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?

Enjoy your evening out, I think your husband may be right, might be just the boost you need.

You could all do with a holiday in a hot destination, maybe at half term given you are a teacher? I once had a terrible cough for weeks that only disappeared when I went somewhere hot.

@fluffythecat1 I think you might be right, I will ask for bloods. I certainly need to boost my immune system for the future.

Thank you for all the kind thoughtful replies, don't know why I bothered responding to the one person who decided to be critical, it would bounce off me usually but when you're feeling rubbish every little thing gets you down.

Friggin hell, leave her alone, she's said she's feeling under par, she's not going to be bothered looking closely at what she's typed to check it's not going to offend grammar pedants.

I started 20th December, still coughing. DH is on antibiotics for his sinuses but may have to have a different lot for his lungs as he is continually coughing. He went the route of 111 and had telephone consultation with pharmacist who we can't fault. Impossible to get appointments with GP.

I spoke to a pharmacist in the week who said 4 weeks for it to go

Don't feel like we had a Christmas and were ill last Christmas as well

Have regular flu jabs and have also paid for the pneumonia jab. Am going to request NHS pneumonia jab as that apparently has extra protection and I think we are now eligible

DH and I had different symptoms and he was also ill in October but I escaped it

Sympathies to everyone who is suffering

@LoveItaly that's a wonderful thought, unfortunately budgets won't allow it at the moment, we have two kids at uni and one at home with a very expensive hobby so things are a bit tight! Hopefully next year! 😀

I feel for you. This could be me, except in between shitty cold flu episodes lasting over 6 weeks I put my back out as well 🤬🤬🤬 I’ve never felt as old and knackered as I do at the moment in the end i relinquished I just had to accept that it was out of my control, I have tried my best to rest and relax and to try not to stress over the housework, washing piles, missed socialising and wasted shopping that was bought in so I could host some festivities for family and friends Christmas decorations not put away yes it’s been so fucking frustrating. No advice to offer just know that you’re feeling are valid and that you’re not alone.

I’m the same op! So rough!
I have the flu jab every year. This year I think my immune system is broken.

OP, I really sympathise. i had what I think was COVID at the beginning of October, and even though I've had worse initial bouts of COVID (had it about 6 times in total), I just haven't got fully better. Still left with an inflamed throat and sinus issues and still coughing at times, productively. I feel much better than I did so I know it's slowwwwwwly improving and I'm almost back to normal, but man, the length of time to be feeling below par was so depressing at times. I'm not surprised you had a little cry.

I went back to my GP after it had been 10 weeks or so, I'd had a week's worth of penicillin which did nothing and was still not feeling well. She sent me for a chest x-ray just to she could say she's done something, I think, which looked normal except for something which is probably just the shadow of a nipple or something, so I have to go back this week to get another one done to check it's nothing else. I'm not at all worried.

My theory is that mine was COVID (but didn't test so can't be sure) and that my immune system has just been so destroyed by repeated bouts of it that it struggles now with anything much beyond a cold. I also work in a school (infants) so am bombarded with all the worst germs and viruses so getting ill is inevitable, but it's never been like this before. Sadly I think I'm at the age (early 50s, past menopause) where I also think that's starting to have a bearing.

The only thing that did me any good was a damned good rest over Christmas. I mean, I literally did nothing, got up as late as I wanted each day, let the house go, let the washing build up. Really, really rested. And then I could feel myself start to get better. I'm not a teacher so don't have your workload/stress levels but I can see how whatever you have will linger unless you give yourself proper time to recover. I know no teacher ever wants to ring in sick but I really think there's a point where unless you do, it'll just drag on and on till spring.

I am a school nurse. I never used to be ill. But these days there are so many viruses around, I dread the Winter term. In September I caught covid and since then I have had the flu and 2 colds. Now we have finished with Christmas, I am hoping I have built up enough immunity to not catch anything again until September.

The absolute irony of your post being full of poor grammar, and poorly typed as well...sloppy and unprofessional as well as you being a complete cow to the OP when she's already said how low she is feeling.

@ProudPearl hope you feel better soon, lighter days are coming!

This won’t help you now (bit high dose vitamin c and zinc, vitamin d, loads of fluids and rest might), but the next time you get the beginning of a cold try the first defense nasal spray. It definitely seems to work if you catch things early enough, it traps and expels the viruses and deactivates them or something.

Did you really rest after the first lot or were you still on the go? Was your christmas busy?

The nhs definition of rest is doing nothing no tv, no reading, nothing.

I suspect you haven't given your body chanve to recover.

Work would replace you tomorrow but your family wouldn't. Look after yourself and feel better soon

Any chance you could be vitamin D deficient? This can lead to catching continuous illnesses, and also a lack of energy.

I know this because I’m currently on massive dose prescribed after my number was in the teens, rather than the over 50 it should be.

