Flu symptoms

About a week or so ago, I started hearing whispers that some new strain of the common cold—or maybe it’s the flu, honestly, I could never tell the difference 🙂—is making its rounds again. Naturally, I was right at the front of the line for it; that’s just how my luck works.

Has anyone else here fallen ill lately? It’s hit my lungs incredibly hard, and I’ve already heard from a few other people feeling the same way... how are you all dealing with this? 😕

I don't know about you, but for me, it started with a sore throat two days ago—then the coughing kicked in, and now I’m basically blowing everything I own out of my nose.
I swear, I'm going to lose my mind because this stuff never just leaves me alone. It’s always the same pattern: what starts out as a simple little cold for everyone else somehow morphs into a full-blown sinus infection for me, and before I know it, I’m stuck on a course of antibiotics. 🙂
I just sent my sister to the Walgreens to grab some inhalation supplies and nasal drops. Honestly, it's infuriating—has anyone else noticed they don't even carry Mentoklar for inhalation anymore? Now it's just all this propolis nonsense that doesn't do a damn thing.

Why aren't you guys all focusing a bit more on boosting your immunity???

I'm pretty sure they still have Tylenol in stock, though maybe you should check a few different pharmacies to be sure.

I'm still dealing with this lingering bronchitis from my allergies, but other than that, I almost never catch those viruses...

So, I was hunting for some Tylenol at the pharmacy the other day, and they told me the same thing—it’s totally out of stock.
Ended up grabbing some kind of cold ointment with basically the same ingredients.

My husband definitely caught the worst of it, though—he actually ran a fever, which is super rare for him. Probably a sinus infection, too.

As for me, I barely felt it—just a weak sore throat for a couple of days and that was it. The kids had something minor too, but no fever.

It's weird how we all react so similarly to certain bugs (like the flu), but then with others, the symptoms can be all over the place.

Casey Palmer5 said:Maybe you all should try actually working on your own immune systems for once???

I’m trying... nothing to report just yet.

Robin Collins5 said:I'm trying... nothing yet.

It’ll get better. 🙂

Back in mid-July, I caught something that felt like a nasty cold. Usually, it kicks off with a runny nose, then migrates to the throat, and for some people, it hits the sinuses hard. There’s always that first day—the peak of the crisis where you feel like you might actually die—and then things slowly start to level out. By the end, all you're left with is a lingering cough that hangs around for two weeks after everything else has cleared up.
It hit me, too. But on the second day, right after that initial wave passed, I decided to head out for a swim. Believe it or not, I actually felt better afterward. Maybe it was just the ocean air, but I'm glad I didn't miss out. I also used some baby cream on my nose, which kept the irritation away; the redness never even showed up, and the sniffing stopped after three days. That meant the only thing left to deal with was the cough, which dragged on for about two weeks. I ended up finishing two bottles of cough syrup to get through it. 😲

Casey Palmer5 said:Maybe you guys should focus a little more on boosting your own immunity too... just a thought...

👍

I really hope you aren't planning on relying on that flu shot to do all the heavy lifting for your immune system... honestly, that thing is packed with aluminum, mercury, and a bunch of other toxic junk that just ends up weakening your defenses. If your goal is to speed up the aging process, then sure, go ahead and get the shot. It’s a great way to do it... 😁

Hey Max, where on earth have you been hiding lately????

Personally, I’m skipping the flu shot this year, mostly because the thought of that needle just wrecks my mental health. I’d honestly rather deal with three different bouts of the flu than deal with being poked. (Thankfully, I’ve only caught the actual flu once, so I guess I’ll go ahead and give myself a pat on the back for that...)

Casey Palmer5 said:Hey Max, where did you end up digging all that up from anyway?

