Page 2 | OMG HOW MUCH LONGER!

Manyplanetsfromthesun · 20/03/2025 20:54

Unmmm… because this history really is viral? Trust me, it’s easier for your doctor to fire off some antibiotics to keep people busy whilst their system deals with a virus…

But they are also seeing the awful consequences of actual bacterial infections which are now resistant to common antibiotics.

And antibiotics totally wipe out your good gut flora which is increasingly recognised as a major defence against many illnesses. They cause thrush, diarrhoea, rashes.

By all means, ask you GP for an examination if it’s not getting better after a week, but nasty viruses do exist, make people very ill, and antibiotics don’t expedite your recovery from a virus.

edited to add- sorry OP, this sounds horrible. You are doing all the right things- (maybe drop the first defence)- being ill with young children is its own kind of hell xx

Pomegranatecarnage · 20/03/2025 20:55

Really sorry to say that I had this for 21 days-the longest I’ve ever been ill in my life. Antibiotics didn’t clear it so it must have been viral. The coughing was horrific.

socks1107 · 20/03/2025 20:57

Dh has this. He’s now on antibiotics and steroids

hazelnutvanillalatte · 20/03/2025 21:01

I've had this for three weeks now and so has everyone I know!! It's never gotten as bad as a proper illness but just weird symptoms that come in phases...first was achy painful muscles and extreme fatigue in the evening - dropping into bed at 8pm without even being able to change clothes, felt more like passing out. Then constant sneezing and sore throat. Then a deep chesty cough with phlegm, the type that takes your breath away and makes people think you're dying. I still don't feel fully well, but it's not an illness that has had a normal progression, it just keeps lingering. DD has just started vomiting, which is a new development.

ColdSpring25 · 20/03/2025 21:13

DD had a fever for 7 days and took another week to be able to do sport.

DeepRoseFish · 20/03/2025 21:16

I’ve had this and it took 3 weeks to go.

Longsummerdays25 · 20/03/2025 21:32

3 weeks minimum.

I am 3 months on, still dizzy, tired and have vertigo. Whatever is happening, things were NOT like this pre Covid.

Nottodaythankyou123 · 20/03/2025 21:34

I had the same thing for 3 days, went away for a weekend and then came back and hit me for a week. That was 3 weeks ago, I still have a hacking cough, brain fog and general feeling of wading through treacle. Sorry!! I hope you feel better much sooner than that x

BigButtons · 20/03/2025 21:35

I had this Feb- or at least something very similar. It went to my sinuses and I had to have two sets of antibiotics. It took 5 weeks. I am still not fully better.

Nottodaythankyou123 · 20/03/2025 21:35

hazelnutvanillalatte · 20/03/2025 21:01

I've had this for three weeks now and so has everyone I know!! It's never gotten as bad as a proper illness but just weird symptoms that come in phases...first was achy painful muscles and extreme fatigue in the evening - dropping into bed at 8pm without even being able to change clothes, felt more like passing out. Then constant sneezing and sore throat. Then a deep chesty cough with phlegm, the type that takes your breath away and makes people think you're dying. I still don't feel fully well, but it's not an illness that has had a normal progression, it just keeps lingering. DD has just started vomiting, which is a new development.

Omg yes! After the initial flu like I’ve gone through 7pm exhaustion and now god-awful cough, it’s the strangest of things

Hattieandcake · 20/03/2025 21:39

Sounds like a bad cold. Flu = on death bed. I had this r recently for 2 weeks and only better end of week 3.

BloominNora · 20/03/2025 21:42

@Ricecakesaremyjam - get some blue Sudafed spray (not the green one). First Defence is a preventative - it doesn't do anything when the snots have taken hold.

Sudfed spray will unblock your sinuses - I discovered it after a cold had completely gone but my ears were still blocked and the doctor suggested it. It's an absolute life saviour for being able to get sleep when your nose is blocked!

ColdSpring25 · 20/03/2025 21:46

I guess this is the current Covid strain

juicylipbalm · 20/03/2025 21:59

I had this a few weeks ago, was far worse for me than Covid. I was armed with ultra soft Kleenex, sinex micromist, lip balm, lemsip and lozenges wherever I went. I just couldn’t shake it. If your skin gets sore from blowing your nose, I can’t recommend Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream enough - it stops it hurting immediately and really helps to clear up any cracked skin. Hope you feel better soon!

BreatheAndFocus · 20/03/2025 22:30

BigButtons · 20/03/2025 21:35

I had this Feb- or at least something very similar. It went to my sinuses and I had to have two sets of antibiotics. It took 5 weeks. I am still not fully better.

Same here. I’ve never had such bad sinusitis. I didn’t have antibiotics but I have a steroid spray. I’ve had it 6wks and I only started to feel more like myself in the last few days. I had the sneezing, fevers and sweats, earache, sinusitis and just generally feeling very unwell. I struggled to walk due to feeling so weak. I was also exhausted.

