Beat Back The Flu

[jyl]

All this talk about this year's flu season has made me worried. And sure enough, on Tuesday afternoon, while on a business trip, I felt the symptoms come on.

Aching legs and joints. Sensitive skin. Felt chilled, despite wearing a jacket in Miami Beach. Clammy. A little balance issue. Later started running a temperature.

When the day was done, I bailed on all the evening stuff and retreated to my hotel room. Ordered a big bowl of chicken soup, a bunch of orange juice, took a tylenol, and settled in. Temperature persisted, raised the thermostat, cold and sweating . . .

The next morning, I woke up tired but basically well. By noon I felt fine again. I'm still fine today.

I think that was my flu for the season (knock wood).

When you get the flu, does it inevitably progress to full-blown multi-day misery or can you sometimes nip it in the bud after a day? I'm about 50-50, I think.

[Heel n Toe]

That probably wasn't the flu... and certainly not the badboy strain that is going around right now.

Perhaps a doc or two could weigh in... I could be wrong.

My wife and I caught something the first week of December that basically felt like we had gone on 1/5 battery power. No aching or nasty, unpleasant symptoms, just felt washed out for 5 days or so. I asked our phamacist (we had not had the flu shot at the time) if it was possibly the flu, but lesser because our docs have been making sure our D3 levels are good. Phamacist said it was not the flu... probably just some kind of "bug."

[GG Allin]

I got nailed twice back to back with the flu since right before Christmas. Just now starting to feel normal again.

[RWebb]

yes, that may well have been food poisoning - studies have shown that it is much more common than previously thought and most cases of "flu" aren't

that said, yes your immune system can certainly "beat back" flu and reduce the severity and duration (as can Tamiflu)

- you were worried ----> that can inhibit immune function

[onewhippedpuppy]

Wishful thinking my friend, wishful thinking. That little girly man flu went through our house in Dec. Not enough to stay home from work, just a 24 hour funk. The real flu hit us last Monday during the BCS title game. Wife went down first, and like a good husband I kept the kids downstairs as she puked her guts out in bed. Then my 5-year old daughter did a full Exorcist in the 1st quarter, but I still had control. I went down after halftime and had to run up the white flag. Over the course of about 5 hours all three of my kids (2, 5, 8) proceeded to get sick multiple times. While my wife and I were still sick ourselves. Cleaning up puke while also puking in your own bucket........not good. Possibly the worst night of my life, I slept for about 18 hours straight after the spigot finally closed. Took a good three days to feel right again, it's one of the worst I've had.

So in summary I say, good luck!

[aigel]

A customer I work with has been on his back, working out of his bed for a month now. Pretty impressive.

You can have flu symptoms from a plain common cold. Only testing for the flu could tell you if you had it or not.

Of course it is possible that you are just so bad-ass that your body quenched it before it got anywhere.

G

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

...I kept the kids downstairs as she puked her guts out in bed. Then my 5-year old daughter did a full Exorcist in the 1st quarter, but I still had control. I went down after halftime and had to run up the white flag. Over the course of about 5 hours all three of my kids (2, 5, 8) proceeded to get sick multiple times. While my wife and I were still sick ourselves. Cleaning up puke while also puking in your own bucket........not good.

Man, that's rough... did you get to see some of the game?

If that unfortunate set of circumstances ever happens again, just give everyone a plastic trashcan (except the youngest, I guess) and tell 'em it stays with 'em until the gut tossing is over.

[Erakad]

Dutifully got my flu shot. Avoided people appearing ill. Washed my hands after contacting door knobs, hand shakes, menus...everything, until my hands were chapped. Wouldn't you know, I have been battling the worst f'ing cold I've had in 10 yrs. The coughing alone has crippled me.

Bring on flu, beat back this cold!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Wishful thinking my friend, wishful thinking. That little girly man flu went through our house in Dec. Not enough to stay home from work, just a 24 hour funk. The real flu hit us last Monday during the BCS title game. Wife went down first, and like a good husband I kept the kids downstairs as she puked her guts out in bed. Then my 5-year old daughter did a full Exorcist in the 1st quarter, but I still had control. I went down after halftime and had to run up the white flag. Over the course of about 5 hours all three of my kids (2, 5, 8) proceeded to get sick multiple times. While my wife and I were still sick ourselves. Cleaning up puke while also puking in your own bucket........not good. Possibly the worst night of my life, I slept for about 18 hours straight after the spigot finally closed. Took a good three days to feel right again, it's one of the worst I've had.

