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Original poster

Anyone else have a very weird severe flu like illness?

204 replies

Yellowishes · 01/12/2022 14:37

DH and I have come down simultaneously with a strange flu-like illness. It's an URTI but we've both been running over 38c for 3 days now and just getting worse. Repeated negative LFTs. Flu vaccine +
I'm hearing of some weird non-covid flu like illness sending people to a&e (apparently swabbing neg for RSV and influenzas too). Has anyone seen much of this? This is extremely bad.

OP posts:
Welshy26 · 05/12/2022 14:16

Day 6 now and headache finally shifted. So full of catarrh it's untrue and I sound like Barry White when I try talk. I think I'm going in the right direction now though...but it's a slow process. Feel better everyone.

Eurydice84 · 05/12/2022 16:48

Back from the GP and I was diagnosed with a chest infection, he prescribed a week's course of antibiotics. Apparently 80% of patients around here have this particular coughy/fluey strain, according to him. Half of the cases require antibiotics and half don't. He asked me to take a test at home to confirm my particular strain.

Welshy26 · 05/12/2022 16:53

Where are people ordering the flu test kits from?

Original poster
Yellowishes · 05/12/2022 17:34

@Eurydice84 your GP asked you to pay for it?

OP posts:
siriusblackcat · 05/12/2022 17:48

I've been in bed 3 days, got a horrid cough, no energy, no appetite. Today my ears are so bunged up, feel like my head is underwater. My skin hurts and limbs feel like they don't belong to me.
I work with children and usually got an immune system of steel but this has wiped me clean out.

Eurydice84 · 05/12/2022 17:58

Welshy26 · 05/12/2022 16:53

Where are people ordering the flu test kits from?

My GP gave me a code to order a free testing kit online after the chest infection diagnosis.

Eurydice84 · 05/12/2022 18:08

Yellowishes · 05/12/2022 17:34

@Eurydice84 your GP asked you to pay for it?

No it's free. He gave me a code to order it from a special NHS website

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 05/12/2022 21:47

I just came to see if I could find a thread about this!!

My temps not gone below 38 since Friday, covid test is negative, I have chills, body aches, cold sweats, hacking cough, nausea and vomiting.

It's absolutely horrendous and I can't remember when I last felt this ill. It's a million times worse than covid which I had earlier this year.

Eurydice84 · 06/12/2022 11:40

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 05/12/2022 21:47

I just came to see if I could find a thread about this!!

My temps not gone below 38 since Friday, covid test is negative, I have chills, body aches, cold sweats, hacking cough, nausea and vomiting.

It's absolutely horrendous and I can't remember when I last felt this ill. It's a million times worse than covid which I had earlier this year.

100% this. I have been shielding to avoid spreading this around, to be met with "ah it's just a cough not Covid!". No, it's not a cough - it's pneumonia and a million times worse, at least for me personally.

W0tnow · 06/12/2022 18:44

WGO · 05/12/2022 00:30

What tests are you using to test for influenza and where can we get these from?

Show quote history

We’re in Madrid. They sell them in the regular pharmacy.

Atissue123 · 07/12/2022 19:43

So sorry so many are suffering with flu or Covid (new strain perhaps?!)

can I ask those of you with this / who have had it, have you had a flu vaccine? I know they’re not foolproof but wondering if people have had that or not and still are suffering like this.

Although this does sound remarkably like the Covid I had in July which was 3 days bed bound with fever of 39 and then 2 days vomiting. Didn’t get a positive until day 5 and super faint..it wouldn’t surprise me if this is new Covid for some and just not showing on LFT. A friend of mine also just had Covid and was negative until day 8 of symptoms then positive (and feeling better) I think the tests are often useless unless it’s a PCR now. She only tested as she’s NHS on a cancer ward and was returning to work.

nicky2512 · 07/12/2022 23:05

@Atissue123 I had something like what everyone is describing. I tested (due to elderly parents that I do a lot for) and was negative until day 7 or 8 when I had a positive. Luckily I had kept a distance. Ds took sick and was positive on day 4 and dh the same day before having any symptoms.
Ds and I have been quite ill. Still have bad coughs, sore chest, dizzy and symptoms like a bad sinus infection and all still tested positive today - 9 days after initial positive.

