How long are people having this flu virus for?

[NameChangedAMillionTimes]

Hi, I've had that flu virus thats going around for two weeks. It went away for Christmas Eve and Day and then came back. Feel really rough, no energy, temperature every night, coughing like a donkey, just feel like Ive been steamrolled. I'm a single mum and am struggling a bit now. Just looking for some hope really. How long are people generally having it for? I am doing all the right things, drinking water, resting, sleeping, I havent had kids for 4 days so I haven't had stress either but STILL feel like sh*te. They're back tomorrow so I'm worrying a bit how I'm going to cope. Looking for a bit of hope? Could I be on the home run now? Doesn't feel like it. Went to see GP before Christmas as chest was rattling but she said it was a virus and nothing to be done. The rattle has subsided a bit but am still hacking. Not covid, and have had flu jab.

Any ideas on the timeline? Thanks a lot. x

Three day mild cold
Two weeks feeling exhausted/head/ear/face/throat aching
Four days in bed feeling horrific, terrible headache, cough, sore throat
Five days on still exhausted with cough

2 weeks in, first had sore throat for a week, then got dry cough/laryngitis/voice loss

Now just really tired and depressed and coughing all night

I feel I'm on the up though 🤞🤞🤞

Hope you all get well soon

It's real awful one

Mine started around 14th December. Fluey, headache, sore throat, sore ears, raging fever. Completely lost my appetite, l ate nothing at all for about five days. Lost 8lb in weight.
I was given anbiotics for a chest infection about 10 days ago, currently on second course (I have asthma).
The temperature/headache just eased off a few days ago. I'm still coughing and exhausted. Doctor's given me a sick note until next week.
The past couple of days is the first time l've felt remotely myself again. But my appetite's still not great. I had a cheese toastie for my tea and l felt stuffed and bloated after it. My stomach just wasn't used to it.

I never tread these health boards but came myself to start a thread - misery loves company and all - so I am relieved to see it is not just me. Massively irritated as I'm as healthy and fit as I have ever been and annoyed I can't shake it!

I thought I was on the up, but it's now gone to my eye

Conjunctivitis hurrah

Have taken 2 weeks of work for Christmas and I have been sick from day one

Feeling sorry for myself 🤒🤧

My throat is so swollen I can’t swallow and I feel breathless, like I can’t get enough air down my throat.

I'm on the 3 weeks mark now. Each day has been different.
Started with a sort throat, then sinuses, then thick phlemgh in upper airways, then glands up, then conjunctivitis.
For 2 days I felt I was improving- then started sneezing and felt like a cold coming on again. Now I'm back to sinuses, chesty morning cough and conjunctivitis again!
6 covid tests negative and I've had the flu vaccine this year too.
Its the 1st time I've taken a day off sick in 6 yrs!

@CoffeeBoy If you feel breathless you should go to your GP so they can check you, it may be a chest infection requiring antibiotics.

Day 5 here and I'm honestly feeling like death. Can't sleep, can't eat, coughing all the time, shivering, aches everywhere and can't leave the bed. Each day I'm waking hoping that I'd have become just a TINY bit better, but no. I feel like I can't take it anymore.

Yes I’m back in bed with all the symptoms that I had at the start. Can’t get a GP appointment until the 16th, they did a referral to the chemist who said wait another week then see a. GP if still bad. 3 weeks of high fever and coughing, surely that can’t be ok? Never had anything like it before and I’m in my 5th decade!

I'm on week 4. Following an inability to breathe I was sent to hospital. I have both a bacterial and a viral chest infection. I've just started antibiotics so I'm hoping to feel better soon

@Hoplesscynic thanks, I don’t think it’s a chest infection. My sats monitor says my oxygen levels are ok. Can’t get a gp appt but I take 2g of cephalexin every day for something unrelated so I’m hoping that might work if I do brew a bacterial infection but appreciate it might be the best antibiotic.

hope you feel better soon. I think my throat might be slightly improved this afternoon though still painful.

@NameChangedAMillionTimes i know what you mean about never having felt this bad. I could happily die now I feel so ill. which I know is totally non logical and I’m being a drama llama but that’s honestly how I feel. I took morphine last night to help me sleep!

