INFLUENZA

[soldthehouse]

Is anyone on here suffering from the dreaded lurgey? It seems very prevelant up here. I dont normally suffer from such things not even colds and sniffles but Ive got this flu thing proper.

 

Any advice gratefully recieved, I'm on the lemsips which seems to ease the symptoms but not getting any sleep through the night as I cant lie down.

[Chertsey]

I was an early adopter. The week leading up to Christmas I didn't get off the sofa except to go to bed, and vice versa. Got it down to the occasional cough now but it took three weeks.

 

ed. to add advice. Nothing works but steam and Friars Balsam is quite good. My best tip is those balsam-infused tissues. They won't make you any better, but at least they stop you adding a sore nose to your woes.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Chertsey

[soldthehouse]

I was an early adopter. The week leading up to Christmas I didn't get off the sofa except to go to bed, and vice versa. Got it down to the occasional cough now but it took three weeks.

 

ed. to add advice. Nothing works but steam and Friars Balsam is quite good. My best tip is those balsam-infused tissues. They won't make you any better, but at least they stop you adding a sore nose to your woes.

Being a bloke Ive got it bad and seem to get a window of relief mid day but during the night I cant breath its not very pleasant at all, along with stomach cramps and all joints aching

[Guest wanted]

Is anyone on here suffering from the dreaded lurgey? It seems very prevelant up here. I dont normally suffer from such things not even colds and sniffles but Ive got this flu thing proper.

 

Any advice gratefully recieved, I'm on the lemsips which seems to ease the symptoms but not getting any sleep through the night as I cant lie down.

 

Bad luck Stuart, Charlotte is bed bound having the same. I am fighting it because I have a huge project happening at work but I think it will get me soon. No real cure but she's been using Otravine nasal spray and nurofen which seems to help her get off to sleep.

 

Get well soon

Edited January 9, 2011 by wanted

[Athy]

A few glasses of your favourite tipple works well: you'll still have flu but you won't care.

[FadeToScarlet]

Norovirus before Christmas, stinking cold last week which I've almost shaken off.

 

Whiskey, I found, is very good for a cold!

[Guest]

I was an early adopter. The week leading up to Christmas I didn't get off the sofa except to go to bed, and vice versa. Got it down to the occasional cough now but it took three weeks.

 

ed. to add advice. Nothing works but steam and Friars Balsam is quite good. My best tip is those balsam-infused tissues. They won't make you any better, but at least they stop you adding a sore nose to your woes.

 

Pretty much not a lot more that I can add to this Stuart I'm afraid, keep the fluids going and paracetamol (if you don't want to go down the herbal route) may help to keep the temp. down and Sarah is right ref the a sore conk.

 

Jan and I are lucky as we both get a free flu jab (even though we are not in a high risk health group) because of our work so this year we both seem to have had nothing worse than a couple of heavy colds between us.

 

It's still not too late for people in high risk groups to get immunised BTW for any body on here who still hasn't been.

[canaldrifter]

A couple of my local friends have had really bad reactions to the flu jab. Like they got flu? It does put me off.

 

Also I understand the jab only protects you against one kind of flu. There are many.

 

Anyway, i didn't have one, and so far I haven't had it.

 

(Touch wood)

 

Tone

[carlt]

I had it just before xmas.

 

It was just "manflu" until Swmbo succumbed and she finally believed me when I said I was really ill (but was too poorly to sympathise).

[Albion]

A couple of my local friends have had really bad reactions to the flu jab. Like they got flu? It does put me off.

 

Also I understand the jab only protects you against one kind of flu. There are many.

 

Anyway, i didn't have one, and so far I haven't had it.

 

(Touch wood)

 

Tone

 

As one of the at risk types I decided, late in the day, to have the jab. Dire warnings from the nurse about possible side effects ranging from a small lump at the site of the jab all the way through to a bad bout of flu for a few days so I went away and waited. Nothing, absolutely nothing in my case. Couldn't even tell you where the jab went in. I have talked this over with another nurse and it seems that the warnings are given as a precaution but no-one can predict how a patient will react. Bit of a lottery I'm afraid.

Roger

[soldthehouse]

Pretty much not a lot more that I can add to this Stuart I'm afraid, keep the fluids going and paracetamol (if you don't want to go down the herbal route) may help to keep the temp. down and Sarah is right ref the a sore conk.

 

Jan and I are lucky as we both get a free flu jab (even though we are not in a high risk health group) because of our work so this year we both seem to have had nothing worse than a couple of heavy colds between us.

 

It's still not too late for people in high risk groups to get immunised BTW for any body on here who still hasn't been.

Val gets the jab through work but she still got a strain somewhere along the line. The local Boots in clean out of any Lemsip relief so guess theres a bit about. I offered to rub some Vic on her chest but she's been caught out like that before and gave a swift rebuttle.

[Guest]

A couple of my local friends have had really bad reactions to the flu jab. Like they got flu? It does put me off.

 

Also I understand the jab only protects you against one kind of flu. There are many.

 

Anyway, i didn't have one, and so far I haven't had it.

 

(Touch wood)

 

Tone

 

It is possible to catch flu after you have been vaccinated because the vaccination takes some time to build up your immunity. Sometimes this is confused with a 'bad flu like' reaction to the jab, or claims it's been in effective, most reactions to the flu vac are minor and localised to the injection site.