Resting helps. Sit up to help drain the snot, but literally do nothing. Friends have had it a similar length of time too. It’s so hard to shake off and keeps coming back so viciously. Hateful virus!

YourAzureEagle · 20/03/2025 22:33

Ricecakesaremyjam · 20/03/2025 18:25

Day 1 - Monday - shivery, nausea, exhausted
day 2 - razor throat. Still shivery, nauseous, exhausted
day 3 - as above
day 4 (today) - not shivery but instead hot, exhausted, awful cough that’s painful like I’m coughing my throat out and coughing up tons of phlegm, very sore throat, body aching, now my nose is totally blocked and can’t breathe

is this the flu?
and honestly how much longer will this torture last? It’s doing my head in especially with 2 young kids to run around after.
I’m drinking, I’m eating as and when I feel like it, I’m taking paracetamol and vitamins, Vicks first defence spray although that’s clearly done sod all, someone send help (or tell me how much longer I have to put up with this!)

thanks!

Most viral infections of the respiratory tract last at least a week - there's the old saying, three days coming, three days here, three days going.

What you describe could be a cold, covid, flu etc. etc., pretty normal.

Flu generally comes on very quickly and generally starts with a rapidly worsening dry cough followed by fever that lasts 2/3 days followed by a week or two of feeling rotten and often rales (creaking and bubbling sounds) in the chest due to the inflammation of the airways.

Original poster

Ricecakesaremyjam · 20/03/2025 22:34

Literally just vomited from how much I was coughing 😩
also does/did anyone else’s lymph nodes in one side of their neck REALLY ache?

OP posts:

YourAzureEagle · 20/03/2025 22:35

Hattieandcake · 20/03/2025 21:39

Sounds like a bad cold. Flu = on death bed. I had this r recently for 2 weeks and only better end of week 3.

This is a big myth, flu has somewhat unique symptoms and timeline, but doesn't make everyone bed bound by any case. I had it over xmas and was up and around every day despite classic flu symptoms.

82 year old mum was also infected and was only mildly impacted.

Msmoonpie · 20/03/2025 22:36

You can get basic tests in Tesco for flu and strep if you want to try those.

YourAzureEagle · 20/03/2025 22:41

Manyplanetsfromthesun · 20/03/2025 20:54

Unmmm… because this history really is viral? Trust me, it’s easier for your doctor to fire off some antibiotics to keep people busy whilst their system deals with a virus…

But they are also seeing the awful consequences of actual bacterial infections which are now resistant to common antibiotics.

And antibiotics totally wipe out your good gut flora which is increasingly recognised as a major defence against many illnesses. They cause thrush, diarrhoea, rashes.

By all means, ask you GP for an examination if it’s not getting better after a week, but nasty viruses do exist, make people very ill, and antibiotics don’t expedite your recovery from a virus.

edited to add- sorry OP, this sounds horrible. You are doing all the right things- (maybe drop the first defence)- being ill with young children is its own kind of hell xx

Edited

Here here

Antibiotic resistant TB is a real issue, once the country was dotted with sanatoria where TB victims went for last ditch treatments, which were brutal and often didn't work, and often death followed, until antibiotics were developed TB and so many other infections were a death sentence - and are becoming so again.

I'm far more worried about antibiotic resistance than any other potential armageddon scenario, because it is real and happening now.

Flamingoknees · 20/03/2025 22:42

I'm 4 weeks in. Still not completely right. Still have a bit of a runny nose and productive cough - main problem now is lethargy. It's knocked me for six. Hope you feel better soon.

Nottodaythankyou123 · 20/03/2025 22:58

Ricecakesaremyjam · 20/03/2025 22:34

Literally just vomited from how much I was coughing 😩
also does/did anyone else’s lymph nodes in one side of their neck REALLY ache?

Yep mine did! Seems to have eased now but was just one more delightful symptom

Nottodaythankyou123 · 20/03/2025 22:59

Flamingoknees · 20/03/2025 22:42

I'm 4 weeks in. Still not completely right. Still have a bit of a runny nose and productive cough - main problem now is lethargy. It's knocked me for six. Hope you feel better soon.

I feel like I’ve found my people here, I honestly thought there was something wrong with me as I’ve been so exhausted and unwell. Reassuring that so many other people have experienced the same timeline of symptoms!

Mistyglade · 20/03/2025 23:04

I’ve had it for nearly 2 weeks although it’s abated a bit the last few days. I was so exhausted today I unintentionally took a 4 hour sofa nap between school runs.

NettleTea · 20/03/2025 23:04

Ricecakesaremyjam · 20/03/2025 22:34

Literally just vomited from how much I was coughing 😩
also does/did anyone else’s lymph nodes in one side of their neck REALLY ache?

yup this was me last week. Probably about 3 weeks from start to finish with the symptoms - started with awful sinus headaches, ended up with an awful earache and couldnt even chew because of the pain in my ears/jaw/neck - ended up with antibiotics, AB ear drops and a steroid nose spray from the DR>
A week and a half on and Im just about feeling OK ish but still a bit wobbly and achey if I do too much