To be so fed up of being ill?

[ProudPearl]

I'm starting to feel like I'll never feel well again!
I caught what I now think was flu in October. At the time I referred to it as a cold but it knocked me off my feet for over a week. It was 5 full weeks before I felt like I was getting better.

Then, early December my son came home from uni coughing. After he'd been back a week I could feel the tell tale signs of a new cold...scratchy throat etc. This became another full blown cold. I was frustrated but that made sense...my son has been living in a different part of the country so that was obviously a new virus to me. I started to get over that after about 10 days.

Then on Christmas eve my DH started coughing. I assumed he had the virus I was just recovering from. But no, by boxing day I was feeling absolutely rotten again. Terrible cough, sore throat, struggling to sleep at night.

I went to the GP and she was sympathetic but said it was just viral, rest and fluids. Didn't seem concerned about how long I'd been ill. No chest infection or tonsillitis. DH has also seen his GP and been told the same. DS is also no better, not seen his GP as they're the other end of the country and his symptoms are the same as ours.

This hasn't really gone away. I'm a teacher, so I'm back at work now but I've only taught 2 days this week and my throat pain is unbearable. I'm constantly coughing at night so feeling absolutely knackered.

I could cry this morning after another bad night, I feel like I'm wasting my life away. I'm supposed to go out tonight with friends but I'm going to cancel as I feel like shit. We cancelled so much over Christmas and New year. Friends and family are starting to think we just don't want to see them. We haven't seen DH's family over Christmas at all, it's the middle of January now and we're still not better. I'm worried they'll think we just don't care.

We're dragging ourselves to work but no energy left for anything else.

In terms of medication we've got all the usual stuff. Strepsils, paracetamol, ibuprofen, cough medicine, hot lemon and honey. We're taking vitamins and have really increased our fruit and vegetable intake.

Thanks if you're still reading. I'm just looking for suggestions on what to do next.

TL/DR: I've had the flu since October and it's not budging, Doctors no help at all, wtf do I do now?

Just doing a little bump, I know it's not a very interesting thread so I understand no replies. But you guys can be amazingly helpful so I'm hoping someone with helpful advice sees the thread.

Is anyone else in the same position?

Not in the same position but have you had your bloods checked for vitamins, immunity ect? You sound really run down. I'm a teacher too, it's exhausting never mind if you are feeling sick.

You are run down and probably never gave yourself time to recover - bet you were back at work as soon as possible. That’s your choice but it will
mewn your body has t had a chance to completely recover

I had similar last year - it did pass! October - January was dreadful. February on it lifted. Hope you feel better soon.

Because you’re run down from the original illness, you body hasn’t had a chance to recover. Only time will help. Keep up with good diet, vitamins, fluid and plenty of rest.

Hope you feel better soon.

I'm in a similar position. Got a terrible cold on 6th December, coughing, headache, couldn't do anything. Felt a bit better for 2 days so travelled 250 miles to go to a party. Felt terrible the day of the party so came back home.

Recovered for Christmas but on New Years Eve came down with what felt like the same thing I had before but even worse. The cough is hideous, huge coughing fits every 10 minutes. There's no way I could go to work.

I feel so frustrated and really low. I've lost a month of my life to this, I can barely get off the sofa. I bought lots of crafty type things to do for Christmas and couldn't do any of it. I know it's nothing in the scheme of things, others worse off et C but I'm mightily pissed off. Last year I had shingles in December, the year before Frozen shoulder so this has been my third Christmas wash out on the run.

Just out of interest have you had the ‘flu jab?

You're not alone. I feel like I do all the " right' things but catch everything going..and a cold always turns into weeks of sinus or chest infection. Currently on antibiotics and miserable. No answers but sympathy.

You're not alone. I feel like I do all the " right' things but catch everything going..and a cold always turns into weeks of sinus or chest infection. Currently on antibiotics and miserable. No answers but sympathy.

Thanks for the replies. Sorry to hear others are feeling the same.

I feel like such a moaner, it's only a cold and there are so many people worse off but I'm really down about it today. Had a little cry earlier to DH. I'm just fed up of feeling rotten all the time. It's been 3 months.

@Berlinlover no, I didn't think I needed the flu jab! Doctor said it's probably too late now but I should have it next year.

