What does bad flu feel like? Can you share your experience?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I know covid 19 is NOT flu, but for those who will get it moderately, it seems to be compared to a very bad bout of flu. I don't think I have ever had a really bad flu, I've had some nasty doses that made me feel shit but nothing that had me in bed for 2 weeks. So don't know what to expect, how I'll cope.

As a type 1 diabetic, I am worried in general, but worried specifically that if I start out with a mild/ moderate version of coronavirus I will be so ill I won't be able to manage my diabetes properly. I'm trying to keep diabetes management extremely tight and that means dozens and dozens of calculations and problem solving several times an hour and worried I just won't be able.

So if you have had a bad flu that really knocked you - were you hallucinating? Were you able to do anything apart from sleep?

Could you focus mentally enough to eg use the calculator on your phone say?

Could you eat?

30 years ago but I hope never again. I literally could not lift my head. A few days later I managed to take the dog to the park across the road and had to wait on a bench till DH got back from work because I could not make it back to the other side of the street to our 1st floor flat.

I had pneumonia about ten years ago that was almost as bad.

I had it as a teenager. It came on suddenly, the first symptom being a grinding, aching feeling all over my body and in my bones. Followed by a fever and I was in bed and slept for about a week. Can't remember if I was sneezing or coughing as it was over 20 yrs ago but I assume it was flu. Never had anything like it since.

I was admitted to hospital for 2 nights and diagnosed with influenza A a couple of years ago.

A lot of people think they have 'flu' but generally it's just a bad cold.

It was awful, I literally thought I was going to die. I don't remember doing this but afterwards my mum told me that I pleaded with the dr 'to just put me down' like a dog I guess?

High temp that they couldn't get down, sickness, severe fatigue, but more than any of that just an absolutely dreadful feeling in my body. The majority of the time I was flat out and unresponsive. I remember my name being called and just not having the energy to even open my eyes,

I've had it once. Honestly the thought of getting anything remotely like that again terrifies me.
I started off achy and generally feeling under the weather. Within 24 hours I was unable to move except to crawl to the bathroom to be sick but as I didn't eat and barely drank for 8 days that wasn't such a big issue after a couple of days.
I spent the majority of those 8 days curled in a ball under the bed covers because any light hurt me. It took weeks to feel properly well again.
I'm actually really scared. I would not have been able to look after dc then and I'm a lp now.

I was knackered for three weeks. Can’t remember how long I was bed bound for but I was aching and sweaty but shivering at the same time.

When people randomly say they were off for two day’s with the flu I get pissed off. You don’t have it for two days and then you’re back at work, that would be a feverish cold.

Which incidentally is what my friends friend says his Coronavirus is like. Just a feverish cold. Stayed in bed. Ate. Has been fine self isolating. Fever broke on day three. Gives me hope!

Have had bad flu twice, the last time was a couple of years ago. Had been at work all day, then had in laws and bil and Dniece round for supper, after they left in the next couple of hours I felt really ill. Went to bed and that was me for the next few days. I can't remember much at all. Just remember feeling very ill, very achey and painful all over and a bit delirious. It came on so quick it was like a switch being flicked.

See reading these I think I only had it once. It comes on really quickly, its almost an insult. Sleep is pretty much all you can do.

It is important to try and move and breathe though as otherwise chest infections can take over. I had lung surgery and the one piece of advice I was given to aid recovery was to walk, as the breathing helps prevent infection building up.

I've seen people on here say, I'm in bed with flu typing this. There is absolutely no way they have flu if they're able to type a message on their phone! I've had it once, years ago and I couldn't get out of bed, lift my head off the pillow, eat, function at all. I just slept all day and night in feverish fits and starts, feeling utterly depleted.

I had flu once. It came on very quickly (within hours). I had a high temperature and felt achy, cold and super tired for days. Later I also developed a hacking cough. All in all I was in bed for 1.5 weeks and not really well for another two weeks. This happened in my early twenties, so I was in very good health overall, but this knocked me for six.

