Flu symptoms

Is it just a dry cough, or are you dealing with fatigue, chest pressure, headaches, and things like that?
I’m not exactly firing on all cylinders myself, and I can't get to the doctor until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.👎

Walter Myers4 said:You aren't just going to go out and grab antibiotics on your own.
The way it works is, you'll know if it's bacterial if that mucus from your nose or the stuff you're coughing up stops being clear and turns yellow or green.
Anyway, the general rule is you head to the doctor if that fever doesn't break after three days.

That’s just for your run-of-the-mill virus, though most times a flu lasts way longer than three days...

I don't even want to get into that other topic, because honestly, it’s a massive blunder... claiming those white patches on the throat is a reason to reach for antibiotics is one of the biggest drivers behind antibiotic overuse globally, especially in places like ours. It isn't just some misguided "old wives' tale," either; it’s frankly shocking that so many doctors still operate based on a theory that was debunked ages ago...

The MedlinePlus Medicine Encyclopedia keeps insisting on certain things, though...

The way doctors hand out antibiotics like they're candy at a birthday party is getting a bit ridiculous... honestly, if you catch a sniffle, it feels like they’ll prescribe anything from Augmentin to a heavy hitter just to get you out of the office faster.

Most people seem to jump straight to the conclusion that if their nasal discharge turns green or yellow, they’ve suddenly caught a bacterial bug that needs a round of antibiotics... but that's not exactly how biology works. That’s just not how it works...Cold symptoms often kick off with that clear, runny nose, but give it a few days and things usually shift toward a creamy yellow or even green hue... Since colds are just viral, popping an antibiotic isn't going to do a damn thing, and that green or yellow discharge is... Wait, I think you might have missed something there... or maybe you didn't... If you’re feeling like death warmed over and that nagging cough just won't quit, it might be time to check if you actually need some antibiotics... though I'm sure the doctor will tell you to just drink more tea and pray.

Just because you're coughing up green gunk doesn't mean it isn't bacterial... it definitely can be. If that lasts longer than a week or starts pairing up with other symptoms that hint at an actual infection, you really should get it checked out...

Henry Mitchell2 said:I have no intention of getting better; this started on Monday and it’s been a disaster. I have zero energy left. My temperature actually dipped below 98.6 yesterday, but just when I thought I might finally be able to get off the couch, it spiked right back over 100. It’s exhausting. 🙂
I once had a severe allergic reaction to Tylenol and ended up in the ER! I honestly have no clue why, since it certainly wasn't my first time taking it. It was just one of those moments where a simple 🙂cold / flu
suddenly turns into a crisis.

Everyone uses Tylenol (not trying to name-drop brands here), but manufacturers pack them with all sorts of fillers and inactive ingredients. You could be reacting to an additive rather than the actual active substance itself. Think about which specific brand or version of Tylenol you were taking before the reaction hit... it might not even be the Tylenol itself causing the issue.

Michael Cox40 said:The cough is still hanging on for me, even though I supposedly "recovered" five or six days ago. It’s frustrating. And now, the person next to me is coughing just as hard after their bout with the flu finally passed. It feels like this stuff just lingers in the air, refusing to quit.

I ran a fever last Saturday—ten days ago now. Still coughing today. That's just how this flu works. If you smoke, you're basically asking for a harder time. Just quit. I finally did.

just step away from the computer for a bit.......and definitely pick up some DayQuil.......it actually works, trust me...

Speaking of DayQuil, has anyone else dealt with bad reactions like spikes in blood pressure or a racing heart?
That’s exactly what happened to me last time. I’m actually too nervous to touch them now, and even after two weeks, I still don't feel quite right.😕
Is it even possible for this to linger for that long?

Maria Gomez6 said:Speaking of DayQuil, has anyone else dealt with bad reactions like spikes in blood pressure or a racing heart?
That’s exactly what happened to me last time. I’m actually too nervous to touch them now, and even after two weeks, I still don't feel quite right.😕
Is it even possible for this to linger for that long?

That’s all because of the pseudoephedrine—it hits you just like caffeine does.

