I’m about to be taken down by the flu…

[Feelinfluey]

So, I’ve had my DC in my bed since Saturday am. High temp, coughing, snotting, sneezing, all within inches of me. He hasn’t moved out of bed other than to use the bathroom-very unlike him, so I know he feels rough af!
He asked me for a drink about 2 hours ago, and I can’t get back to sleep… headache, scratchy throat. I’d say it’s inevitable that I’m now getting his lurgy.
How can I prep for this? I’ve got paracetamol in the house already. Just curious how other people(with kids/single parent) manage it(and when to call a priest 😂

Interesting. Would the saline spray be like the sterimer ones?

@Inthefuturenow

Interesting - that’s exactly what happened to us symptom-wise. Bad cold followed by the longest cough I’ve ever known. I started with the cold mid Dec and I’m still occasionally coughing up gunk in the morning (sorry TMI.)

So now I’m thinking we’ve all had Covid. My youngest didn’t really cough though, he just vomited and has tummy upset and sat on the sofa for a full week. Totally lost his little appetite too

Tbh you might not get hit as hard.

My dd had it over Christmas and her cough went on for two weeks, she was really rough. My DH caught it and had a headache and cough for 48 hours, and then nothing! It doesn’t affect us all the same way. I do actually wonder if it’s covid as that’s exactly what he was like when he had that twice and we had to test for it.

I would gargle with soluble aspirin for the throat, take paracetamol and cross your fingers.

That’s really interesting - I have a nasal rinse kit and I’ve started using it after I’ve been to busy places where I’m exposed to coughs/colds because I read ages ago that the viruses take hold/reproduce in the nasal passages. I have avoided colds this autumn/winter apart from the one time I travelled abroad and didn’t take my kit with me (came down with it three days after the flight) I shall carry on with this!

Use Vicks first defence nose spray as often as you can. I think supermarkets sell it and chemists. It won't completely stop it but it will reduce the severity potentially

It’s actually a myth that you can’t take too much vitamin c, you absolutley can and it can cause side effects.

Imnot saying don’t have enough vitamin c but we don’t ‘ just pee it out’ if too much.

I work in paeds, been surrounded by it since October/November. ( positive swab) Had the jab. Haven’t caught it…. yet. I was hoping we had seen enough pre christmas as things had calmed down. Obviously spiking back up after new year! Not sure how effective the vaccine was as was a hybrid strain apparently.

Bloody hell, that's hard work. I had it last month and couldn't have faffed about like that, could barely move. Beechams all in one cold and flu remedy, and lots of easy stuff like pots of soup , and whatever simple to prepare food DC likes, he can survive on Ready Brek or tinned pasta for a couple of days if necessary. Good luck.

This
The stuff is amazing, I've been using it every time I get early cold symptoms this year and I haven't had a full blown cold since - no pun intended! I always have a bottle in the cupboard. It's not the same as simple saline spray. Something in the active ingredients slows down the replication of the virus in the nasal passages so your immune system has time to attack it before it spreads to the rest of you.

Good luck im on day four and am dragging myself around. Was in bed by 6pm last night.

Echinacea every day over winter. Increased at first sign of symptoms. My parents also did this in their older years and were rarely ill.
Sterimar nasal spray to wash out virus/bacteria - and help you breathe.
Saltwater gargle for throat
paracetamol and ibuprofen (if ok to take ibuprofen) to hand but having a fever in an otherwise healthy adult is actually useful - makes you feel shit but is your body’s way of fighting off illness/shortening the illness. I try to limit antipyretics if I can.

Beedn doing this for nearly 20 years and have only had a couple of days off work in the past 10 years and no flu at all in that time. Very rarely get anything more than a mild cold, even when my kids get heavy ones.

No doubt will now get the flu of my life having said that.

I’ve been laid low with this since 13th December AND I had the flu jab.
Cough eased up about 5 days ago. It’s been brutal. Rough AF right over Christmas.
From one single mum to another - best of luck.

I'm really lucky this year. Normally I'm absolutely knocked out by flu, or any illness. My son has the flu vaccine at school (the nasal one) and I don't qualify for the free flu jab but can't really afford to pay for one either. My son got a cold just after Christmas, then I got hit with a really bad cold (but not quite flu level) and now my mum has the actual flu and she's really struggling with it. Normally it's me who gets the most ill, then my son is ill but not too poorly and my mum gets something for 24 hours then it passes completely.

Feeling grateful for my seemingly better health but sad that other people are struggling so much.

I’m not sure, but it is interesting!

my teen ds refused to use it and he came down with the cold 🤷🏼‍♀️

The flu jab was £21 so I figure worth it compared to the cost and misery of flu.

I do think it should be free for everyone mind you. Seems like a no brainer

Agree
You have to keep cracking on with it religiously but it works.
All my family have had flu over Christmas and I've been using it once a day going into work where filthy people cough their bloody germs everything ,no tissues 🙄
Nothing, tiny tickle and Im on it straight away

Bloody wish I'd got the flu jab this year! Got clobbered by flu on 01st December followed by what we suspect is adenovirus literally 2 days before Christmas with just about every possible symptom. I think I've felt well for about 2 days over the last month. We've started weaning in earnest now kiddo's nearly 17 months and I'm very tempted to neck some of the good cough medicine. It might cut off my supply faster than planned but at least I won't be constantly sniffling!

I recall being asleep on the sofa with endless movies on - a treat for DD as I was quite strict about TV use - possibly the real reason i despair when I see homes with TVs on all day - cuts you no slack!

it’s grim - keep kids alive and you have won

I've had the flu jab in October, I've had some minor cold and sinuses affected as always worse during winter, but nothing serious. I take other medications that can cause minor colds (supressed immune system) so it could be either of those things. Doesn't mean I stay in the house though.

If you can do all that you ain’t got the flu!

There’s loads of nasty viruses going round so try not to panic.

The one thing that indicates flu is how quick it comes on. So the build up with the scratchy throat means it’s more likely to be something else.

Last time I had flu I was out at lunch feeling fine then went massively downhill in the space of an hour. It was scary how speedy it was.

If you can get some first defence that is good. The only thing with any science behind it is zinc - so make sure you are having that. I like high dose vitamin C just to have that covered off. Then just rest.

That is nonsense. Flu can be be asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe, even deadly. You do not have to be confined to bed unable to raise an eyelid for it to be flu.

Yes me too changing nightie twice per night with ridiculous sweating especially after taking painkillers. This is a very nasty infection/virus/flu.

Just for future ref everyone, you can basic groceries from Morrisons via Amazon, no need to book a delivery slot🥰🥰

Trouble is most people aren't eligible for a free one and it's anything from £16 to £21 a jab where I live. I think a lot of places ran out of stocks of it too. I've been struggling with lurgies since the end of November and my DP keeps getting sore throats - it has been horrible winter for viruses!