What have I caught, some kind of virus? Has anyone had this?

[HappyHappy2023]

My symptoms started 1 week ago.
Day 1 - Sore throat
Day 2- Flu like symptoms, fever, hot, cold chills, muscle aches, swollen tonsils
Days following swollen white tonsils, doctor gave me Penicillin.
I have now noticed that the white stuff has mostly gone from the tonsils but they still hurt so continue taking painkillers. I cannot stop coughing, it’s constant. The urge comes so hard that I end up having coughing fits. Then the tiniest bit of mucous comes out. I’ve now got a pain in my neck like someone has punched me or strangled me. I lost most of my voice all week too.
My prescription was only enough for 5 days and is about to run out. Has anyone had this? Am I suffering with two separate issues? Thank you. Going to contact the doctor again tomorrow but sitting here constantly trying to cough something up it’s relentless.

I had this a month or so ago, and many people I know. It is either RSV or a form of covid that is not detectable by tests (I didn't test but others did). Some people seem to be affected worse than others, the worst thing for me was the coughing and retching/urinary incontinence. Also be prepared to be really tired in the weeks to come.

Oh God I have the same thing OP - the bloody constant dry coughing is making so depressed, it's completely relentless and takes all my energy. My ribs and back hurts. My throat is so swollen all I can taste is copper. I'm someone who usually never gets unwell but this is hideous!! It's not covid as have tested a lot. Someone told me influenza A is one of the main ones at the moment.

Two young DC to care for and no support means I'm just not getting better due to lack of sleep. No idea whether to bother the GP with this but I'm also a carer for older DC and I'm just struggling so much right now. Sorry this is no help but you're not alone! I've found a spoonful of honey helps keep the tickle at bay a little bit. Hope things turn better for you soon

I was like this for two weeks over Xmas and new year. Never felt so I’ll, spent a week in bed and was hoping I was going to die. Was so exhausted, couldn’t sleep,due to constant coughing, retching and pissing myself. Sore throat and headache off the scale.

I've got it now. It's ghastly. Apparently there's a national shortage of cold and flu meds as it's so common. Visited 8 pharmacies to get anything in london.

Yep I've just had / still have really. Dry cough, down to chest, horrible. Was shivery but that's passed but still so fatigued. Feel gaslighted by life saying it's covid or you're a weakling and get back to work

WOW so it seems to be going around!! I cannot understand why the need to cough is so bad. I’m surprised I’ve still got any pelvic floor muscles left! Haven’t wet myself yet but the constant dry tickle and need to clear my throat is exhausting. Speaking just makes it worse. Maybe the antibiotics weren’t needed. I’m betting whatever it is it’s a virus. I just didn’t expect both a cough cold and tonsillitis within 1 week. That’s what it feels like. I’m so good with hand washing and wear a mask at work all day too. I think a nice cup of tea in the morning hopefully will soothe it!

Me my DP and both DDs had this over Christmas, it was the worst I've felt in years. Mine turned into a chest infection and tonsillitis. We didn't feel better for a good few weeks. Hoping you have a speeder recovery.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/4706977-how-long-are-people-having-this-flu-virus-for?page=1

Get well soon OP. It is indeed an absolute bastard of a bug 💐

This was exactly how I had it too, my hubby had no symptoms and a very faint positive line and my son who brought it in had a faint positive for 1 day. (Like so faint you can hardly see it.)
I never tested positive but I did lose my sense of smell of 24 hrs on day 3 (which apparently is rare unless bunged up (I wasn’t) and often goes at the end of a cold if not).
There are lots of people online who don’t test positive at all, or test positive only at a certain time of day, or don’t test positive until day 8/9 of symptoms.

I feel like it can’t be safe to keep coughing so much. It literally feels like I’ve been punched in the throat lower down, my glands are swollen and hurting but my tonsils are fine now but something is swollen on each side as I can feel it with my hands. This is so odd because it’s almost as if it’s two illnesses back to back. Is there any way to tell if it needs further attention or do I need to just wait it out? I did two covid tests at the beginning of last week negative but will do another one today just to check. Thank you

My husband has it at the moment. Daughter had it just before Xmas. It’s horrendous.

Lots of this is going around OP, they are dropping like flies at work which then puts pressure on others to be present when they shouldn't be and so it just keeps going on.

I have friends with this. On average it seems to last 4 - 8 weeks

I have this right now, started when I had to spend Jan 6th and 7th in bed feeling like the worst cold ever. I'm now through the phlegm production phase, into the breathless tickly cough phase and woke up with super sore tonsil on the right this morning. Tested negative for covid multiple times. Sympathy and solidarity!

We had a flu type virus over Xmas which started with a sore throat and fever and went on to develoo into a really heavy cold. Before this we had a never-ending dry cough and I can't remember when that started..I think it was probably around October. It took 3 months to go! Then we had the flu/heavy cold and now DS has yet another cold and bunged up sinuses and ear ache so he's got a doctors appointment today.

I found Covonia really helped the dry cough.

Get well soon everyone!

My whole extended family have had this, and I was the last one standing... Woke up feeling horrendous yesterday so got straight on to the doctors for some antibiotics. I know about antibiotic resistance, but seeing how ill everyone else has been I had to take action as I've got 2-year-old twins to look after! The doctor concluded that I've got tonsillitis, but it's definitely more than that. My chest feels like it's on fire, and coughing is so painful. These bastard illnesses are really doing the rounds aren't they.

I’ve had ENT infections & bronchitis. Said it’s going around here. Started feeling unwell NYD. Several negative LFT. Only time felt this unwell is when I had covid. Fevers were hitting 41.

Had pneumonia November & December so have only just got over that. 3 x antibiotics & steroids.

Luckily because of the pneumonia the GP wasn’t taking chances & had me in
& I’ve had 2 lots of antibiotics & still 2 weeks later coughing up (clearer) phlegm but don’t feel as rough. I’m also immunosuppressed so it’s just all taking ages to go.

Im so over all this as I’ve been unwell almost permanently since end of October.

It is a thing around here. Commonly called Covid Not Covid or That 3 week Cough Thingy.

I have similar, and people locally said be prepared for three weeks at least, but wonder if it can be the same , or just a number of horrid winter viruses going around, should we poll where we are? I'm in Leicestershire. Awful cough, bad headache, could sleep for england, coughing up green yuck. No fever though.

Yep had this and still have the sore throat and catarrh. Came down with it Xmas morning (joy!). Felt so very rough - aches, fever, chills, d&v, such a heavy painful productive cough. Lost my voice. Then the cough turned dry and I couldn't speak without coughing - felt like that chap off the Fast Show! Hacking at night. Bloody grim..esp while looking after a poorly baby too.

It's horrific, whatever it is. My DH had it for a month and then I had it for the whole of December. Both negative for COVID. I've never felt so ill and the cough was relentless. Apparently pineapple juice helps a bit.

That sounds very much like flu, possibly with a secondary bacterial infection.
So many people wrongly think that the bad colds they get are "flu", we tend to forget that actual flu is nothing like a cold, it's much worse with different symptoms. Your illness does sound like full blown classic influenza.