting it to go away, even when it went it took me a couple of weeks to feel back to my normal self as I had zero energy

Flu CAN vary in severity - if it instantly incapacitated people it would not be able to be spread around. People can have flu and only have mild symptoms and People can have a cold virus and be really unwell with it. The biggest indicator of flu is that is comes on instantly with no warning where as a cold comes on slowly and get a bit worse.
I remember getting flu once where I was out an about in the morning - not a single inidcation of being under the weather. Sat down and had a cup of tea and within minutes felt like I had been hit by a truck! A couple of days later I had picked up the kids from school (as no one else to do it) came home went to bed. Kids woke me up asking what was for tea so I went down and put a pizza in the oven. That finished me off so I went to sleep on the kitchen floor - DH cam home from work and thought I was dead!

We have all recently had Covid and unlike when we had it before it hit us hard - couldnt do anything for about 4 days, even watching TV was a struggle.

You have actual flu rather than a cold.

Check you temperature and take Paracetamol and fluid plus rest

It can take at least a week for the worst symptoms to clear up

Well I’m sorry you’re ill, but you are also wrong.

It's said if you saw a £50 note on the floor and don't pick it up , it's flu !
It's horrible and makes you feel like you are dying , in fact you'll wish you were .
I had it a few years ago and went longer than a week before I could even think of having a wash . I must have been grim .

You have flu. Commiserations, it's miserable. 98% of people who say they have flu, actually have a cold. I've had flu twice in my life and it's awful. You will be ill for a while. Rest as much as you can. Stay medicated and hydrated. You will come out the other side, but it really does knock you.

Definitely sounds like flu, I've only had it once and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. You're right, it is a whole other level, I was wondering if i needed to go to hospital at one point. I hope you feel better soon 💐

Well this is BS. My daughter was 7 months old when my husband took her to hospital with lathargic and a fever of 40. Tested positive for Covid, which I had also tested positive for the day before.

Agree about the speed and that’s how you often know it’s flu and not a bad cold virus. I remember once being out for lunch feeling fine then suddenly feeling absolutely awful and staggering home and going to bed for a week. Seemingly came out of nowhere.

Dh and I had flu, I assume, at the same time one year during half term years ago. My 8yr old made toast for he and his brother twice a day for well over a week. We could barely move. I could barely stand to go to the toilet. The dc had it mildly the week before but we’re over it quickly. I’ve never felt so unwell. Lost half a stone in weight too.
It will pass, try to rest. The kids will survive on basics. Ask for help if you can. Get well soon.