Flu

[twinkleto]

How many of you can truly, hand on heart, say you think you've had flu? I thought it was a myth tbh (well not really lol but I thought it was super rare). However I think I've had the flu for the last week or so. Never felt so ill in all my life! If there was £1000 lying across from my bed I wouldn't have been interested in trying to pick it up...

Interested to hear from others as now I'm fascinated!

I had flu as a kid. It was horrific. I remember being outside the doctors in the car puking in a decorating bucket and my mum wasn't allowed to bring me in. the doctor came out to the car instead.

I did read something on here the other from an HCP who said there are milder strains around too.

I had it in 2007. I was horribly ill. I've had a vaccination every year since. I live alone and the experience was not something I want to live through again although I do have a support network now which I didn't have at that time.

I had it back in 1994! I got home from work about 4pm in the afternoon, went to lie down because I felt a bit rough and don't remember anything much about the following two weeks. DH had the Dr out to me twice in that time but I don't remember that.

I was off work for almost a month. Never had it again though. 🤞

Most of us have had the flu, it is 50% asymptomatic. You wouldn't know if it's the flu or a type of virus. The original coronaviruses caused flu like symptoms. I was hospitalised with a coronavirus in 2016.

I have had what people call 'proper' flu - ill and in bed for ten days, another week at least to feel properly right. It's why I happily toddle off and pay for the flu jab each year.

I have also been diagnosed with the flu when I thought I had tonsillitis - and I definitely didn't feel so bad that time. There are definitely variances in how badly unwell people get with it.

Once as a student 30 years ago.
I had to crawl to the bathroom because I was too weak to stand, although I barely left my bed for days.
horrible.

Oh, actually I also had swine flu. DH was hospitalised, I had to look after a hyperactive child when feeling like death with a cough that felt like my ribs shattered with each bark.

Twice. Once as a young teen and once 4 years ago. Second time I was struck down from fine to really not good within hours and had to go to bed - didn’t get up for another 4 days apart from crawling (literally) to the bathroom. Freezing shivers but sweating with v high temperature, couldn’t swallow, delirious. Remember asking for an ice lolly and just didn’t have the stomach/energy to finish it. Lost 10lbs over the first 4 days. Took me about 3-4 weeks to fully recover. Remember starting to feel better and getting out of bed, was exhausted just getting dressed and had to lie down again.

The two telltale signs it’s proper flu for me are speed you feel ill and like you said OP, I wouldn’t have got out of bed for £1000 for anyone - I couldn’t if I wanted to!

Once. 1999. Never felt so ill in all my life. Only left my bed to use the loo. Was off work for a week and still wasn’t right. Drives me bonkers when someone is off work for a day and says that they had flu. No you didn’t!

I had the Millennium flu in 1999/2000. It wasn't nice. I think I also had it in 2005 but as far as I know no other time.

You thought flu was a myth?

ive had it twice, both when I was very run down generally, it was awful, I’m the sort of person to bounce back quickly and I tried going back to work about 5 days after flu, ended up at the GP a week later in tears wondering why I felt so terrible- turns out I didn’t let myself recover properly. Definitely the most ill I’ve ever been. Covid was a longer recovery, but nowhere near as unwell.

There are many degrees of severity either flu and for all some people couldn't get out of bed for £1000, others will enjoy asymptomatic or will be only mildly unwell. There can also be a lot of overlap in terms of how unwell you are between a severe cold and flu.

I had swine flu as a teenager and only left my bed for the toilet for a whole week. Shivering and cold and sweating and full of fever. I can remember hallucinating one night because I was so feverish. It was terrible and I lost a lot of weight.

I'm being very tongue in cheek with that statement...

Yes my symptoms came on in a flash... was fine in work at 4pm. By 6pm I was in bed wanting to cry with how bad I felt. This is day 4 and I ventured downstairs for the first time to get myself a drink and I thought I was going to faint.

Once think I was about 10. Must've come home from school not feeling great. By the early hours I couldn't even stand up I had to crawl to the toilet. My whole body ached and my head was absolutely pounding. My body aches during a normal cold or when I get tonsillitis but the flu was on a totally different level

I had flu when I was in my 20s and end up in hospital on a drip. It took me months to recover my strength fully. I was very ill.

Many viruses cause flu, some of them coronaviruses. It can come in varying degrees of severity or can sometimes be asymptomatic.

Yes, I have had proper flu. It is awful and can take weeks to feel fully back to normal again.

I have an annual vaccine now.

I've had it once and it was horrendous. All I could do was lie in bed drifting in and out of sleep. My mum always said this is a cold you will know when you have flu and she was right.

I had it once (Confirmed B strain) and was very ill with it. It floored me completely for about a month (and I’m otherwise healthy). I also had a weird post viral depression/ exhaustion after it which last about three months. It was scary. I get the flu jab every year after that - I pay privately as I’m not eligible for it on the nhs.

Once. Colds hit me pretty hard (currently on Day 2 in bed with one) but nothing will ever compare to having flu. I was early twenties and I genuinely couldn’t do anything except sleep for a week. Totally different to feeling a bit rough and laying on the sofa watching TV. Always get the jab every year now

I've had flu twice.
Once when I was a young and fit 16 year old...felt terrible..
2nd time at 37. Ended up in hospital..thought I was dying.
I have a flu jab every year now...never want that again

Had flu twice both times when pregnant. 2nd time Jan 2011 I literally could not get out of bed for days - had every flu symptom going from temperature, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea. The whole family caught it over a period of 4 weeks. Can remember waking DH up in the night begging for it to be time to take more paracetamol - every bit of me ached. I lost 10lbs in 6 days that I wasn't able to get out of bed and it took me a month to recover (as much as was possible given I was in my 1st trimester). I genuinely thought I would lose the pregnancy.

Would just add - it was before they gave flu jabs to pregnant women! Or rather they did for my 2011 pregnancy but because I fell pregnant in the December/begin of jan and I got flu straight away I was refused a flu jab as it was too late for the 2010 jabs and I gave birth first week of September - too early for 2011 jabs! Get your flu jabs if you're pregnant!!

Never had it but my mum did in 1982 and thought she was dying so I get the flu jab every year.

I think people forget or don’t realise how long you can feel weak for after an infection. We’re so spoiled with normal colds where you’re ill for a week and bounce back in a few days.