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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not know the difference between flu and a cold!

253 replies

usernameishistory · 17/02/2020 22:45

I spent the night not moving because I felt so ill, freezing cold, despite many (many!) layers, and needing a pee all night but feeling too ill to have one, despite it eventually really hurting by about 3am. I didn't sleep all night because I just felt too bad and freezing. Is this a cold?

Why can't I tell? Cold the night before, cold again tonight, feeling woozy and wobbly, cough, and pathethic!

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Aragog · 19/02/2020 03:05

I am down as one of the numbers for having had swine flu. I was diagnosed using the online thing they had and prescribed Tamiami.

I didn't actually have it though, when I was swabbed in hospital a few days later. I'd had a very very nasty cold which had led to pneumonia making me even more ill and in hospital.

A common cold had me bed ridden, and lead to unpleasant complications.

Some of this 'it's only flu if you can't move' stuff is nonsense and quite frankly, dangerous!

steff13 · 19/02/2020 03:06

If you have ‘proper’ flu you are literally out for weeks. Cannot get out of bed even if you are awake.
.🤦

Neome · 19/02/2020 03:16

I hope you are getting through this OP, are you completely on your own or do you have a bit of support?

Bufferingkisses · 19/02/2020 07:07

This thread is hilarious Grin hope you're feeling better soon op. I agree with pp, it doesn't matter what you have, if you're that ill you are that ill. The virus type is immaterial, suffering is not nice Flowers

Auramigraine · 19/02/2020 07:17

I’ve had flu once in my life, it came on suddenly whilst at work, I was sent home and still can’t remember how I got home, all a blur. Bedridden for a week, didn’t even have the energy to reach my phone on the bedside table to text my colleague who gave me lifts to say I wouldn’t be going in. Hallucinating, wanting to die, horrendous. Pretty accurate over the money at the door, with flu I wouldn’t have moved for £1 million.

Since then I’ve had heavy colds which I feel absolutely shite but I know I haven’t had flu since as I would muster the energy for the million 😂

Hope you feel better soon!

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 09:33

You can't say you've had 'actual flu' unless you've been tested (for anyone saying they had it because they were so ill).

Thank you to those showing concern and asking after me. I feel quite grim, but probably not as bad as its possible to be. Too poorly to sleep, the rigors start again in the afternoon and Im shivery then until I'm under tons of covers. The coughing is hurting my throat so bad, but I've never in my life had a chest infection (bacterial I mean), so I'm remaining hopeful there's no reason I will now.

Thank you Neome not really, am staying away from everyone and only have dc helping.

I had about 12 hours of couldn't move, in bed, couldn't help myself, whereas from some accounts on here I've got off lightly as that has gone on for weeks for some.

I can't believe I've only just learnt, along with others, that what people commonly hold as facts about colds and flu are myth and bunkum.

Many don't rtft though, so still post the myths of the £50 note and the 'if you have to ask, its not flu' type thing.

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Branleuse · 19/02/2020 09:41

If flu meant that nobody could function or get out of bed, it wouldnt get passed on so readily would it.

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 09:51

Agreed Branleuse however, I do recall some long time ago seeing a documentary possibly, where it was the after effects that spread it, the coughs and sneezes that the sufferers are left with after they've left their bed and are back out at work and socialising. Or maybe even in the run up, like the coronavirus, before you're aware you have anything. IDK, with flu, or colds when the infectious period is (other than that documentary saying it was after the debilitating bit).

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Auramigraine · 19/02/2020 17:33

Many don't rtft though, so still post the myths of the £50 note and the 'if you have to ask, its not flu' type thing.

I actually heard a doctor say that on tv and thought it was pretty accurate..... for my case anyways.....

I didn’t read the full thread and assume your last post was aimed shortly after reading mine, no I didn’t have time to read the full thread, I typed as I was seeing to my DC and thought I would give advice on a thread where you asked how you know the difference, only my opinion. Won’t bother next time, rude!

EggysMom · 19/02/2020 17:44

Doctor told me - you have the flu if there's a £50 note on the floor & you can't get up to pick it up.

I've heard this as you have the flu if there's a £20 note in the garden and you won't leave the house to go and get it.

iklboo · 19/02/2020 17:47

I've got a weird virus at the minute. Aching all over, very tired, not much appetite. Chris Hemsworth could be standing at the foot of the bed in the nud, fan dancing with a wad of fifties and a gallon of gin. I'd tell him to come back cos I can't be arsed right now. I just want a hot vimto and a kip.

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 17:50

I don't think it's rude to expect peiole to rtft. Eveyone expects people to thata why it has its own acronym Confused. How strange.

Its been said so many times that its not true. So you wasted your time as many had said its just not true.

Blaming me for your actions is though Hmm rude I mean, whoever you're calling rude ...

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Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 17:52

Hope you can kick it into touch quick ikl. Sorry to hear you are feeling crap

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Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 17:53

I wouldn't even lift my head to acknowledge!

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StepHeelClack · 19/02/2020 17:57

If you are well enough to post on here then you don't have flu

What is this rubbish I keep reading, I was on here in hospital with a positive swab for flu.

I was 3 weeks of being horrendously ill and unable to dress myself or get out of bed. Went through spells of thinking I was ok then back to feeling near death

Casino218 · 19/02/2020 17:59

You tend to get a bad chest with flu. If your garden was full of £5 notes could you have got out of bed to collect them. If not- it's flu.

Musicaltheatremum · 19/02/2020 18:04

I've seen lots of people with flu(GP) not all are floored. Our surgery used to swab people with flu like symptoms so I'm sorry to refute the Mumsnet rules that if you have flu you shouldn't be on a computer...you absolutely can be. All the people we swabbed were in the surgery many of the ones who walked in we thought couldn't possibly have flu but they did.

iklboo · 19/02/2020 18:04

Thank you @usernameishistory, you too. I thought I'd found a hair that didn't ache but it turned out to be one of the cat's Grin

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 18:31

Oh bless ikl sorry you feel so bad Sad

Musical Is there benefit in being swabbed?

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Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 18:37

Its getting a bit revealing the numbers of posters that don't actually read before posting! I always knew it was a thing that posters wouod call thwm out on, but its actually hilarious the numbers of those that cant even be arsed to read any of a thread.

Or the words of a gp even. How does anyone ever hope to learn anything Grin

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DieCryHate · 19/02/2020 18:40

Agree with previous posters that flu comes on quick. I can tell I'm getting a cold at least half a day before it properly kicks in. The only time I had flu was when I went to my parents for Sunday lunch. It kicked in and I didn't leave their sofa then the spare bed for a few days. The cough also lasted a month.

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 18:50

Were you tested Die? To actually know it was flu though?

It seems you can't know. Did you know?

Not unless you're tested.

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Musicaltheatremum · 19/02/2020 19:41

No benefit to being swabbed really but they used to get practices to swab people to try and get an idea of the rates of flu in the area. My son had swine flu. Was off 2 weeks and one of my colleagues daughters had it too. They both went to the same school.
Hospitals swab people who are very unwell if they think it's flu so they can tailor treatment or not give antibiotics.

RosieLancs · 19/02/2020 20:36

If you have the flu you don't have the energy to go on mumsnet and ask if you have the flu.

Original poster
usernameishistory · 19/02/2020 21:48

Thanks Musical

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