Man, this thing hit me on Tuesday and I literally just crawled out of bed today. I’ve never had a fever hit me this hard before—I was sitting at 102 for two nights straight, and it was such a struggle to get it down. I haven't slept basically at all for four days because this brutal dry cough keeps me up, and whenever I try to lie down, I feel like I can't breathe. I called my doctor yesterday and explained everything, and she told me it’s probably just sinus drainage dripping down into my windpipe when I lie flat. She suggested I drink at least three liters of tea a day to help with the congestion and hopefully stop the choking feeling. But last night, I only managed about two hours of sleep before that suffocating feeling came back. I ended up spending the whole night sitting up instead of lying down because it’s the only way I can actually catch my breath. It’s driving me absolutely craaaaazy.😲I just want to sleep, but it’s impossible. My appetite hasn't even come back yet; I can't even think about eating actual meals, I'm barely managing some fruit. I don't think I've ever felt this wiped out from the flu before. Are you guys dealing with all this too?

Walter Morris3 said:Man, this thing hit me on Tuesday and I literally just crawled out of bed today. I’ve never had a fever hit me this hard before—I was sitting at 102 for two nights straight, and it was such a struggle to get it down. I haven't slept basically at all for four days because this brutal dry cough keeps me up, and whenever I try to lie down, I feel like I can't breathe. I called my doctor yesterday and explained everything, and she told me it’s probably just sinus drainage dripping down into my windpipe when I lie flat. She suggested I drink at least three liters of tea a day to help with the congestion and hopefully stop the choking feeling. But last night, I only managed about two hours of sleep before that suffocating feeling came back. I ended up spending the whole night sitting up instead of lying down because it’s the only way I can actually catch my breath. It’s driving me absolutely craaaaazy.😲I just want to sleep, but it’s impossible. My appetite hasn't even come back yet; I can't even think about eating actual meals, I'm barely managing some fruit. I don't think I've ever felt this wiped out from the flu before. Are you guys dealing with all this too?

For the runny nose, grab some nasal drops and some DayQuil.
And honestly, the tea thing is legit. I couldn't eat anything else, so I just lived off tea in massive amounts and it actually helped.
Also, homemade chicken soup is a lifesaver. 👍

Thanks, I've got some homemade chicken soup at home too, and honestly, that's pretty much the only thing I'm eating besides tea.😉 I guess I'll survive. I’ve actually started daydreaming about what a normal life even looks like.

aaaaaaaaa
I feel like I might be next in line... and honestly, I thought I was being so careful. But then the other day I stopped by a coworker's place—he was feeling under the weather—and then yesterday at the university, it felt like everyone was just spreading viruses left and right. 🙂
But I guess it takes a few more days for them to really multiply and actually hit you.

😢

I’ve been feeling under the weather since Sunday. I’ve never felt this bad, and honestly, I can't even remember the last time I had the flu. All in all, I have to head into work on Monday, and I have no clue how I'll manage. I can barely sit at my computer for 20 minutes.

Sam Hughes5 said:aaaaaaaaa
I feel like I might be next in line... and honestly, I thought I was being so careful. But then the other day I stopped by a coworker's place—he was feeling under the weather—and then yesterday at the university, it felt like everyone was just spreading viruses left and right. 🙂
But I guess it takes a few more days for them to really multiply and actually hit you.

😢

Don't worry, you won't catch it... 😉
At least the flu won't get you...
The flu doesn't really "catch" you... it just hits you like a freight train out of nowhere... 🙂 You were doing just fine, and now you’ve gone and caught a 103 fever...
There’s always that specific moment with the flu where you get that heavy, sinking feeling like you’re about to crash, and then sure enough, you wake up actually sick...

lonebadger6 said:Don't worry, you won't catch it... 😉
At least the flu won't get you...
The flu doesn't really "catch" you... it just hits you like a freight train out of nowhere... 🙂 You were doing just fine, and now you’ve gone and caught a 103 fever...
There’s always that specific moment with the flu where you get that heavy, sinking feeling like you’re about to crash, and then sure enough, you wake up actually sick...