We have all had the flu injection and dh and I had the recent covid booster too.
i really have no idea what’s going on but I’m fed up of feeling so rough and very worried about how much school ds is missing.

AtSomePointInLife · 08/12/2022 00:21

ScrollingLeaves · 02/12/2022 21:37

I have this. The whole family has been getting it.

I feel awful, plus extremely depressed. Does anyone else have depression with this?

I've started with this and the whole family has it. I'm also feeling the weird depression. Never suffered from it before, it's weird 😔

ScrollingLeaves · 08/12/2022 09:11

^AtSomePointInLife* · Today 00:21

“ScrollingLeaves · 02/12/2022 21:37
I have this. The whole family has been getting it.”

“I feel awful, plus extremely depressed. Does anyone else have depression with this?”

I've started with this and the whole family has it. I'm also feeling the weird depression. Never suffered from it before, it's weird😔

It is nasty. I hope you feel better soon. I am on day 11 now and still congested with thick yellow phlegm that is sometimes bloody, and still needing to cough.

Welshy26 · 08/12/2022 11:08

I've got an appointment with a prescribing pharmacist this afternoon for antibiotics. Can't cope with whatever is happening with my chest and ear now.

NeverTooLateToSing · 08/12/2022 11:20

Yes, we've all had it too, and are only just coming out the other side. My son had to go to A&E (to exclude meningitis), and they swabbed him whilst there and it came up with Influenza A. We all tested negative for Covid.

It's really, really rough. The fever & chills, relentless coughing, rivers of snot, blocked ears, sore throat, sickness (wtf was that about?!), insomnia, aching body, exhaustion, and all-round just feeling like absolute shit.

And I had had my flu jab, too!

Forfrigz · 08/12/2022 12:16

I'm on about day 9 and stopped coughing non stop but still wake up coughing like I've just been dragged out of a war zone. The daily headaches have stopped too thank goodness. My appetite still hasn't returned though and I'm feeling spikes of nausea at times. I never ever get this ill, whatever it is is horrific. People are going to be hospitalised with it.

Welshy26 · 08/12/2022 12:38

Just been prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection and ear infection. Dr said I'm still running a temp too. I'm day 9 and feel like crap still.

NeverTooLateToSing · 09/12/2022 06:49

@Forfrigz - yes! The spikes of nausea are awful, and I did end up being sick, too. Just more fun to add to the kaleidoscope of revolting symptoms…

Eurydice84 · 10/12/2022 18:02

On day 6 of my antibiotics course. The cough is better (albeit still there) and the fever not so high anymore, but still lingering at 37.7/37.8. Unsure whether I should give the docs a call back.

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 10/12/2022 18:09

Day 18 here and finally starting to feel better with antibiotics.

Started as weird excess stomach acid, headache and being sick, the. The cough started, then the rivers of snot which then developed into a sinus infection. It's been rough!

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 10/12/2022 18:30

whatever it is H and I have it.
repeated -ive LTFs
Worst cough I've ever had, utterly exhausted, no sense of smell, palpitations. I've been for a four hour nap and still feel like I'll have an early night. H had two days off sick so is better rested. I've been covid and flu boosted, he hasn't.

Atissue123 · 10/12/2022 21:25

@TheTurn0fTheScrew sounds bloody awful! Also surely loss of smell has to be Covid?! You and husband the same /
similar despite boosters?!

Poppins17 · 14/12/2022 09:37

Also suffering here. Cough / sore throat started 3rd December, progressively turned into a barking dry cough, runny nose (albeit not too bad), thick head, blocked ears, chest pains, achy body. I struggled to get out of bed this morning. Taking cold and flu tablets, cough medicine and strepsils.

Ive called the drs this and am waiting on a call back. Hopefully I can have something stronger. Like many others have said I feel worse now than when I had covid.

Meltinthemiddle · 18/12/2022 15:38

God yes, feel awful. Temp and freezing, headache, cough and no energy what so ever! Never felt so bad 😞