Colds and Flu Worse Today?

[Deleted]

I came down with this horrible flu thing last weekend. I don't have any sinus issues, but my throat is killing me and my chest is all congested. I have spent about 16-18 hours per day in bed all week.

It is a week later and dang if I don't actually feel WORSE today than I did last weekend. Which leaves me wondering if this crud will ever go away!  Argh...

Does it seem to you like colds/flu over the years have gotten worse and seem to last longer?

[Angel!]

I don't think they are worse. I do think where we are in our lives can make a huge difference - age, stress levels, sleep, other medical issues, etc.

This is the best I have done is years (knock on wood). But I'm not pregnant, not highly stressed, and not dealing with a newborn, so I think my immune system is finally strong enough to fight things off.

[billisonboard]

When I was your age, I had to walk ten miles uphill both ways through the snow to get a flu vaccine.  

[Tennesseer]

Barefoot I presume.

[dannylion]

I'm old enough to remember life before the flu shot was readily available. I recall being very, very sick with whatever strain of flu was going around on several occasions. 

Some flu strains are and have always been really virulent, and if you have no immunity to that particular strain, it is likely that you will be very sick. 

Speaking of which, I got my flu shot yesterday. I got the 4-strain vaccine at a CVS Minute Clinic. I had never used a Minute Clinic before. I was quite pleased with the NP who gave me the shot and with the experience as a whole. I would consider using a Minute Clinic (or at least that one) if I couldn't get in to see my regular doc right away for some minor issue.

[Tiny]

Oct 4, 2014 9:46:52 GMT -5 @workingshasta said:

I came down with this horrible flu thing last weekend. I don't have any sinus issues, but my throat is killing me and my chest is all congested. I have spent about 16-18 hours per day in bed all week.

It is a week later and dang if I don't actually feel WORSE today than I did last weekend. Which leaves me wondering if this crud will ever go away!  Argh...

Does it seem to you like colds/flu over the years have gotten worse and seem to last longer?

You might not have a "flu thing" or a "cold thing" any more.  Flu usually is accompanied by a fever and body aches - not so much with the chest congestion.  A cold is more in your head - drippy nose, head congestion, generally no fever.   You may have started with one thing and it's became something else (well, it didn't mutate - you just couldn't fight off some other issue).   I'd maybe be concerned - maybe a doctor's visit is in order.   The chest congestion that doesn't go away coupled with your tiredness and now feeling worse means maybe you've got something like bronchitis or pneumonia going OR on the way.   FWIW:  I've known several people who managed to drag themselves thru day to day life while coughing and wheezing for WEEKS only to eventually be diagnosed with bronchitis/pneumonia  - a round of antibiotics and bed rest  got them on them mend (which then took another 3 or 4 weeks before they really felt well.. atleast they stopped coughing after the antibiotics.)    

Could you have strep throat?

I'd vote that you should consider seeing a healthcare kinda person... (I'm all for avoiding doctors and drugs - but you've hit my personal threshold for when it's time to seek aid).  

[Tiny]

Meant to add, I dont' think colds/flu are worse than they use to be... I'm just older now and don't bounce back so fast.

[NastyWoman]

Oct 4, 2014 10:47:01 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Barefoot I presume.

WHAT? You hoity-toity wearin' your shoes just to get any old flu shot?   [img]http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png[/img]

[thyme4change]

Oct 4, 2014 9:46:52 GMT -5 @workingshasta said:

Does it seem to you like colds/flu over the years have gotten worse and seem to last longer?

No, but I think some strains of colds and flu are worse than others - so if you get one of the ones that take you down and add it to your age, or whatever, it seems so much worse.  I thought I was going to die when I got the flu 11 years ago, and hadn't felt that way since nearly 15 years before that when I was afraid I would have to drop out of school because I could not get out of bed and get to class.  I am wondering when the next virus of misery will find me and I am not looking forward to it.

[Deleted]

The one time I got a flu shot, I got violently ill for the two weeks after I had the shot.  It was miserable.

I am going to go see the doc if I don't feel better soon. Had to go change a tire on the kid's car today for him on the side of the interstate. Got new tires and now I am back home ready to go back to bed again soon.  Argh...

The good news is that I managed to stay vertical for about 4 hours today, which is a record for the week....

[Deleted]

I know it is really tough to go to work sick, Shasta, and then just come home to collapse.

That's probably what made your "flu" or whatever it is linger on.

[zibazinski]

Whose been covering for you while you've been home ill? Did they hire some help for you finally?

[Opti]

Sorry to hear Shasta. My sinuses are horribly stuffed up and I'm real

borderline on sleep and general health.

 

Unfortunately to people who don't know me well,  all they notice/see

is I am unusually irratible and short. In truth, I am on the verge of collapse and

being sick for a week or hospitalized for a bit longer. The very changeable

weather coupled with the periods of unrelenting autumn sun are known problems for me.

Doesn't help that stupidity and weirdness abound when your building is remodeling

AND the new building is under construction roughly 18 hours out of every 24

Monday through Saturday. Some very interesting equipment on either side of the

driveway as I drove in to the back lot today.

Many of us lower level folk are sick and doing poorly. The

flu shot might actually help once it comes in, but I think I read something

that our supplier had manufacturing issues, so our vaccine will arrive weeks later

than usual.

 If I were in France or Canada I'd probably get at least two cute men to take care

of me.  (Don't spoil the dream.... Phil  has his unicorns. I can have mine! )

[toomuchreality]

Yikes! 
I got my flu shot about a week ago. Hopefully I got it in time to avoid something like you've got.