 

It is not correct that the vaccine only protects against one strain of flu. It contains protection against the strains that are anticipated to be the most prevalent in each 'flu season'

 

- eg this years flu vac contains protection against H1N1 (swine flu) amongst others.

 

 

..

Edited January 9, 2011 by MJG

[sueb]

Daughter got flu just before christmas and doctor told us to watch her temperature as he didn't want to hospitalise her on a friday night. She also has a 6mth old baby. Her husband who has had the flu jab also got it but I didn't. Strange we are all in the same house.

Sue

[Hairy-Neil]

I started with it on 13th december. A couple of days in bed and then I improved, the cough apart, till the wednesday before new year when I deteriorated again. For a couple of days I was coughing from my boots and breathing laboured. Ribs hurt from coughing so hard. Also feeling light headed and occasional halucinations. Thought I was developing a secondary infection so gave in and went to the docs. He advised bed rest (I had been fighting it for 2 weeks) so gave in and had a couple of days off. Better now apart from the odd coughing fit.

[Chickadee]

I got it two days before christmas, which was most anoying as I only got Chirstmas day and boxing day off so spent those two days feeling terrible and worried about infecting older relatives and then got the worst day on the day I went back which was also our highest takings day of the whole year which I also had to work on my own because one of my members of staff had quit on me! Argh!!

Oh and the Mr had it at the same time and the dog had a urinary infection aswell, so bad that I was frantically calling the vets on christmas day but luckily didn't have to take her in if I had it would have been £80 before they even looked at her!!!

 

Just left with a bad cough now which is most frustrating as i normally shake colds off in a couple of days.

 

Tips? I've found covornia cough medicine sorts the cough out and makes me feel a little bit floaty which is nice. It tastes foul though!

[PiRSqwared]

Had lurgy back in October. Started as sore throat then spread to head, nose, lungs. Totally non - functional for a week and then a slow recovery, with the cough lingering for about a further three weeks. Night time was the worst - had to practically soak the pillow with olbas oil to even think about getting some kip.

[bottle]

Warning

 

To all of you taking any medication please,please read the label about dosage.

 

For example 'Lemsip' contains Paracetamol and some nice lemon flavour, it should be include in you maximum dosage of Paracetomol in 24 Hrs.

 

Tip: buy Paracetamol and some lemon juice available at all good supermarkets, take the correct dosage of paracetamol and sip the juice (diluted with warm water).

[journeyperson]

Try a Ponchas before bed in addition to whatever medication you are taking:

 

I lemon (zest and juice of)

1 tablespoon honey

1 dessert spoon demerara sugar

4oz white rum.

 

Warm it all in a pan to melt the sugar and honey then pour into a glass, which should have frosted sugar on the rim but you can forego that bit. This makes enough for two drinks.

 

Traditional Madeiran drink that tastes like alcoholic strepsils and brings some relief.

Edited January 9, 2011 by journeyperson

[Barry]

I don't have the flu, manflu or any derivation thereof - I have a cold

 

It's a nasty bastard of a cold - a real humdinger - but it's just a cold

[Southdowner]

Warning

 

To all of you taking any medication please,please read the label about dosage.

 

For example 'Lemsip' contains Paracetamol and some nice lemon flavour, it should be include in you maximum dosage of Paracetomol in 24 Hrs.

 

Tip: buy Paracetamol and some lemon juice available at all good supermarkets, take the correct dosage of paracetamol and sip the juice (diluted with warm water).

 

When collecting regular prescription from pharmacy I asked what additional items to purchase for use against 'flu if contracted. Paracetamol to reduce temperature and a decongestant were suggested, echo Chertsey's Balsam tissues recommendation. Tesco 24 shop had boxes of these reduced to £1.

[romarni123]

When my brother called the doctor about flu his reply was "if you had flu someone else would be phoning me for you as you would be to ill to do it"

[Dr Bradley]

A good friend of mine is currently in hospital intensive care with flu. It has developed into pneumonia, plus organ failure. If you can get the jab, you are much more unlikely to get ill than get any of the side effects talked about (if that sentence makes sence). I've been "off colour" for several weeks, and that is the worst most people get, other friends have been really poorly for weeks. Most of us will get away with it, but some won't.

[Amduck]

When my brother called the doctor about flu his reply was "if you had flu someone else would be phoning me for you as you would be to ill to do it"

 

 

 

There's a bit of flu about around here, but there are also a lot of heavy colds masquerading as flu. A doctor I know recommends that people ask themselves what they would do if they saw a dropped £20 across the road - if they would drag themselves off their sickbed to get it, it's a cold, not flu.

[Guest]

When my brother called the doctor about flu his reply was "if you had flu someone else would be phoning me for you as you would be to ill to do it"

 

This is where the medical profession do themselves no favours as they cause confusion because infection with the flu virus can result in mild symptoms - remember all those messages last year about how many people infected with H1N1 (swine flu) actually only had symptoms not much worse than a cold.

 

What they really mean is if you are able to personally phone or cross the road to get the £20 note you are probably not unwell enough to need medical intervention, you might still actually have flu though.

[romarni123]

I do wish people would stay in if they have flu instead of infecting the rest of us