Running a slight fever

My temp has been hovering just a bit high for the last couple of days—around 99°F or 99.5°F—but honestly, I feel like I’m running a fever of 102. I’ve been taking vitamins, eating plenty of fruit, and popping Tylenol (which is basically my go-to for everything), but nothing seems to change it. Yesterday, my chest started feeling a little sore, and this morning, all my pectoral muscles are aching like I haven't stopped coughing for forty-eight hours straight (even though I only really had a few coughing fits this morning). When I take deep breaths, there's this weirdly pleasant sensation despite a burning feeling somewhere in my bronchial tubes (even with the low fever), but after a few deep breaths, I get slightly dizzy and feel kind of nauseous.

My head hurts a little too, but my appetite is fine—actually, better than usual; I ended up crushing a massive amount of food yesterday 🙂.

What's going on here and what should I do? I have some Advil on hand, but it feels pointless to take it since my temperature isn't even that high. Plus, my doctor is a few hundred miles away right now, and I really don't feel like heading to the ER over this.

Thanks in advance.

😢

Last week was a mess—Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Just a low-grade fever, some chest tightness, a bit of a cough. Nothing catastrophic, but I wasn't exactly thriving either. That weird limbo where you aren't quite healthy, but you aren't fully bedridden yet.
Then Tuesday afternoon hits, and suddenly my fever spikes to 102. Flu. Just great.

Take some Bayer Aspirin (the effervescent kind). If the fever climbs, grab some Advil to knock the temperature down and deal with those aching bones.

Good luck.

Don't take any chances here; we could be looking at something serious like pneumonia.
You really ought to go see a doctor.

What did they tell you? That you should see a doctor anyway, even if it isn't your usual one?
Any physician will take you in—if nothing else, at least they can listen to your lungs..

Actually, my son dealt with this about ten days ago; he came down with rubella.

How does rubella even happen when everyone is vaccinated? I have no clue.
😕

I didn't panic, though. I figured it would pass....But now I'm just sitting here, mentally tracing back everyone we’ve been in contact with, thinking about who we might have passed this thing to via some sort of "forward it and forget it" chain reaction.

It isn't deadly for most, but for pregnant women? It's devastating for the baby.😢

So, just go to the doctor. Do it for yourself and for everyone else. I'm crossing my fingers that this is just some passing weakness.🙂

This virus is absolutely ripping through everyone lately. Honestly, just go get someone to listen to your lungs...
btw, I was running a fever of about 95 degrees when I was sick (coughing, chest pains, sinus issues). I was completely out of commission for three weeks!!!

I’ve been dealing with the exact same symptoms—actually went to see my doctor about it. Thank God everything came back clear with my lungs.
Get to a doctor immediately!!!!

It’s the same old story with me; I hit a 102 fever for two days and then spent the entire week feeling under the weather.
I went to see my doctor, but honestly, she’s so incompetent it feels like she just recites from a script... "take some Tylenol, take some vitamins, just get some rest"... it's always the exact same thing.👎

Says... fever, vitamins, bed rest... the same old story every single time.

I’d say she’s actually smarter than the doctor I saw—the one who thought Zithromax was the magic cure for absolutely everything, basically nuking my immune system until there was nothing left. Just a total amateur...

Back to the point: is this actually the flu, or just some random virus? What else could cause such a sudden, aggressive onset?

A colleague of mine caught it over the weekend, meanwhile, my boss is coughing, sneezing, aching all over, running a fever—yet she still shows up to the office!! 🙄
Good grief! She better not even think about getting me sick! 🙂

Flu, pneumonia, measles?!? Damn, you guys really know how to get in my head. 🙂 Just kidding, thanks everyone for the replies. I know you're all just trying to help, and I honestly appreciate it.

As for what I actually had, I can say things are looking pretty good today. My fever dropped below 98.6 last night and hasn't budged since. Sitting at a solid 97.2 right now. So, the whole thing lasted about 48 hours—from Friday night to Sunday night.

Symptoms were basically what I mentioned: a mild fever (hit 100.4, peaked at 100.2), a sore throat that wasn't too bad, a constant dull headache, heavy congestion, and super sensitive skin along with muscle aches, mostly around the ribs and lower back. No cough at all.