What is your diet like OP? I was advised by the doc to eat 30 different fruit & veg a week to optimise my immune system, which I have done for the last year. Result, no colds.

Try it for a couple of weeks. It's not hard if you give it a bit of thought.

I think those saying I haven't had time to recover might be right, but I did think 2 weeks off over Christmas would shift it.

Teaching is a very tricky job to take time off though. I'm not trying to be a martyr, but there's always a reason to go in....an observation, a workshop, a trip, assessment week.... I'm always telling myself that if i can just get this week out of the way I'll ring the doctor and get signed off for a couple of weeks. But then the next week has something vital as well. Maybe I just need to bite the bullet. I'm obviously not teaching at my best at the moment anyway, perhaps they'd be better off with supply for a couple of weeks.

@Meadowfinch I will give that a try, thank you. Like most people, my diet could definitely be better, rushing round and lack of energy means more crap food than I'd like. I do try, but I could try harder.

this week I have used:

Onion. potato, carrot, leek, brocolli, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, Lentils, garlic, kidney beans, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, spring onion, cucumber, peppers, sprouts, swede, parsnip, coffee, mango, sultanas, french beans, coriander,
Apple, satsuma, pear, coconut, wheat, celery

Try starting with a big pan of home made vegetable soup. Hydrating, warm, comforting and you can put about 10 veggies in one dish.

My 16yo son had flu in September (ended up in hospital with complications, confirmed it was flu) and still is not well.

He's had endless colds since which knock him out completely, lethargy, loss of appetite, tired all day, cant get to sleep at night, general feeling awful. In between he feels dreadful too. GP has finally diagnosed post viral fatigue and says it could last for 6 months.

He's a very sporty (top level) lad normally, trained every night until having flu. I've never seen him this ill.

Sending best wishes that you are feeling better very soon OP

Sounds awful OP can you not take a few days off Monday - Wednesday to sleep and rest else od fear this won’t stop!

I’m day 7 now into a cold that’s now a cough so expecting this to linger as it seems to keep changing tact daily and I’ve decided even though I have back ache to not move today and stay in bed in the warm, all I have planned is a bath later and a roast dinner tomorrow. Can you reduce your activity? And allow some rest?

Next year ,get a flu jab. Get well soon, but I hope you don't teach grammar. Fed up of,instead of fed up with,it's sloppy and unprofessional. Hopefully just because you are feeling below par. Cheap high strength vit d tablets are the way to go. Do not waste your money on vit c it's water soluble,out with the first wee.

I might go and make some nice veggie soup actually, that's a great idea. My DH has been making smoothies like they're going out of fashion, I'm wondering if it's possible to overdose on spinach and kale? 🙃

I've decided to go out tonight, it's only a couple of hours for a craft thing, I may feel better for getting out of the house and it's nothing energetic. I can still be in bed by 9.30 😁DH thinks seeing my friends might make me feel a bit more positive.

@Nannyfannybanny whatever you got out of criticising my grammar, I hope it was worth it for you. You're talking to someone who is telling you they're at their absolute lowest ebb. I hope your job doesn't involve interacting with humans at all, because you're absolutely shit at it. (That's a colloquialism, by the way, I don't care if you like the phrasing or not.)

I suggest taking some action to boost your immune system. Do some research, have a look at high dose vitamin D for instance. Hope you feel better soon

Why did you think you didn't need the flu jab when you work in a school? Genuine question, not being snippy.

I always have it as I'm self employed. As I think mine is Covid ( according to GP) it wouldn't have helped with this anyway.

@Nannyfannybanny I've just read your post and your own typing is so shockingly bad I can only assume you're a troll.

@Bulbsbulbsbulbs I don't know really, I've always had a pretty good immune system before. I will definitely have it in future. I think this could be COVID too, though I've not tested.

Would recommend heading along to your GP and getting some blood tests done. I felt similar to you and it turned out that I had Hashimito’s- an underactive thyroid and I’m now on medication. Also ask them to check your vitamin D, most people have low vitamin D in the winter due to the lack of natural light and it affects your immune system.

@ProudPearl don't beat yourself up about not having the flu jab - too late now anyway. My son had the jab, still caught influenza A, led to pneumonia and sepsis. The jab hopefully prevents you being worse, it doesn’t prevent you catching it. Plus, there’s no way of knowing now what you had anyway. Was probably covid.