5 weeks here, felt ok mid way through and now feeling chesty coughy

Is anyone else really emotional? I've been up and down feeling rubbish since the 21st, hot/cold, cough, upset stomach etc and keep bursting into tears.

DH is off and looking after the DC but I rang my mum the other day and asked her to tell me everything was going to be ok. I wish she could come and look after me (I'm over 40) but obviously don't want to pass it to her.

Now I'm crying writing this post!

@swimmingincustard totally! It’s so relentless and unusual not to improve after a few days like normal trajectory, it’s definitely getting me down. The night sweats are the worst, wake up with a high fever every single night, sheets drenched, got to the stage I’m too scared to go to bed because I can’t face it so I faff around til gone midnight. Really horrible. Wishing you and everyone a swift recovery. Xx

Just over 2 weeks now
I'm feeling much better but still have a bit of a sore throat and gums (my tongue was so sore last week)
I also had it where it went away for like a day then hit me again

Its been 2weeks for me now.
I spent 4 days in bed sleeping,shivering,sweating and coughing!
Managed 3 days at work and Christmas Eve/Day, but was back in bed for 8 Christmas Day,and its been on and off like that since.
If i do too much i suffer for it with crushing headaches and dizziness,with a complete fuck it attitude-my house is in a state and I can't seem to care.
All I really want to do is read(books as I cant cope with the light from my laptop/kindle for long)and sleep.
I have had to cancel several plans we had because of feeling too ill to get out of bed,all the bank hols mean extra days off work which we as a family would have enjoyed and again i have just been either in bed or laid on the sofa-such a waste and this upsets me.
I enjoy going to the Gym and have not done a single workout since well before I got ill and this depresses me,all the things I enjoy just stopped.
We have a meal booked for tomorrow and I just do not know if I will feel up to it..
sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

I know what you mean about feeling like this is such a waste of time off work. I’m also missing the gym a lot.

anyway, I just blew my nose. Which has not appeared to be blocked or runny the whole time and pints of snot kept coming out but only from one side. Just kept coming from very high up in my head and I feel less dizzy. Maybe that has cleared my sinus?

Its week 7 for me but i have an incurable cancer and a host of autoimmune conditions. The only place I've been in the last 3 months is the doctors surgery for a blood test so that must be where I caught it.
I was just starting to get better in the run up to christmas but then on Christmas eve it came back with a vengance. So, here I am, back in

I came down with it on 15th Dec, really high temp, shivering, coughing and generally achy/knackered.

Still have the cough and lost my voice on 20th and still don't have it back, just croaking and coughing.

I'm taking my normal dose of morphine tablets morning and night but having go take oramorph every 4 hours too. It sucks because I'd just weaned myself off the oramorph before getting this virus

It’s not great to hear so many are ill but it’s great to read how it’s panning out. I feel like I’ve been ill for ever now. I started being ill on the 15th with sickness, could not move far for 4 days then had what I thought was a cold that just never went, Christmas Eve the cold seemed to get worse and then bam Christmas Day it’s knocked me. I’m still feeling terrible. Today is the first day I’ve left the house since Christmas Day. I’m coughing so much and feel so weak, I’m hit one minute then freezing cold.
gutting as I’m off work on leave and wanted to do some fab stuff with my kids.

4 weeks for me, sorry. 2 bad days, a week of gradually improving cold then I thought it was over but suddenly felt very ill for another couple of days, then increasingly bad cough, burning chest, temperatures. I'd be fine all day then feeling like death all evening or bad all day and ok in the evening. It was so odd and on and lingering. I've felt fine for 5 days now though, just a morning cough now. I very rarely get ill and had almost no symptoms with Covid.

@user375242 thats exactly what I’m experiencing. Getting worse and it’s 2.5 weeks in urgh thanks for post though, at least it does end, really get me down now.

Don’t feel any better today. Was up several times in the night, coughing and vomiting, managed to wee myself twice and I have never had bladder issues when coughing before this.

sinus pain this morning, sore throat is terrible, headache. My neck feels Really stiff which I’m hoping is just due to sleeping funny . I’m so tired but am in so much pain I can’t sleep.

I actually feel better today,not totally back to normal but this is probably the best I have felt..I'm not getting my hopes up though because I've thought I was improving before and then wham back in bed like death again.
Wishing you all well 😘