To think sometimes a cold isn't "just" a cold

[Tipsntoes]

I have a cold, it is only a cold but I feel dreadful.

With most colds, I agree, you can more or less carry on as usual. This one has me barely able to keep my eyes open, I'm alternating between feeling freezing and sweating, I'm hungry but I can't think of anything I can actually face eating. My whole body aches and the pain behind my eyes is incredible. I have a cough that hurts my chest but worse, every time I cough, it moves my head!

This is a go to bed until it's over cold IMO but my parents are due here for tea and my mum doesn't "do" illness. I don't remember her ever taking to her bed unwell.

Maybe it's flu then?

Totally agree OP. I was like that last week. Shivering under my duvet and then boiling, could hardly move, shocking headache. Just a cold but I was out for two days and then under the weather for another week.

Sounds like you’ve got the flu 😷

Some colds are almost as bad as flu

Certainly sounding like flu op; I'm four days in and just starting to feel less like death.
Ruined Christmas for me 😢

Have you got the dreaded man flu? Has it jumped the sex barrier?

I feel the same, temp of 39.7 headache and all over pain.
Blocked nose and cough, been in bed since last night, dh has to go to work tomorrow so Im hoping im some what better by then.

Agree. I’ve got a cold, I’m on day 7. I feel miserable. Pretty sure it’s not flu (I’ve had flu before), it’s just a really bad cold. It’s awful though.

No! I don't have time to have flu, we're going away on 28th.

As I understand it, if I had flu, I wouldn't Mumsnetting

Colds can be mean and are definitely a spectrum from sniffles to head implosion. I think they’re totally underestimated.

I don’t get them very often but when I do it’s hell on earth!

Another saying it sounds more like the flu.

This is a very accurate description of typical flu symptoms!

That’s just a myth, I’ve looked after people who have been diagnosed with flu with lab tests and have been chatting away, eating etc

Did you have the flu jab this year? If so, you might be having a very mild case. If not, it's a cold.

I had this kind of cold last year. It was dreadful, I didn't go out for a week except to acquire more Lemsip. The hot-cold was the worst, I couldn't even sleep. Cancelled all the lovely plans I'd had to meet up with friends, family, etc.

Normally when I have a cold I can dose up on everything and forge on through it but not this one.

I agree. I had a cold four weeks ago, it wasn't flu, I could still eat, but I felt truly miserable for a week, ached all over, hot and cold, shivery, sneezed non stop, then blocked nose, coughed like mad and just wanted to sleep. Horrible.

P.S. I found this Daily Mail article last year (yes, I know I know...) which said there was a particularly nasty strain of cold virus going round... so maybe it's round again.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4082830/How-beat-cough-plaguing-QUEEN-COUNTRY-Avoid-cold-dry-air-moving-around.html

I always think the diagnosis of its flu based on how ill you feel is a misnomer. My son once spent a week in hospital with a cold (lab tests confirmed which virus it was) in H.D.U. for one night as he couldn't breathe etc. Far worse than the flu I had once. Either virus can knock you out, or be completely dehabilitating, and to say just a cold can make me very angry after that week my son was ill.

I read that a main difference between flu and cold is the length of onset. With fully you can be feeling at the peAk of your abilities ake the next day be completely felled. With cold onset is more gradual over a number of days. I have a cold. I sleep as if it's flu though!

I know, I'm in denial about that one dudsville. I actually did a decent time at parkrun yesterday morning, but by the time dinner was on the table I just wanted my bed. Although I did have a sore throat for a couple of days, so it wasn't completely sudden.

Sounds like what I have. I could hardly get out of bed yesterday, beginning to feel a little better today. I’ve felt it coming on since the middle of last week so hopefully it’s on its way out now.

Agree. I’ve felt awful for several days with relatively few classic ‘cold’ symptoms, more joints aching, slight nausea, sinus headache. Not flu though, I’ve had that and it’s truly horrible.

I started a thread 3/4 weeks ago about this sort of thing, I couldn't understand why I felt so awful with 'just a cold'.

No 'just' about it though, it knocked me right out, and I'm still not recovered. Lots of people on that thread said the same, some up to 8 weeks or more. Sympathies from here!

Oh op i am currently having the same thing. Started last night. I cant move or get dressed, eat or drink. Throat is hurting. Only thing that eases aching is a hot bath. Currently on my. 5th bath of the day.
Hope everyone stars feeling better soon.