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Original poster

Anyone else have this virus with a really painful sore throat?

78 replies

TissuesSnotCough · 19/12/2025 23:31

If so, has anything helped you with the pain? If not, I sympathise.

Had this for 2 weeks so far. Started on one side of the throat, swollen one side which then switched sides and switched back again. GP recommended a throat spray which hasn't helped. Fair enough little that she can do as antibiotics don't help with a virus.

Having been living on hot tea, soup and cold ice lollies! Worse at night and first thing. Currently can't sleep as the pain is keeping awake. So up again drinking yet more tea.

I find it difficult to gargle so can't try the saltwater thing. Stressing and lozenges seem to tickle making it worse. Cough syrup hasn't helped.

I've never had such a sharp painful throat.

OP posts:
BellyPork · 22/12/2025 18:33

Yes to ibuprofen and paracetamol (alternated)
Also pseudoephedrine as a decongestant (not phenylephrine which is useless)
Top tip: ice cold coca cola

Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 01:57

BellyPork · 22/12/2025 18:33

Yes to ibuprofen and paracetamol (alternated)
Also pseudoephedrine as a decongestant (not phenylephrine which is useless)
Top tip: ice cold coca cola

Thank you for the ice cold cola tip!!
I thought I was doing well all day on the paracetamol/ibuprofen combo but hey, no prizes for guessing who's up with tea again after tickly cough has woken them up!!

Just taken some Benylin night cough syrup but even that didn't knock me out before. I'm hungry now too but what can I eat that won't irritate my throat.

I might have to use my mini cola cans under my eyes before I drink any to relieve the blue from lack of sleep. A cheaper version of those glass eye rollers! Have to be careful not to fall asleep on any and end up with a can pulley indentation on my cheek! OMG WHAT AM I talking about......I blame it on lack of sleep..

OP posts:
canuckup · 23/12/2025 02:14

I had this. Seems to have passed after about a week

Interested in this thread?

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General health
abracadabra1980 · 23/12/2025 02:59

AussieManque · 20/12/2025 01:22

XFG COVID variant which has been dominant this year is nicknamed "razor blade throat".

And just in time for the new year, new variant B3.2 is on the rise which is quite different to previous ones so take precautions against catching it again.

I had this last December and my ears were literally bubbling inside along with the razor blade throat (no tonsils so I don't usually get sore throats badly). One year later the vertigo that also came with it, is still here and the Dr suspects it has caused nerve damage which could be permanent. I will never know whether it was Covid or flu, but GP suspected Covid.

Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 04:54

Drinking endless cups of tea and water. Managing to eat soup and a small piece of bread with it but feel nauseous if I try anything else.
The nausea is not great.
Cat is welded to me and we are listening to podcasts in bed.
DH makes me hot water bottles (recommended).

Londonnight · 23/12/2025 05:01

I finally asked a pharmacist yesterday for something stronger for my throat. He decided to examine me and I have an infection and oral thrush! He has given me medication for it. I also bought some Strepsils which seem to help.

Throat still very sore, 9 days so far. I did do a covid test which was negative. Hoping that the meds I now have will sort this out.

notgettinganyyounger · 23/12/2025 05:11

Oh yes, been up most of the night with it. It came from nowhere. Drinking fine, then suddenly winced with pain. One side, now all across. Doing dissolvable panadol, honey and lemon, strepsils. Eases for an hour or so then here we go again. Utterly exhausting.

wand3rer · 23/12/2025 05:23

Had it for three weeks in November, including two days of continuous coughing. Was awake for 50 hours, crying from the pain and barely able to breathe between the coughs 😬

I don't usually get sick (cold, flu, covid, etc.).

Sage tea helped a little.

Sore throat from hell! I hope you get better soon 😔

moose62 · 23/12/2025 06:56

I get a lot of tonsillitis. I slowly swallow dispersible aspirin every 4 hours and drink a lemsip twice a day.
I find it is the only thing that works for me!

FlyingPinkUnicorn · 23/12/2025 08:39

I was up most of the night. Think I finally passed out from exhaustion at 4am. Took a Covid test yesterday which was negative but it is an old one so not sure how effective it is. Felt so sick in the night too but don’t know if that is a side effect of the antibiotics or the actual illness. Either way, feeling no bloody better today 😭

BellyPork · 23/12/2025 09:01

Codeine! Last night I remembered that codeine as well as being a painkiller is a cough suppressant. A couple of solpadeine dissolved in warm water almost instantly stopped the painful hacking coughing I'd had for days (whereas even pharmacy only linctus hadn't helped). It was also far more effective as a painkiller than ibuprofen or plain paracetamol.

