Flu symptoms

Hey everyone, I just went through a brutal bout of the flu, and my fever finally broke about five days ago. But here’s the thing: I haven't been able to eat for a week straight. I'm forcing myself to swallow tiny bites just to stay upright, but honestly, the mere smell of cooked food makes my stomach turn. Is it actually normal to lose your appetite for this long after having the flu? Has anyone else dealt with this? How long did it take for your appetite to finally come back?
During the flu, I didn't have any major digestive issues aside from some softer stools, which unfortunately hasn't cleared up yet. Thanks.

Maybe try switching up your diet—if home-cooked meals aren't hitting the spot, just experiment with something else. At least until your system gets used to the change...
Try sticking to veggies, maybe some salad, and throw in some fruit on the side. Just keep testing different foods to see what sticks, and if nothing seems to help, then go see a doctor.

Bottom line is, this isn't normal... I’ve never experienced anything like it. The only time I ever lost my appetite was when I was dealing with a cold or the flu, but even then, things slowly started picking back up after that.

The body is still in the recovery phase, and you should find that your appetite gradually begins to return. I recommend starting with light, cooked foods—something like chicken soup—and consuming them in small, frequent meals.

Basically, just load up on that hardcore junk—you know, the stuff packed with flavor enhancers like they do at McDonald's, or just lean heavily on Lawry's for everything. Honestly, if you go that route, things should settle down in a few days.👍

But seriously, if you find that your appetite isn't coming back after a while, you definitely need to go get checked out by your doctor.🧐

Thanks, everyone! I picked up some B complex and was told to take six tablets a day since I’ve been looking pale and totally washed out. Things are finally starting to turn around—I'm eating normally now and grabbing food whenever the mood strikes—but I'm still not quite back to 100%... Still, the important thing is that it's heading in the right direction!

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better—honestly, just try to eat more veggies and fruit if you can... you really need those vitamins.

Can you catch it from someone who didn't get their flu shot? And is it a live vaccine?

Do asthma patients have a right to free vaccinations? I catch the flu quite often, so I certainly should, yet last year my doctor refused to vaccinate me, claiming I wasn't eligible for the free program. It wasn't a matter of money for me, but I simply refuse to be treated like I don't know my own health status. So, I went straight to the local Health Institute instead, and they vaccinated me without any issues—they didn't even ask for paperwork proving my asthma diagnosis.

crimsonskipper22 said:Can you catch it from someone who didn't get their flu shot? And is it a live vaccine?

Not really.

Account deactivated.

rustymason82 said:Do asthma patients have a right to free vaccinations? I catch the flu quite often, so I certainly should, yet last year my doctor refused to vaccinate me, claiming I wasn't eligible for the free program. It wasn't a matter of money for me, but I simply refuse to be treated like I don't know my own health status. So, I went straight to the local Health Institute instead, and they vaccinated me without any issues—they didn't even ask for paperwork proving my asthma diagnosis.

Here’s the breakdown of who is recommended to get vaccinated—chronic asthma is definitely on that list, though it isn't free:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/index.html

The cost is roughly $20.

Jack Jones61 said:Here’s the breakdown of who is recommended to get vaccinated—chronic asthma is definitely on that list, though it isn't free:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/index.html

The cost is roughly $20.

Can I just go to my primary care doctor and ask them to give me the shot? $6.75It's not much. But I've never been vaccinated before, and I've heard you can get sick from the vaccine itself. Is that actually true?
Thanks.

Has anyone ever dealt with an intense sore throat combined with full-body aches—specifically in the legs—but without running a fever?

I think my dad caught the flu. He was prescribed Augmentin today, but his throat is absolutely killing him.

Jack Jones61 said:Here’s the breakdown of who is recommended to get vaccinated—chronic asthma is definitely on that list, though it isn't free:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/index.html

The cost is roughly $20.