I too get the rage when people with a cold say its flu, or people dismiss the Corona virus as "just the flu". They have clearly never had it.
I've had it twice, both times I was heavily pregnant, about 39 weeks. It came on so so suddenly. The first time round was the worst. I was at a new years eve party quite far from home(was staying over), was sat on the sofa talking to someone and I just started coughing and vomited all down myself. I was obviously mortified, and within 20 minutes I was in the guest bed, fever, hallucinating, up coughing and vomiting all night. I made it home next day and was bedridden at home for a good 5 days, I had to crawl on my hands and knees to the toilet. Every time I coughed, I just puked in my bed as I couldn't even make it to the bucket. It was hideous. The second time I had it was nowhere near as bad thankfully, but still totally bedridden anf exhausted.

I have had flu once - last year . I am healthy, 39 and it was awful.

I was was in pain, everywhere. Very high temperature and had the shivers. I remember lying in bed, shivering and crying. My skin hurt and I couldn’t eat for about three days. The headache was Unbearable. I was sent home for work and had to sit down a few times on the way - beads of sweat🙁. I was off work for a week, but felt reallydreadful for a month.

I don’t understand how people confuse the cold with the flu.

I've had it twice.

Both times the pain was unbearable. Worse than anything I have experienced. Worse than a UTI which had me hospitalised, the aftermath of a c section and period pains which make me faint.

The second time I ended up in hospital on a drip. I also can't remember two days. I was just in bed not eating or drinking and I think I slept through and sweated it out but I just lost those two days.

Also the second time my DS was only 1. While I waited for DH to rush back home I was too weak to change DS nappy or feed him properly. I plonked him in front of the tv with a packet of crackers and he just sat in his dirty nappy the entire time. I feel so guilty looking back but at the time I was so ill I didn't care. It just knocks you completely.

Only had it the once thankfully. I was at uni and didn't leave my room for a week. Had no energy to text any of my flat mates until day five, when they came to me with lucozade, painkillers and a ham, cheese and coleslaw baguette:

I'd been so quiet in my room they assumed I'd just gone home for a few days.

Remember shaking so hard, chilled to the bone but sweating. I'd wet the bed where I was shaking so hard I couldn't get out of bed and to the toilet in time.

Rang my mum at some point, no idea when and just cried that I needed her but I was a four hour drive away and she says she still feels bad that she didn't come to help me.

I had flu last year in Jan . It came on suddenly .. I had a pounding headache and a high temperature and a horrible nausea .. I spent a week in bed. My head was banging and I ache all over plus the nausea was unbearable . I remember going tot the toilet and just sitting on the edge of the bath exhausted . On several occasions I was so breathless I was quite scared . When I was finally well enough to get up and about the severe exhaustion lasted another two weeks. I’d drive DD to school then come straight home and sleep all day . It was awful . There could have been a hot millionaire serenading me in my front lawn let along a £20 note and I wouldn’t have cared

I had it 17yrs ago at 18 whilst seven months pregnant, I felt like I was definately going to die. Every bone in my body hurt, I especially remember my hips being so so painful, I couldn’t eat, barely drank and peed in a bucket next to the bed as that’s all I could manage, I was semi delirious and bed bound for 2 weeks. I felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen in my lungs to breath properly if I so much as walked Across the bedroom.

Never felt so ill in all my life and would hope to never have it again

In bed for at least 2 days, literally didn't get out of bed or even sit up. Not even for the loo. You stop needing the loo when you entirely stop eating and drinking.

Medically, it would have been considered "mild" as was "treatable at home".

Certainly not in a hurry to sample the delights of coronavirus.

I had swine flu which became pneumonia in 2009. Healthy 26 year old on maternity leave with 6mo and 3yo at the time.

I remember it coming on really quick, one minute busy with the kids and and 30mins later calling DH to say I was feeling extremely rough (not like me).

I was delirious, cold sweats soaking the bed. The cough was so deep and constant that I retched every time. Couldn’t eat due to retching, could only sip a tiny amount of water. I was retching into a bucket and eventually the pneumonia took hold and I was just coughing up blood into the bucket. GP surgery had prescribed Tamiflu over the phone as you weren’t allowed to attend the surgery if you had swine flu symptoms but by that point I had pneumonia.

