I think I have flu :(

[justallovertheplace]

I feel awful and tbh cannot really believe I have switched the laptop on. SInce yesterday morning I've been feeling very ill, but assumed I just had a rotten cold. But I have a constant headache, fever, sore throat so bad I've lost my voice, chills (am wrapped up in 2 duvets and still feel cold) and since this morning I have a very sore, runny tummy (sorry ). I am a single parent with 2 young dc with no family here. I could cry I have no idea how I am going to get dd to school tomorrow or even put ds to bed.
It may not be flu, but I am very poorly I think. What can I take to help? The paracetamol I'm taking is not helping at all.

Take Ibuprofen as well and aspirin as well and codeine based pain relief as well.

Do be careful though that any tablets you buy do not have other pain relief stuff in them so that you don't overdose. MIL says day & night nurse are fab, knock you at night - but I'm sure these have a couple of different ones in each.

I always write down what time I take each medicine so I can look back and know for certain when I took something so know guess if I've already had it IYSWIM.

Dh has flu, hasn't eaten for 2 days so I know he's really really ill.

Sounds like you have a fluey illness. Have you had swine flu?

Take ibuprofen as well as paracetamol, alternate them, take one every 3 years, so each dose every 6 hours.

Ibuprofen is better at taking down temps.

Take hot lemon and honey or even a hot toddy for your throat. Ride out the diahorrea!! Poor you.

Take care of yourself! Do you have anyone to take dd to school for you tomorrow?

Sorry don't listen to all cargirl says - don't take aspirin and brufen - NOT safe!

I should have said, ds is quite old at 21 months, but is still breastfed so I'm not sure I can take aspirin. I am goign to have to call dd's friends mum I think and get her to take her in. No idea what I'm going to do with ds all day though We've not had swine flu, no. Most annoying thing atm is obviously feelign so rotten but the constantly runny nose and cough which doesn't seem to be doing anything. it is like a pathetic little bark and it's makign my throat so much worse. All I've managed today os some rich tea biscuits. I thought a glass of orange juice would help but my word it stung, so I'm trying to keep drinkign water but I am just longing for bedtime which makes me feel awful as I've done nothing with the dc this weekend. Thank god for cbeebies is all I can say

O weegiemum that has made me laugh. 'Take one every three years'!

weegiemum that's good to know - not to take those 2 together.

What's tricky is the best thing for sore throats is gargling with dissolvable aspirin but not an option by the sounds of it.

The codeine & paractemol combinations you can buy are better than paracetamol alone but obviously you then can't take paracetamol as well.

You poor love. It does sound a bit like swine flu, or some flu-ey illness, tbh.

You can, I suppose, gargle with soluble aspirin (great temporary relief for very sore throats) as long as you spit it out, then take nurofen every six hours. Though a teeny bit gets absorbed through the mouth/throat, so maybe best to take a half dose of nurofen if you're gargling with aspirin.

If your fever is high, though, I'd stick with the full nurofen dose and avoid the aspirin altogether. In which case, honey in warm water might soothe a bit...do'nt put lemon in, it will sting...

Hope you find someone to help you with ds tomorrow, even if its just for an hour?

And don't, please don't, feel remotely guilty about not having done anything with the kids this weekend - its a teeny blip on their childhood map, honestly! Just get well and use CBeebies as much as you can

And eat/make ice lollies if you're having a hard time drinking - esp with the runs, you need to be careful not to dehydrate.

years are hours

I am nuts ....

Thanks for the suggestions
I managed to get both dc to bed, and made some ice lollies to freeze overnight. But I am so tired now, physically just exhausted, but I can't sleep because my nose is so blocked I can't breathe! I tried having a shower as my bathroom gets very steamy but I felt unwell standing up for so long, and didn't want to have a bath in case I couldn't get out of it. So how do I sleep?? The ibuprofen seems to have worked on my temperature though, so thank you to all who suggested it

Try and get some Sinex today, for breathing tonight. Its not great stuff to use too long, but a few nights is ok. Hope you're better today!

My dear ill Darling, buy some bee propolis from the health food store, it has natural anti-biotic/anti-viral properties and is natural! (I hate OTC_ over the counter remedies-those cough syrups can have chloroform and crazy long named stuff that has been shown to cause cancer!). Propolis is really best when taken at the first signs of a cold/flu but will still help now to make it go quicker.
Get the 500mg or 1000mg capsules, you can take quite a few a day, usually no side effects(I think the odd person may get an itchy rash but I think that's rare). It has saved me many times. In fact I almost never get sick beacuse I take it at the first instance. I just wish I could get my kids to swallow pills! The syrup/tincture tastes hideous!!
I also hear elderberry syrup is FAB and again- all natural!
I never go near any of that chemical laden OTC stuff unless dying!!!
FEEL BETTER!