It’s just like that sometimes, isn't it? I was feeling completely fine the other afternoon, but then the moment I walked through my front door after work, I felt this sudden cough hit me and my throat just went bone dry. Within two hours, my fever had climbed to 100.4, and by this morning, I was sitting at 103.1, and now I honestly can't even find the strength to get out of bed today.

lonebadger6 said:Don't worry, you won't catch it... 😉
At least the flu won't get you...
The flu doesn't really "catch" you... it just hits you like a freight train out of nowhere... 🙂 You were doing just fine, and now you’ve gone and caught a 103 fever...
There’s always that specific moment with the flu where you get that heavy, sinking feeling like you’re about to crash, and then sure enough, you wake up actually sick...

This really puts my mind at ease!🙏

I’ve been dealing with a sore throat and this heavy, general weakness since yesterday, though I haven't run a fever yet.

It’s just an occasional cough and that’s the end of it!

Is it possible that it isn't actually the flu?🎉

Probably not, since I started out with just a cough and then an hour and a half later, I was stuck in bed with a 104 fever. It was brutal. And here I was, acting all tough and telling everyone I wouldn't catch the flu and didn't need the shot, but honestly? From now on, I'm getting vaccinated.👍
It'll be a week tomorrow since the flu hit me, and I still feel absolutely trashed. Even typing this is a struggle. I'm heading to see the doctor tomorrow to check if there's any lasting damage, because this cough is still killing me (I'd suggest doing some steam inhalation with chamomile tea; it really saved me from those choking fits🙏).

Walter Morris3, we aren't exactly kids anymore, damn it...😉
It’s always worth double-checking, but honestly, it doesn't seem that strange. Just last month I caught a standard little virus, spent maybe two or three days stuck at home with a mild fever of 99.5, just lounging around watching TV, and yet that period of lying around left me feeling totally wiped out for several days after...

Checking in from my side too.
Friday, I was pushing over 102—honestly, feeling that dead, walking to the bathroom felt like trying to climb a mountain.
Saturday stayed steady at 100.4 and wouldn't budge; the meds would knock it down maybe a degree or two, but then it just sat there.
Sunday was a bit better, slightly lower temps—today it hasn't even crossed 99.5.
I've been sipping tea and sticking to soups.
I finally saw the doctor today, and she prescribed an antibiotic, though I probably won't even bother taking it.
Now the real struggle is this congestion—my nose is totally blocked but there’s nothing to blow out, my ears feel stuffed up too, and my head feels like it's actually splitting open.😢 Any advice?

Is flu season over or what? I woke up this morning with brutal pains in my arms, back, and legs. Just lying here in bed wondering how on earth I managed to get this much muscle inflammation. Then suddenly, my face felt like it was on fire, and the thermometer read 38.5°. 😠

I couldn't even manage to make some lentils because I felt like I was going to pass out—my legs just wouldn't hold me up. Two Tylenol (2x300mg) brought the fever down to 38 and stopped that "falling apart" feeling, even though everything still hurt like hell. It stayed like that for a bit, then spiked to 39. It’s been sitting there for almost an hour and a half now, and honestly, it feels like the fever doesn't give a damn that I popped another 2x2 tablets of 500mg (actually, it dropped to 38.9 👋). I'm so relieved it finally got dark because I spent the whole time pulling the covers over my head or staring at the couch armrest; my eyes were hurting so badly whenever the balcony door was in my line of sight, and I didn't have the strength to even get up and pull the curtains shut. I couldn't even get on the forum! 😁
I'm sipping tea, eating like a bird, and trying to heat up the bathroom so I can take a shower. I don't know what else to do. First, I was shivering for hours like a bear in hibernation, and now I'm just in my pajamas sweating buckets..
I haven't had the flu in forever.. is this it?

I mean, I think it's kinda

it totally caught you off guard, right? 😢

we're hanging out over in Orlando
first off, buddy
so, yeah, I guess 😁 😁

the guy says he just picked up some sand 🤣