I stumbled upon this article about Mercury by accident, the source is right here. Aside from that, what do you think they mean when they say they "kill off" the flu virus? With candy or actual poison? 😉 Flu vaccine ingredients: Formaldehyde: a known cancer-causing agent; Thimerosal: (a mercury derivative) used as a preservative in the vaccine. (I'm not actually sure if there's aluminum in flu shots—no, wait, it's in other vaccines). It’s just wild how we poison babies with every little thing imaginable, and then act shocked when so many people end up with autoimmune diseases. Some babies just can't handle it and either pass away or end up autistic, and then "doctors" sit around wondering what caused the autism...

Instead of getting vaccinated, try this to prevent the flu: eat right (skip the sugar and go easy on grains, potatoes, and rice—lots of raw veggies instead), lower your stress levels, get some exercise...

Casey Palmer5 said:Why don't you guys try actually working on your own immunity for once???

👍 Wise words.

And it shouldn't just start now; it needs to be a year-round effort.

Getting vaccinated isn't strictly necessary either. Strengthen your body first, so if you do catch something, at least it passes through you in a milder form.

Robin Collins5, I totally feel you. It’s honestly such a bummer. I'm dealing with the exact same thing over here—except for me, antibiotics are basically out of the question because there's a real chance I've already developed some sort of resistance to them. 🙂

And don't even get me started on the whole immunity thing... I take my vitamins, I eat clean, I ride my bike constantly, I swim two miles every single day during the summer, and I don't even touch meat... I mean, what else am I supposed to do? 😲 😁
Some people are just genetically predisposed to catch this stuff—it doesn't matter how careful they are—while others seem to dodge it entirely unless they're being reckless... I guess that's just how the deck is stacked. 😎

Robin, which camp do you fall into? 😛 🙂

Christian Sanchez44 said:So what's the deal with this immunity thing... I take vitamins, eat healthy, ride my bike, swim two kilometers every single day in the summer, don't even touch meat... what else am I supposed to do?😲 😁

I don't know, I just have this weird gut feeling that people who cut out meat entirely end up with super fragile health. 🙄

I eat meat—always have loved it—and my immune system seems to be doing just fine.

Between my two sons, the one who eats meat is way more resilient, while the other one gets sick twice as often. 😕

I'm just not convinced that ditching meat completely is actually healthy.

Honestly, eating meat isn't about health—or the lack thereof. I love the taste of a good steak, far be it from me to suggest otherwise—but I just can't stomach the idea of slaughtering animals. That’s my bottom line. Whether it's healthy or unhealthy? I don't give a damn. I just...🙂...know I
(And please, for the love of everything, let's not veer off into a whole debate about vegetarianism! 🙂)

Honestly, I’ve noticed a significant shift in how my body handles these annoying colds and flus; ever since I cut out meat, and especially since I stopped eating dairy, my immunity has been noticeably stronger.

Since I was a kid, I was always incredibly prone to catching colds—it felt like I had a constant runny nose, perpetually irritated red skin around my nostrils, and pockets stuffed full of paper tissues.

In the last few years, knock on wood, I haven't caught a single cold. Last year, every single one of my coworkers—people I grab coffee with every day—came down with some nasty virus or flu, yet I stayed perfectly fine. Even just now, while my husband is struggling through one of those tedious colds, I haven't felt a thing.

From what I’ve gathered reading various vegetarian, vegan, and macrobiotic sources, the concept of "mucus" production during a cold is often linked directly to dairy consumption, and plenty of people following a vegan lifestyle report experiences similar to mine.

Now, whether there's a definitive scientific truth to that, or if I'm simply going through a lucky streak where my immune system is peaking, I can't say for certain.

Looks like we’ve got all sorts of people here, which isn't surprising.

I reckon physical and mental burnout plays a huge role in tanking your immune system—basically, anything that "recharges your batteries" (even if that's different for everyone) helps out.

Being in good shape definitely helps, but personally, I find that just acting like I’m healthy helps more than you'd think.
It's rare that anything actually knocks me flat; usually, I’ll run a high fever for one day and then I'm totally fine the next.