My whole face and body came out in big spots which was weird, don’t know if it was to do with the constant cold sweating. Lost a lot of weight, DH remembers me crawling to the bathroom holding my PJ bottoms in a bunch at the side to stop them falling off, and he realised I’d lost so much weight. I asked him seriously if I was going to die and after that he ended up taking me to A&E, although it was against advice but at least I finally got treated. I remember the doctor listening to my lungs and saying to me “You must feel so very unwell right now”. Even when I was back home and on the road to recovery my GP found the crackle in my lungs fascinating and called the other GP to come and have a listen. Took months to feel better.

Also weirdly had a relapse 6 months later when I was back at work, started coughing up blood again.

I had flu twice, once in my early 20s and once in my early 30s. Both times I felt awful tbh.

First time, I was sick for days, lost my appetite, severe headaches, then turned into fever, cough, aches all over my body and feeling generally very unwell. It took me 2 weeks to recover and feel human again, I lost over a stone in weight.

The second time was less dramatic, but pretty unpleasant. I felt so weak I was bedridden for 2 days, again lost my appetite completely, cough, fever, feeling very, very achey all over my body. It took me about 5 days to recover.

Both times I was off uni (at the time) / work (and I'm only ever off work when I'm really, really poorly).

Keep in mind COVID symptoms are different to flu and you might not feel the same way.

I remember sleeping a lot. It never occurred to me at the time it was flu... I was too ill to think about it.

In my head I had a bad cold and needed to get out of bed. Myy parents put me to bed, encouraged me to eat and drink little bits, and looked after my DDs.

I was late 20s, married with kids, but still needed my Mum.

Flu is rancid. I'm sure I've only had it once but I have also had tonsillitis and pneumonia so bad that I couldn't get up for a wee.

I have only had flu twice. Theres no mistaking it. I felt absolutely fine at work / school. Got home still fine. Then about 6 I felt a bit off. A bit hot cold shivers and a bit sick but nothing major like a niggle I couldn't put my finger on anyone one thing that was really bad. By 7pm I had achey joints esp in my knees. I went to bed early just feeling off about 9-10pm. Wake up feeling freezing, shivering, teeth chattering, sick but never been sick with it. Burning up and sweating. I felt like death. Then I dont remember much. After one or two days the symptoms go but your left drained. I could lift my head or stand up from exhaustion. I didnt get back to normal for a week dispite only having symptoms for two days max. Both a long time ago but I did think there was a hour or two there when I was convinced I was going to die. I was 12 and 28ish. It's just a hot shivery achey feeling of yuk that comes as fast as it goes

I woke up fine at 8am but by 10am was in bed, leaving my 14 mth old on the floor of my room. DH wasn't due home til 2pm and a friend was due at 12. She knocked and phoned for 15 mins. I didnt care. I worked in care and wasnt inexperienced but was certain i had some kind of sudden serious bone infection, the pain throughout my body was that bad. I told DH to call OOH GP ( no 111 in those days). Flu was diagnosed. I was bedridden for 4 days, unable to do even the simplest tasks for 3 more days and, over all, poorly for 10 days. 4 weeks before I felt normal again.

Mine came down on Christmas day one year. I've never been so ill. I felt fine the day before but by Christmas morning I couldn't get my head off the pillow or sit up unaided, boiling, freezing, everything hurt even my skin, exhausted, in and out of sleep, I was in my 20s and not living at home but I made my mum lie with me because I was worried I would die in my sleep (bit dramatic but that's how I felt!) .

I had it last winter and the winter before. Last time I went to bed feeling fine, and woke up a few hours later shivering, with my temperature on the rise.

Three days of high fever, awful headache, back pain, zero appetite, could barely summon the motivation to reach for a glass of water. Actually cried at times because I needed to get up for a wee.

Next few days is a slow recovery, gradually eating and drinking more, managed a bath, couldn't stand for more than a few minutes.

Two weeks or so after it started later I remember going out with DD at a local park and really, really struggling to walk up a slight hill.

Was probably at least three weeks before I felt near normal. Suffering two years running was bad luck, especially since I had the jab one of those years. I always seem to suffer badly with illness and am dreading getting coronavirus.

I haven't had a cold since I was a child but I've had the flu quite a few times which I think is really weird. The flu is like others have said, pain all over, can't get out of bed, can't even think about it.