According to the link you provided, it's free for those managing chronic conditions, including patients with lung disease:

According to the latest guidelines from Medicare, certain groups are eligible to receive their flu vaccine at no cost. These categories include:

Individuals aged 65 and older.
Those living with chronic conditions—specifically those managing heart, lung, or kidney disease, diabetes, or life after an organ transplant—face a much more complex landscape when it comes to health management. For these individuals, what might seem like a minor ailment for someone else can quickly escalate into a significant medical complication.
Healthcare professionals.

Nicole Lilly, looking at that treatment plan, it’s pretty obvious your dad is dealing with a bacterial throat infection rather than the flu.

copperlynx22 said:According to the link you provided, it's free for those managing chronic conditions, including patients with lung disease:

According to the latest guidelines from Medicare, certain groups are eligible to receive their flu vaccine at no cost. These categories include:

Individuals aged 65 and older.
Those living with chronic conditions—specifically those managing heart, lung, or kidney disease, diabetes, or life after an organ transplant—face a much more complex landscape when it comes to health management. For these individuals, what might seem like a minor ailment for someone else can quickly escalate into a significant medical complication.
Healthcare professionals.

Nicole Lilly, looking at that treatment plan, it’s pretty obvious your dad is dealing with a bacterial throat infection rather than the flu.

They seem determined to prescribe Augmentin to everyone the second they get a sore throat.

Could it be Strep? The doctor just sent the prescription to the pharmacy based on the symptoms described. I'm not there with him, so I'm relying entirely on his description, but he doesn't have a fever at all. 🤷

If they had the flu, they'd be running a very high fever

boldnomad45 said:Can I just go to my primary care doctor and ask them to give me the shot? $6.75It's not much. But I've never been vaccinated before, and I've heard you can get sick from the vaccine itself. Is that actually true?
Thanks.

Yeah, absolutely. 👍

I actually sat down with my primary care physician and his nurse to ask if I should bother getting the flu shot this year, and they both told me straight up: don't do it.
They didn't really offer much of a concrete argument to back up their stance, though.
Typically, I end up stuck in bed twice a year dealing with some viral bug that drags on for about seven days, but I usually only take five days off from work; after that, I just try to manage the symptoms as they come.

Hey...
I want to know what you guys think.
I feel like I’m totally screwed. On Friday at work, I felt so wiped out it was like I’d been thrown off a moving train.
As soon as I got home, I washed my face and legs and dove straight into bed—maxed out, just sweating and drinking fluids.
I sweated it out a few times, and by Saturday morning, I felt pretty decent.
Then, I pulled a stupid move and went to help out with some stuff around the house. Last night, my muscles started cramping up like crazy, as if I’ve never lifted a weight in my life. It feels like that heavy, exhausted feeling I haven't had since long before I started hitting the gym. My throat doesn't hurt, and I don't have a fever...

Nicole Jones said:Hey...
I want to know what you guys think.
I feel like I’m totally screwed. On Friday at work, I felt so wiped out it was like I’d been thrown off a moving train.
As soon as I got home, I washed my face and legs and dove straight into bed—maxed out, just sweating and drinking fluids.
I sweated it out a few times, and by Saturday morning, I felt pretty decent.
Then, I pulled a stupid move and went to help out with some stuff around the house. Last night, my muscles started cramping up like crazy, as if I’ve never lifted a weight in my life. It feels like that heavy, exhausted feeling I haven't had since long before I started hitting the gym. My throat doesn't hurt, and I don't have a fever...

You should definitely start with a CBC/Differential, CRP, and probably AST, ALT, GGT, AP, CPK, LDH, urea, and creatinine.

Also, did you spend any time outdoors lately, travel to remote parts of the world, or maybe hang out with anyone who’s recently been traveling through those areas?

What kind of data are we even talking about regarding spending time outdoors?
I haven't traveled anywhere remote, and neither has anyone in my neck of the woods... as far as I know.
What does this look like to you guys?
Is it possible it’s from working at home yesterday—climbing up to the attic, sweating, then getting hit by a light draft?
Keep in mind my nose was running and I was sneezing constantly through Thursday and Friday... plus I was freezing while everyone else in the house was just chilling in shorts.
I'll head to the doctor to get some blood work done.