All I really did was try to stay warm, take some multivitamins and Motrin, and eat fruit. That’s about it. My one big mistake was barely drinking anything besides vitamins and water after meals. I should've been chugging fluids, but I'm an *idioticus vulgaris*. It didn't occur to me, and since my throat hurt, I was avoiding drinks altogether. But yeah, my bad.

Oh, and... regarding how contagious this is, I'd say be careful. A friend caught me even though we hadn't seen each other in ages; we just grabbed lunch once that week. And I've already passed it on to another friend. 🙂 Sorry, Boza 😁

Thanks, everyone! Stay safe. 🙂

Robin Collins5 said:she mentioned she’s actually smarter than the doctor I saw. mine prescribes Zithromax for absolutely everything, which basically nuked my immune system. lady's a total moron...

on topic: is this actually the flu or just some virus? what else could cause a sudden flu-like hit?

a coworker came down with it over the weekend, and now my boss is coughing, sneezing, aching, running a fever—but she’s still showing up to the office!! 🙄
man... she better not dare try to infect me! 🙂

I'm pretty much against popping pills for no reason. Motrin is about the only thing I'll touch. 🙂 I know plenty of people who are way too casual about swallowing Tylenol, Excedrin, and stuff like that. As for Zithromax, I heard you shouldn't overdo it. I think when it first came out, there was even some kind of guideline saying you shouldn't take it more than once every six months. Not sure if that was official or just common sense.

Both viruses and the flu are going around right now. I think I just finished fighting off a virus. Hopefully, that helps me stay clear of the flu too. Honestly, this is the first time I've been sick in six years.

frozencobra37 said:I’m really against just popping pills whenever I feel a little off.

👍

Motrin is the only thing I’ll touch...🙂 I know plenty of people who are way too casual about reaching for Tylenol, Excedrin, and all those other drugstore staples.

Those are some pretty wild views to have! Motrin isn't exactly harmless—honestly, you shouldn't even be buying it without a doctor's advice! Tylenol and Excedrin are based on acetaminophen, which can be dangerous, though I guess it might be slightly less risky than acetylsalicylic acid. 😉 You've fallen for the marketing trap... they advertise acetylsalicylic acid so much that you'd think people were just swallowing Tic Tacs!

Flu and viruses are everywhere right now. I think I finally kicked my virus. Hopefully, that helps me fight off the flu too. This is actually the first time I’ve been sick in six years.

The absolute best way to drag out a flu, a cold, or any other bug is taking stuff like Bayer Aspirin, Motrin, Tylenol, or Excedrin (...)! 😉 You should only take those if it’s absolutely necessary, and for most colds and flus, it really isn't. Sure, they might dull the symptoms, but that just makes the illness linger longer. I recently got over a nasty cold (I caught it because I was run down), but I didn't take a single pill this time—and everything turned out fine.

dustycanyon6 said:Those are some pretty weird takes! Motrin isn't exactly harmless—honestly, you shouldn't even be buying it without a prescription! Tylenol and Excedrin are based on acetaminophen, which has its own risks, but I guess it’s probably less risky than acetylsalicylic acid. 😉 You've clearly fallen for the marketing—they push acetylsalicylic acid so hard you'd think people were just swallowing Tic Tacs!

No, no, no... maybe I wasn't being clear. I'm against taking meds for no reason, but if I'm actually in pain, Motrin is the only thing I'm willing to self-prescribe. For anything else, I'll head to the doctor. That doesn't mean I think it's okay to suck on Motrin like it's a Tic Tac.😉

As for everything else, I know a fever is just the body's way of fighting off an illness, so using antipyretics might actually be counterproductive. That's why the fever itself didn't bother me, though I was worried it might be the start of something bigger.

frozencobra37 said:No, no, no... maybe I wasn't being clear enough. I’m totally against popping pills just for the sake of it. If I’m actually hurting, Motrin is really the only thing I’m willing to self-prescribe. For anything else, I’m heading straight to my doctor. That doesn't mean I think it's okay to suck on Motrin like it's a Tic Tac... 😉

