Anyone else have this awful virus?

[LEMtheoriginal]

Day 3 and I'm fucked! I have never experienced a sore throat like this. It's agony.

Dr prescribed naproxen and co-codimol. Can't take the naproxen yet as it's bid and I have already taken ibruprofen.

Not slept at all for 48 hours as my throat is too painful. Had to write a note for the Dr as I couldn't talk to explain symptoms.

He said there is a particular nasty virus that is poleaxing people for up to two weeks . I can't afford to take that time off work.

What I'm really after is self help for my throat - it is AGONY and I am besides myself. If I cough it feels like layers of skin being ripped from my throat. Strangely I don't think my tonsils are affected as it's more central roof of mouth.

The most impressive nasal drop you've ever seen.

He didn't say the f word though - just rest and fluids. Pain relief etc.

Anyone want to join my pity party?

Hope you don't mind me joining the conversation but I am not a mum but I am a guy.

I have been struck down by a hideous virus and it has now gone on for 4 weeks and in my quest to find fellow sufferers through google this came up as the biggest link.

I have not had a soaring temperature but more terribel shivvers and unbelievable body aches that I have never experienced. Also a very bad throat with a terrible taste and horrible tongue. Every part of my body seemed to ache including my fingers. I have been so very tired too like a giant hoover has sucked all my energy from me.

My skin has been painful and it has now developed into a cold. I am unsure if it is the course of the virus or I have got a cold on top of it.

I can also report terrible nausea, total lack of appetite and if not nausea what seems like constant indigestion. Also the squirts and frequent urination. I spent 5 days or so in bed the rest just from bed to couch to toilet.

At the two week point I thought it was actually going and I felt respite for three days and then bang it seemed to all come flooding back as if it went into some kind of remission.

I know of one other person who has had similar that came on in November (mine started 7 January) and they said they were ill for three weeks before symptoms seemed to subside but five weeks after that they are still not right so a total of 8 weeks so far.

Like I say I hope you don't mind me joining in here as I am not a mum.

I have had man flu before but this takes the biscuit.

Mumsnet isn't only for women or even parents.

Sounds like you're really suffering tree

Out and about but still can't sing (I'm in a singing group). Week 7 for me.

Week 5 and I'm gradually getting better - I've still got the swollen painful glands and the sinus headaches and the hacking cough BUT I'm feeling more like myself and each day I feel better than the day before.
Waves and much sympathy to all those suffering still It's a Bu*+ger

This really helps as it numbs your throat. ENT consultant once told me it was the only over the counter thing worth getting for a bad throat.

Bizarre, I found that very spray in my medicine cupboard last night. No idea when I bought it. I've so far been heavily leaning on the covonia spray (onto the second bottle)

I swear by it. I was hospitalised a few years ago as my throat got infected and was closing so I do everything I can to avoid that happening again! First sign of a sore throat now and I’m on this!

Day 9 (10?) of my cold. Literally all symptoms gone except the awful stuffiness in my head and nose. And my ears are still itchy. Felt not too bad on Saturday morning and then by 1.30pm I was shattered and went to bed and slept for 7 hours.

Just feeling really bunged up and snotty and it's driving me mad.

Today I am on day 29.

Saturday seemed to go OK. But Sunday I had a recurrence of the stomach issues - nausea and indigestion and stomach growling that seems to accompany this with me. I was also very tired all day and fell asleep for severa hours at 3pm. I really didn't feel like eating either.

Today I am unsure. I have what I call the zapping pain down one side. I feel as though the virus has got into ever part of the body including the nerves and my right side with this goes cold and like a zapping pain sensation.

I have weakness on the right side from previous injuries and it seems this is the side that is suffering most with the body aching.

My throat is also very scratchy - like a thread stuck in it.

Also the bad taste today seems to be intermittent.

I am so worried by all these stories of weeks and weeks of the virus. Do you mean still feeling so bad that you can’t walk to the bathroom and you’re crying with the pain, or does the worst of it pass after a few days?

I’m on Day 3 in bed. I’ve never been ill enough to spend three days in bed. I was awake all night both nights with the vilest stabby pains all over, but worst in my face and ears. Max doses of paracetamol and Ibuprofen didn’t seem to help, although maybe I’d have felt even worse without. Fever seems to have gone in the day time, for now, and I can open my eyes long enough to read this thread and type.

I vomited twice in the night too - after literally crawling to the bathroom. Nothing to vomit up though.

It came on so suddenly. Bit headachy on Saturday morning, then in bed 11am and stayed there.

DH is terrified of getting it. Front line medic and so conscious of the effects of being off sick. I’m a teacher - I think I’m one of the last members of staff in school to have it. We should have closed I think when we had twice as many supply staff as regulars last week. Children don’t seem to be getting it, so maybe their flu vaccinations have worked.