One time, when it hit me, I felt this sudden muscle weakness right along with a scratchy throat—it was a pretty abrupt onset. I wanted to just crash in bed because I felt wiped out out of nowhere, but I stubbornly decided I had to finish the dishes first.😁

The scalding hot water on my hands made me sweat like crazy, and after that, I suddenly snapped out of it and didn't feel weak anymore. I had a little scratchy throat left the next day, but that was about it.

BTW, I heard that taking hot baths right at the start of the flu works the exact same way. Maybe it's worth trying every time?

I can’t shake the feeling that this whole "acting like you're healthy" thing actually impacts how fast you recover. For my recent cold, I think the real turning point was that I decided to take a proper little getaway that week. Even though there’s a beach right near my house, I felt like I had to travel just to make the trip feel worthwhile—not that I want to get into the specifics of why 😁 . Anyway, once I was finally on "vacation"—which really just meant deciding to go for a swim—I absolutely refused to let some stupid cold stand in my way. So, regardless of how I felt, I packed my things and was down at the shore by 8:00 AM.
It’s hard to say whether it was the ocean air or just my stubborn refusal to act sick that did the trick, but I suspect it was the latter. One day I genuinely thought I was a goner; the next, after getting in the water, I felt an improvement so sudden it was almost unbelievable. My recovery ended up being significantly shorter than anyone else I know who caught this same bug.
In my experience, mindset is everything. Stress and mental exhaustion play a massive role, followed by physical fitness, but most importantly, you shouldn't adopt the persona of a "patient." I have a habit of telling myself: "I'm not sick; it's just a cold." Refusing to categorize a cold as a "real illness" takes away the internal excuse to just lie down and give up.
I’m not saying you should never allow yourself a few days of bed rest, but it’s certainly better if that period is kept to a minimum.

By the way, I heard that taking hot baths right when you first feel a cold coming on works wonders. Maybe worth trying every single time?

That’s the general consensus here, too—those "cold relief" bath salts are everywhere. Same goes for the teas—they make you sweat buckets 😲 but by morning you're feeling 👍
.
I get vaccinated, though.

For some people, it's actually mandatory or highly encouraged—my mom works at a hospital, and a few years back she and several colleagues caught a viral pneumonia all at once 🙄—so since then, everyone there has to get their free shots every October.

I feel like I catch most of those bugs just from unwashed glasses at coffee shops..
Maybe if I'm careful and don't hang out in cafes as much, I could actually say I'm healthy..

Christian Sanchez44 said:Robin Collins5, I totally feel you—it’s unfortunate. It’s the exact same story with me. Only difference is, I can't even touch antibiotics because there's already a slight chance I've become resistant to them.🙂

And what about this whole immunity thing... I take my vitamins, eat healthy, ride my bike, swim two miles every single day in the summer, and I don't even eat meat... I mean, seriously, what more am I supposed to do?😲 😁
Some people are just naturally more susceptible to this stuff, regardless of how careful they are—while others seem prone to it specifically when they *don't* take precautions... I guess...😎

Pink, which group do you fall into? 😛 🙂

It’s enough to say that last year, right in the dead of winter during a trip, I was the only one in the entire group making sure I stayed wrapped up in a scarf, taking my vitamins and propolis, and avoiding drafts (because, of course, I had been dealing with some garbage illness a month prior), etc. Naturally, my nose started running—thankfully, only on the way back.😵

I eat healthy and consistently (well, I do eat meat, so clearly that doesn't matter either), and I'm actually happily in love—I honestly thought all that positive energy might make me immune to catching something at least once, but nope... 😠

It isn't fair, especially since I even wear an undershirt.😁
I went to see my doctor today because it felt like my lungs were going to burst from coughing. She prescribed me some Augmentin and some cough syrup.😢

Oh, and I think I've only had the "real" flu—the kind with the fever and everything—maybe once in my entire life.