Well... I guess all I'm really willing to touch right now is some Excedrin or Tylenol. If those don't do the trick, maybe I'll try Tylenol again. It feels like Motrin just doesn't really cut it for my pain levels... I used to only take it when I had a fever, but then I realized that isn't exactly the smartest way to go about things... 🙂 Honestly, I only reach for the painkillers if my headache or some other nagging ache just won't quit... even after I've tried my usual "natural remedies," like a cold Pepsi or a Coca-Cola... 😁 I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine. I don't even touch coffee on a daily basis—actually, I don't drink it at all—so it really does the trick when it comes to knocking out a headache... 🙂

dustycanyon6 said:Well... all I'm really prepared to deal with is some Excedrin or maybe Tylenol, and if those don't do the trick, then I might try Tylenol...

Now, you have to understand that Excedrin and Tylenol aren't exactly the kind of medications any medical professional would suggest for daily, long-term use, primarily because they contain codeine—which is a very convenient little substance that can lead to physical dependency, causing someone to start falling into that dangerous cycle of claiming, "Nothing else works for me," which is truly the first sign of heading toward addiction. In reality, these medications are quite similar to one another, differing only in the specific ratio of their active ingredients, so I would strongly advise you to avoid them whenever possible...

I dealt with all these symptoms three years ago, and it dragged on for about six months 😲

Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong then, and they still can't today...
Call me a "medical mystery" 😁

I was stuck with a 99-degree fever for a solid month

dealing with a sinus infection.
Then it hit me hard, then it finally let up, and my temperature finally dropped.

Well, looks like a viral bug finally caught up with me too 😢
It started with a cough on Friday. By Saturday, I was hovering around 99-99.5 degrees, and then last night it spiked above 100.5.
I actually went to see my doctor today. At first glance, she thought it was just the flu, but after checking me out properly, she clearly changed her mind 🙄
She prescribed some pills—I think I might have had an allergic reaction to this specific brand last time, though I can't say for certain. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Just what I needed right now 😠

Now I’m trying to figure out how to bring this fever down. I'm torn—should I just take some Advil, or try a lukewarm shower? I've heard people say the shower helps, but honestly, I've never actually tried it.

Unless your fever is hitting 102 or higher, I wouldn't bother taking anything. A little temp is basically just your body fighting off the virus and helping the immune system do its job.

I’ve been sitting here with a fever of 100.6 for the last two days, and right now I’m hitting 101, feeling absolutely miserable. My throat is killing me—it honestly feels like there’s internal bleeding going on. Every time I take a sip of plain water, it feels like I’m swallowing sulfuric acid. And don't even get me started on the coughing; every time I hack, my head throbs like it’s about to split wide open. I went to see my doctor today and she put me on Ceclor. I’m also taking some Sudafed syrup and doing Bayer Aspirin twice a day. My boyfriend actually got some antibiotics from his doctor, specifically Keflex, so he's taking those. My doctor isn't totally sure what I've even caught; she thinks it's probably just the flu, but my head doesn't ache and my muscles aren't sore... at least not yet.
How long does this crap usually last??

Susan Hughes85 said:I went to see my doctor today and she put me on Ceclor. I'm also taking some Sudafed syrup and taking Bayer Aspirin twice a day. My boyfriend got his meds from his doctor too, and he was prescribed the antibiotic Keflex. My doctor isn't quite sure what I have yet; she thinks it's probably just the flu, but my head doesn't ache and my muscles don't hurt... at least not yet..

Your doctor sounds like a real gem—suspecting the flu but handing out antibiotics anyway! 😁 And then we act all surprised when antibiotics stop working... It's because bacteria are becoming super resistant due to all this overusing them when they aren't even needed.

I forgot to mention one thing: patients are part of the problem too. They walk into the clinic expecting a magic pill to fix everything instantly. Honestly, if a lot of people actually took care of themselves, they wouldn't even need to see a doctor in the first place. So, you end up with a patient who just has a common virus, and the doctor—not knowing what else to say—just writes a prescription for an antibiotic to keep the patient calm and make them feel like they're actually getting better. Which, sometimes, happens just because of the placebo effect... which is basically how half of these drugs work anyway. Sometimes you don't even need medicine, just a better attitude...