Waves from sick bed - I'm on day 5 mine started with a tight chest and feeling of gloom whilst away at a work conference last week. Both dh and ds1 have already had it and I was praying that the flu jab had protected me but alas no. Can't decide if the worse thing is the crackling wheezing chest keeping me awake or the horrible taste in the back of my mouth that's putting me off food, making me nauseous and even making a cup of tea taste foul. Sore throat also present but not as bad as it sounds for some of you.

The issues with regards to being unable to move about for me were about 5 days. That is I mean move about in my own home.

It was panful to do so with me doing it bent over and slowly. To conserve energy I filled thermos flasks and bottles to in effect camp out in bed. I had to prepare myself to get to and from the loo.

But then of course after the time in bed venturing out is a different matter when the pain, malaise, nausea etc come on when you are away from the home say trying to get some basic essentials in and things from the chemist. When I was out I felt like I was going to fall which in fact causes anxiety that this could happen.....

That part took about 2.5 weeks. But when I felt OK it had tricked me because I then relapsed 2 days after feeling "better". Which was then back in bed for about another 4 days felling like square one.

Like I said I know of one other person who has had this and they said 3 weeks before it feels like it is improving to notice anything and antother 5 weeks until a vast improvement which means not being tricked by remission feelings. They are still suffering fatigue after all this time.

I think it really pulls the body to pieces because my skin does not look as cheerful as it usually does. It looks dull and lifeless - same with hair and nails.

What I will reiterate is / was the widespread body aching this sodding thing inflicted. Almost arthritic and neuropathic.

I had pains in my hands - especially my right hand and it hurt to hold a phone. Also if you have a weak area such as previously damaged hip or shoulder it seemed to produce more pain in those areas I found. I also felt like my spine was "sore" and it actually hurt in an area of the upper back which in massage therapy can cause sympathetic storm which causes nausea and unpleasantness - so was unsure if this was what may have been causing my nausea.

I find the nausea sneaks up now and catched me unawares.

To me it seems that symptoms can ease with copious rest but are then reawakened on exertion, even light exertion and expense of energy. Somethimes this occurs shortly after the activity, hours after or even the next day.

is the virus making anyone else uncontrollably weepy? dh has understandably got a bit impatient with me - not even shouty, just a bit snappy and that set me off for half the morning, convinced that it was better for him if I left I'm clearly not going to, we love each other completely but this morning it seemed like the kindest idea for him. It was probably only the idea that a)I felt faint and b)it would destroy dd that stopped me from putting my coat on and walking out.

Everything has had me in tears since I came down with it.

I can tell you I have felt incredibly down in the mood with it.

What is causing it for me is the fact that if it feels like it has turned a corner I have discovered it then rears up again. So I feel I won't do much because it will aggrevate it - but not doing much is depressing.

On day seven here ☹️ sinus pain, ear pain, shaky, freezing and tearful.
My appetite has gone and I swear I’ve lost about 5 pounds, but no energy to check. Think it attacks your weak spots.

I have just resigned myself that now I am possibly and I mean POSSIBLY only half way through - based on another person's experience. After 8 weeks they still are reporting the bad taste in the mouth.

Autofill

This is my theory. My right side has been shot to blazes over time - I wont go into detail but the word "tree" in my title could give an idea.

The virus in terms of pain has got into those areas leaving them more painful than the rest. But the pain has been widespread.

I am also one to suffer with tummy trouble too so perhaps that is the reason for the tummy issues.

I burst into tears in the chemist because he wouldn't sell me thrush cream (forgot to lie and say I'd not used it for 6m!).

I'm a bit better now, still bad cough but at least that is all. Back at work and now at least two other people seem to have it.

Yep me and dd2 (3) have it and are at the end of the second week of it. Seems she just has a runny nose, tired and a bit rattly on the chest in the evening now so seems be on the mend hopefully. I keep feeling like I am almost over it (just tired) and then I am knocked for six again - woke this morning and my throat felt like it was closing up (it is very swollen, and squishy - and TMI - that dangly bit was sticking to the sides - hell on earth). Husband has just had a cough for two weeks and Dd1 (15) seems to have got away without anything!

I am due to see the GP this week and will talk about this. I am going to ask them to swab the thorat to see what comes of this taste thing going on.

Althought I am sure if I ask for a throat swab I will be told it isn't necessary.

I’m going to add waking up in the night after actually sleeping for three hours, with the most excruciating ear pain. Ear had been crackling all day. I had to sit up in the bathroom for two hours till it abated enough to go back to sleep. Didn’t really want to take painkillers in the night as I’m ending up taking too many over 24 hours really, but I had to.
I don’t know whether to try to get an appointment in case the ear needs antibiotics.