Apparently most people in the U.K., in winter, don’t get enough vitamin D

Hiya OP! 👋
I'm so sorry to hear your feeling like crap, T'is the season for coughs and colds which is sods law 🥶

I could have written your post last year, both me and my hubby were very ill during Christmas 2024 with flu and then our young DS was poorly. 🤧

We had moved into a new drafty house and burned the candle at both ends with working long hours, looking after an elderly mother and then taking lots of trips out with DS to make "christmas memories" and we inevitably got very run down and poorly. 🤦🏻‍♀️

This Christmas 2025 (just gone) we had a game plan, and it was as follows:

1. Having our flu jabs 💉
2. Keeping topped up with allergy meds everyday, when we felt a tickly throat. 🤧
3. Plenty of water for hydration 💧
4. Plenty of fruit and veg (slow cooker and airfryer are your best friends) 🥘
5. Guilt free rest days in our pajamas 😌
6. Any trips/days out (for Xmas memories) could NOT be outdoors (like lanterns lights around a zoo as we always traipsed around in drizzly cold weather), so we only attended indoor events, so we didn't get soaked. 🌧
7. Knowing when to say no to invites/parties/ play dates, to give your body a rest.

I personally use a humidifier, and have a nasal spray or even a neti pot to clear my nose out, and take an antihistamine 💊 and tape my mouth shut (Buteyko method) but I understand that may freak a few people out 😆
Because it forced nose breathing and gave my throat a rest, so it worked for me 😉 it's not for the faint hearted.

We haven't gotten proper ill this year. We've all had the sniffles (thankfully) but are nowhere near poorly like we were on Christmas 2024. 🙌
Prioritise rest, sleep and fluids, and make sure you are having time for yourself.

Also to add, could you possibly have low iron levels or magnesium? Or even be perimenopausal?
Maybe a trip to the GP would suffice? 🤔
Sending hugs and I hope you feel better soon 💗 🫂 💐
@ProudPearl

It’s definitely not too late to get the ‘flu jab OP.

Agree with this, plus asking GP to check your thyroid function. My vitamin D was 51 this time last year, vitamin pills (take with orange juice to aid absorption), are the way to go.

I feel like every cold lately has been a really severe one and I find it harder to bounce back. I also had flu in early December and even now I still have traces of the cough and fatigue.

I asked a doctor what more can I do to strengthen my immunity. I know you said you had vitamins, but check your dosage and my doctor also said have a separate vitamin d supplement, but as a mouth spray as this is absorbed a lot better. You can take it alongside a multi vitamin but just heck the dosage, you can see online the maximum daily dosage.
Also when you get a cold start an extra vitamin and zinc supplement alongside the other vitamins.

I'm not eligible for the flu vaccine, but next year I'm paying for it privately as I suffered bad this season and it takes a long time to get over it.

Hope you feel better soon! But definitely try the vitamin d spray, so far I've not had anything since starting it!

@ProudPearl there's flu, RSV and covid doing the rounds, sounds like you've been unfortunate enough to have them all. This version of covid definitely lingers, son got it end October (definitely covid as three health workers here and we still had tests left over) I got it early November off him and I'm still coughing and sinuses blocked up every night. Was worse than when we originally got it in march 2020🤷............soon be spring🌷🐣

Can I ask is this unique to the UK? I’m laying in bed can’t sleep full of cold reading mumsnet at almost 2am and pondering escaping so where next year.

Then I thought this cold flu thing is it global at the same time or just our cold seasonal wether that cumulatively makes us sick?

I think it is bad this year, and I completely feel for you. I've had flu jab on time etc. and have now had a dreadful cold (not flu) since before Christmas, so more than 3 weeks ago. I am not on death's door and I am grateful for not having the achy bones or dizziness of flu, but cannot sleep for almost choking, cannot believe the amount of "fluid" still going on, it is in my eyes as conjunctivitis, and I am still blowing my nose continually, constantly tired, I look terrible and feel terrible most of the time between the hot lemons, which at points I have timed to see when I can have the next one. Every night of sweating etc. I think "well tomorrow will be better surely". No dice. Just had all my bloods done for something else before the onset, so no problem there. Just a horrible horrible bug. Even with the worst of things, I tend to recover in days, this one is doing my head in... I guess you just have to keep going sometimes, but god when will this end has crossed my mind. xxxx (PS ignore the "grammar-corrector", they really are not in touch with real life and this inability is on them !)

Can you get a week away at half term?

You need Mullaine (sp) tea bags, thyme, honey and garlic (seperately!) . Get well soon.

If you think it could be Covid please test then, as someone who ended up like you for 5 weeks while pregnant in October. I lost 2 weeks of wages, lost weight, was so unwell my baby wasn’t gaining weight and almost had to come out earlier. People are still vulnerable like how you are being so run down. If you’re that sick, I’d think twice about socialising anyway. Also if I was your friend and you told me all this and you turned up to an meet up that unwell I’d be so upset you’re will to get me sick and put me through what you have gone through.

infections can develop. Go back to GP if it’s been a week or so since going to check
for sinus infection/ chest infection/ throat