So in summary I say, good luck!

Dude, that wasn't flu, that was food poisoning. What did the family eat?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

Man, that's rough... did you get to see some of the game?

If that unfortunate set of circumstances ever happens again, just give everyone a plastic trashcan (except the youngest, I guess) and tell 'em it stays with 'em until the gut tossing is over.

I saw the first half. It was over by halftime anyway.

Everyone had a trash can, but the little ones aren't very good with the aim unfortunately.

Originally Posted by red-beard

Dude, that wasn't flu, that was food poisoning. What did the family eat?

I had the same thought, but you never really know for sure. We all had hamburgers that night. Fully cooked on the BBQ grill, the meat was frozen up until the day we cooked it, and it was straight from the cow that my in-laws has butchered (not store bought). We've eaten a bunch of the same meat over the last few months and had zero issues.

[red-beard]

Condiments maybe - look for a common cause. It came on too quick, and for all of you, and went away too quick, to be the flu.

Do you put mayonnaise on the buns?

[steve185]

I have the flu right now, had it for a couple of days. i am going to aggressively attack it with Crown Royal this evening.

[red-beard]

In both cases, I expect it was norovirus or Staphylococcus aureus

Food Poisoning Causes, Symptoms, Treatment - Food Poisoning Symptoms on eMedicineHealth

[jyl]

Disappointing - I'd prefer to think it was my he-man immune system! Okay, then, I await my head-first turn at the toilet bowl this winter.

[motion]

Real flu = at least one week of utter misery! I last had it about 20 years ago. Was in bed for 2 weeks & lost 15 pounds. Nasty stuff!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Condiments maybe - look for a common cause. It came on too quick, and for all of you, and went away too quick, to be the flu.

Do you put mayonnaise on the buns?

I did, but not my wife and kids. The kids just have a burger, bun, and ketchup. We've eaten the ketchup since with no ill effects.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Condiments maybe - look for a common cause. It came on too quick, and for all of you, and went away too quick, to be the flu.

Do you put mayonnaise on the buns?

yes very suspicious


also... how much do the in-laws like you?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

... The real flu hit us last Monday during the BCS title game. Wife went down first, and like a good husband I kept the kids downstairs as she puked her guts out in bed. Then my 5-year old daughter did a full Exorcist in the 1st quarter, but I still had control. I went down after halftime and had to run up the white flag. ...

Originally Posted by red-beard

Dude, that wasn't flu, that was food poisoning. What did the family eat?

Nah....just die-hard ND fans!

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by jyl

All this talk about this year's flu season has made me worried. And sure enough, on Tuesday afternoon, while on a business trip, I felt the symptoms come on.

Aching legs and joints. Sensitive skin. Felt chilled, despite wearing a jacket in Miami Beach. Clammy. A little balance issue. Later started running a temperature.

When the day was done, I bailed on all the evening stuff and retreated to my hotel room. Ordered a big bowl of chicken soup, a bunch of orange juice, took a tylenol, and settled in. Temperature persisted, raised the thermostat, cold and sweating . . .

The next morning, I woke up tired but basically well. By noon I felt fine again. I'm still fine today.

I think that was my flu for the season (knock wood).

When you get the flu, does it inevitably progress to full-blown multi-day misery or can you sometimes nip it in the bud after a day? I'm about 50-50, I think.

I had the same thing a day or so after getting the flu shot. I thought I was over it, but I have had a lingering cough and occasional congestion for about a month.

I just had my first completely un-medicated 24h and feel much better.

Pretty strange...

[tcar]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Wishful thinking my friend, wishful thinking. That little girly man flu went through our house in Dec. Not enough to stay home from work, just a 24 hour funk. The real flu hit us last Monday during the BCS title game. Wife went down first, and like a good husband I kept the kids downstairs as she puked her guts out in bed. Then my 5-year old daughter did a full Exorcist in the 1st quarter, but I still had control. I went down after halftime and had to run up the white flag. Over the course of about 5 hours all three of my kids (2, 5, 8) proceeded to get sick multiple times. While my wife and I were still sick ourselves. Cleaning up puke while also puking in your own bucket........not good. Possibly the worst night of my life, I slept for about 18 hours straight after the spigot finally closed. Took a good three days to feel right again, it's one of the worst I've had.

So in summary I say, good luck!

That's intestinal flu (Norovirus). It's what hits the cruise ships. One person gets it, everyone gets it.

Very easy to transfer to others.

Flu shots are not for that type of virus.