Out of interest what is the symptomatic difference between a cold and flu?

[SlightlyMadSweden]

Cosd I feel rotten but feel like a fraud for calling it flu on my return to work form - but it probably is....

I had flu over christmas four years ago - I lost ten pounds which says it all.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that the difference between a cold and flu is that if you heard there was fifty pounds outside your front door on the pavement you would get it if you had a cold but if you had flu you wouldn't bother.

Message withdrawn

CAmmelia - so being hit by just 1 truck isn't enough.....

Would be happy to loose 10lb

Am feeling worse and worse by the hour .

Going to bed now I think, which is unheard of for me since discovering MN

I am having flu jab this year.

if you have to hold onto the bed 'cos it's 'moving' so much you might fall out - that's when it's flu
if you can't even sit up to have water or phone dh to come & help, even though the phone is inyour hand - that's flu
if you're not even sure who or where you are - that's flu (or childbirth)
colds can feel utterly shite, but nothing quite like flu!

If you have to ask what the difference is, you've never had flu!

I'm 48 and have had flu twice.

Both times it was marked by horrible aches and pains. It hurt to lie down, which is all I wanted to do. The only position I could adopt without feeling pain was on my hands and knees, which wasn't exactly soothing!

I can wholeheartedly recommend Night Nurse - helps you get some well needed sleep.

I have had flu twice in my life.

The first, I crawled down my stairs from my bedroom in the loft, crawled down to the dining room and sat up camp there for three days. My DH (boyfriend at the time) rode on his crappy motorbike in the rain to visit me and I slept through the whole thing and remember nothing of the sort.

The second time, DH was at a conference, and I called my mum who sent my sister to come and get me purely because I could not look after DD AT ALL - she was about a year old and I remember mumbling "come down the stairs Evelyn, mummy cant come and get you".

Colds - I have three or four a year, feel like poop but can still move and bitch about stuff, so must be okay

Have had flu once , one day OK , netx day went to get out of bed and it was like I had been hit by several large bags of potatoes, a week later I got out of bed.

At the time we were having our bathroom done which is next to our bedroom ,slept right through it !

Must have been ill as DH took time off work !

Flu you feel terrible, and are really wiped out for weeks afterwards.

From a fridge magnet....

Kids get Colds.

Men get Flu.

Women get on with it.

Even the flu jab gives me flu so I don't have it

dh, me and dd who was 5 weeks old got flu at the same time (well seperated by a day each) Absolutely and utterly horrendous - hell on earth. I didn't have the strength to pick dd up. No family nearby, neighbours also had flu.

oncall doctor threatened dd with hospital - I think it would have been better for us honestly. She said it was only breastfeeding that kept her out. I was told to feed her two hourly day and night, don't bother with nappy changes unless essential. So I had her laying next to me and every two hours I would have to rouse myself enough to roll over, feed her and roll back again. nightmare. at the time I didn't think we would get through it. some how we did.

Anyway I hope you feel better quickly. I'm sure all these horror stories have reassured you loads

Thanks everyone - I have caught your colds just from reading this thread

Flu is when you can't possibly do anything. Even if your life depended on it.

What every one else said. Have had it once. A relative was here from the US and we had a big night out planned and I couldn't go cos of flu. I did lose half a stone too but I wouldn't recommend it! Couldn't eat, read, just slept and shivered for a fortnight.