I hope you feel much better soon!

[truthbound]

Oct 4, 2014 9:46:52 GMT -5 @workingshasta said:

I came down with this horrible flu thing last weekend. I don't have any sinus issues, but my throat is killing me and my chest is all congested. I have spent about 16-18 hours per day in bed all week.

It is a week later and dang if I don't actually feel WORSE today than I did last weekend. Which leaves me wondering if this crud will ever go away!  Argh...

Does it seem to you like colds/flu over the years have gotten worse and seem to last longer?

No. It has only gotten worse if you listen to the bobblehead media.

[Nazgul Girl]

   I think that the flu vaccine itself is constituted so that a person that receives it can't get sick with the flu.   The viruses that are used to manufacture are all killed.   It's possible to have mild flu symptoms afterward for a few days, bu you can't get the flu from dead viruses.

  The trivalent flu shot protects against 3 strains of flu, including the H1N1 strain.   If a person doesn't come down with one of the three strains, it may still offer protection against strains which are closely related to the flu vax strains.

[973beachbum]

Oct 5, 2014 9:05:16 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

   I think that the flu vaccine itself is constituted so that a person that receives it can't get sick with the flu.   The viruses that are used to manufacture are all killed.   It's possible to have mild flu symptoms afterward for a few days, bu you can't get the flu from dead viruses.

  The trivalent flu shot protects against 3 strains of flu, including the H1N1 strain.   If a person doesn't come down with one of the three strains, it may still offer protection against strains which are closely related to the flu vax strains.

I want to add that it can take up to two weeks from the time you are infected until you start to show symptoms of the flu.  so the fact that you feel fine when you get the flue shot doesn't mean you weren't already infected.  So someone can get the shot while already infected and come down with the flu before the shot has the chance to make them immune.

[myrrh]

Huh. I can get a cold once or twice a year and usually it starts with a sore throat, goes to a runny nose, and then goes to a hacking cough that can last for weeks before it goes away. You guys seem to be telling me that the cold virus is making me catch bronchitis and I need to see a doctor for antibiotics which would make it go away faster. 

I was always under the impression that there's no use going to the doctor for a cold cause it's a virus and there's nothing they can do. Now I need to weigh whether going to the doctor and navigating the EOBs, bills, money out of pocket, going to the pharmacy and taking horse pill antibiotics is worth losing a week or two of coughing.  

[Phoenix84]

From what little history I know, the flu was far more deadly in times past. Just read about the flu epidemic of 1918.

I got the flu in February this year, first time in over 10 years.  While it was bad, it only lasted 5 days, which I think is a pretty common length of time for the disease to run it's course.  As others have said, some strains are worse than others.

[Phoenix84]

I agree with Tiny, usually a cold and the flu aren't accompanied by chest congestion. You may be developing some other disease.

I remember when I was in high school, my dad got bronchitis and coughed and weezed for WEEKS. Those kind of things take a long time to get over.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 7, 2014 16:04:29 GMT -5 myrrh said:

Huh. I can get a cold once or twice a year and usually it starts with a sore throat, goes to a runny nose, and then goes to a hacking cough that can last for weeks before it goes away. You guys seem to be telling me that the cold virus is making me catch bronchitis and I need to see a doctor for antibiotics which would make it go away faster. 

I was always under the impression that there's no use going to the doctor for a cold cause it's a virus and there's nothing they can do. Now I need to weigh whether going to the doctor and navigating the EOBs, bills, money out of pocket, going to the pharmacy and taking horse pill antibiotics is worth losing a week or two of coughing.  

Not exactly.  The cold virus cannot be treated, however a common problem with viral infections is that they allow a bacterial infection to hit as well in your compromised state.  Normally it shows up as either a sinus infection or bronchitis.

But 9/10 times, a cold is just a cold and it is fairly apparent when you wind up with a secondary infection.  Your symptoms change for the worse after a few days.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 7, 2014 17:07:05 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

From what little history I know, the flu was far more deadly in times past. Just read about the flu epidemic of 1918.

I got the flu in February this year, first time in over 10 years.  While it was bad, it only lasted 5 days, which I think is a pretty common length of time for the disease to run it's course.  As others have said, some strains are worse than others.

The flu of 1918 was a different species altogether.  ANY disease back in 1918 was more deadly as there were not the methods to fight it back then as there is now.  

What was interesting about this strain was that the earlier generation had been exposed o a more minor, but similar strain and had defenses against it, so it primarily hit the young who would normally have a better immune system to fight it, but couldn't.  

[zibazinski]

DF was told by the transplant people to get his flu shot closer to Halloween so that it would protect him longer. There's spring flu?

[MarleyKeezy78]

Hope you're feeling better Shasta   I have feeling pretty down and out the last couple days myself. Two evenings ago it started with a sore throat, yesterday my throat was killing me and my skin was tender and by the evening I had a temp of over 102   Couldn't hardly drag myself off the couch and to move hurt (chills). Today the temp has finally broke and am able to get up an walk around a bit thankfully. 

I think you should go see a Dr though so you can get on the mend.

[Deleted]

I am still having congestion in my chest and a swollen throat. Other than occasionally hacking up a lung, I feel a lot better.

Then again, I climbed the butte behind my house yesterday with the dog. It was about 3 hours of hiking, and the sunshine and exercise help a lot.