Just to add, if you do take solpadeine or co-codamol make sure you don't double up on any of the ingredients i.e. don't take cold and flu medications containing paracetamol.

Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 09:35

Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 04:54

Drinking endless cups of tea and water. Managing to eat soup and a small piece of bread with it but feel nauseous if I try anything else.
The nausea is not great.
Cat is welded to me and we are listening to podcasts in bed.
DH makes me hot water bottles (recommended).

Sorry to hear that you have nausea too. I haven't had that. Ginger is meant to help with that, even ginger biscuits, dipped in tea will help soften it. (Obviously!🙆)
I'm on week 3 but I see on here that many only have it for a week so hopefully will be the case for you.
So you have hot water bottles AND a cat, now that's just greedy!😂

OP posts:
Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 09:39

BellyPork · 23/12/2025 09:01

Codeine! Last night I remembered that codeine as well as being a painkiller is a cough suppressant. A couple of solpadeine dissolved in warm water almost instantly stopped the painful hacking coughing I'd had for days (whereas even pharmacy only linctus hadn't helped). It was also far more effective as a painkiller than ibuprofen or plain paracetamol.

Just to add, if you do take solpadeine or co-codamol make sure you don't double up on any of the ingredients i.e. don't take cold and flu medications containing paracetamol.

Thanks for that tip. I have some paracetamol with codeine in one but I'd have to work out the maths of what I'm already taking......
On a positive note, it's a tickly cough and not a chesty one which I'm grateful for.
It's great having tips like this on here as someone will find one of them useful for them hopefully.

OP posts:
Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 09:43

FlyingPinkUnicorn · 23/12/2025 08:39

I was up most of the night. Think I finally passed out from exhaustion at 4am. Took a Covid test yesterday which was negative but it is an old one so not sure how effective it is. Felt so sick in the night too but don’t know if that is a side effect of the antibiotics or the actual illness. Either way, feeling no bloody better today 😭

Gingerwarthog on here also has nausea.
I was also awake at 4am with the tickly cough. Not always easy to sleep during the day. Hopefully you'll be so exhausted you'll sleep through tonight.

OP posts:
Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 09:46

As I said, I'm on week 3 but don't let you feel despondent. Nurse practitioner at my surgery said that I could've had 2 viruses back to back, simply picked up another one being low immunity wise. I can think of better things to collect.......😊

OP posts:
Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 10:03

Yes @FlyingPinkUnicorn nauseous here too. Small bowls of soup are about all I can manage. Lentil soup is soothing (Heinz!)

Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 23/12/2025 11:54

Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 10:03

Yes @FlyingPinkUnicorn nauseous here too. Small bowls of soup are about all I can manage. Lentil soup is soothing (Heinz!)

My go to soup is mushroom. But I've since been on tomato as well. Tried Spring Veg but the small pieces of veg were too much for me. All Heinz. I usually love the lentil one but it felt too heavy for me iykwim but it's prob a better choice as a bit more filling.

OP posts:
Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 12:42

Yup - it’s got to be Heinz!

Heyhelga · 23/12/2025 12:58

Woke up with a sore throat this morning. Actually felt it coming on late last night. I was at the kids football club Christmas party at the bowling alley last night with hundreds of kids milling about with their bugs. Gonna keep downing lemsip.

Gingerwarthog · 23/12/2025 13:46

Cold, smooth orange juice good.

Original poster
TissuesSnotCough · 24/12/2025 07:42

How is everyone?
Managed to get a full night's sleep! The cough is looser now rather than tickly. Sore throat not as bad but will continue with the paracetamol/ibuprofen to try to kill off the last of the bugs!

However, I now have a lump on the end of my tongue which I had a few times over the last couple of months and disappeared so maybe I've been a bit run down anyway?

OP posts:
FlyingPinkUnicorn · 24/12/2025 08:14

I managed to have a much better night, still up a few times but got some decent chunks of sleep which was great. Still feeling very nauseous this morning though and have a chesty cough but the sore throat seems to have gone for know so hopefully I am on the way out of it.

Heyhelga · 24/12/2025 08:18

Still got a bit of a sore throat but it's better than yesterday and thankfully hasn't seemed to have morphed into a bed ridden flu. Already had one lemsip this morning.

Gingerwarthog · 24/12/2025 14:38

Hi all
out of bed, showered, been shopping, sorted out my Dad for night nurse and taken dog for walk.
Back in the room.
Not 100% but functional and will be able to take Mum and DD to the Carol service.
Christmas is saved!
Merry Christmas everyone xx

Gingerwarthog · 24/12/2025 14:39

@FlyingPinkUnicorn
try scrambled eggs - worked on the nausea for me