Is anyone else terrified of catching the flu?

[Prefect]

this flu is weapons grade. The next time (if there is one, god forbid), I'll take the Tamiflu

Donald Rumsfeld's WMD (Tamiflu) would be perfect for a handling a weapons grade flu Sorry I couldn't resist!

I actually get better when I catch anything else (cold, etc) though I can't remember the last time I had the flu, even before I started vaccinating myself because of having a 3 year old.

 

[pattismith]

Obviously I'm not keen on getting the flu on top of CFS, but I'm not sure that having CFS does anything to worsen the flu. I won't chance a flu shot with immune disfunction, and I'm not at all convinced that they are much more than worthless anyway. @pattismith, @sue1234, have either of you taken Tamiflu when you've gotten the flu? Results?

I didn't, but I clearly should have!
I discovered later that it was strongly advised for people with bronchopulmonary sensitivity which I have...

10 days ago i caught the cold, and after some days it turned into an acute sinusitis...I never had a sinusitis before in my life! My immune system is clearly bad..;

 

[Each Day]

Yes. I normally don't have the flu jab in case it triggers, worsens my cfsme. I am sensitive to things.

If I get a cold I feel poorly for some time. I've also had some breathing issues in the past.

I am trying to get a Flu jab today, which is far too late really but if stay clear of it for a while.. maybe it will help or not.

I know this year is supposed to be bad and since having CFS/ME, I have said if I get a bad illness that will probably be me, I won't get over it. I just hope the jab doesn't give me a temp or make feel ill in anyway. I don't have normal reaction with caffeine or booze, so I'm not sure the normal rules apply.

 

[ash0787]

yes I have been following the information networks, I am going to buy vitamin C tablets, I have something going on at the moment which is stronger than the usual viruses that I get sometimes near constantly but it doesn't match the symptoms described of this pandemic virus strain. Some of what people described just seemed like a normal day for us though so either it would be twice as bad or we wouldn't notice those aspects

 

[pibee]

this is first flu i've avoided catching in maybe 2 years.. yay!
first I was at my friends house few days while she had nasty flu, and then my sister has it (we live together) and didnt catch it either.



very good sign.
i take a lot of vit C, MSM, Valtrex


before i'd never get sick, then it went to the other extreme last 2 years, and i catched literally each and every cold, every 3 weeks.

 

[Artorias]

I've tried taking vitamin C for general health purposes but I don't seem to be able to tolerate it. Pretty sure it makes me feel crummy. Same with vitamin D supplements.

 

[andyguitar]

Myself and 3 of my friends all came down with something that resembles flu on boxing day. None of us have ME/CFS or any other health problems. If it is flu it's certainly nowhere near the worst type any of us has had. But it hangs around and has a pretty bad effect on cognitve function.

 

[sue1234]

Obviously I'm not keen on getting the flu on top of CFS, but I'm not sure that having CFS does anything to worsen the flu. I won't chance a flu shot with immune disfunction, and I'm not at all convinced that they are much more than worthless anyway. @pattismith, @sue1234, have either of you taken Tamiflu when you've gotten the flu? Results?

Yes, I took Tamiflu last year with my one bout of flu. I got it within 24 hours of symptoms, and I did great with it By the end of day 3, I was back to my "normal" self.

 

[sue1234]

I've tried taking vitamin C for general health purposes but I don't seem to be able to tolerate it. Pretty sure it makes me feel crummy. Same with vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin C makes me so tired! I also don't tolerate vitamin D.

 

[sissypop]

I've had the flu since December 18. I'm still sick. I've been to Urgent Care twice and the E R once. I've had tamiflu, 2 rounds of prednisone, 2 rounds of antibiotics a truckload of otc medicine. Nothing has seemed to help. They diagnosed me with acute bronchitis. Maybe I would be worse if I hadn't taken all that medication but I don't think it helped much either.

I didn't get flu shot for fear of making my ME worse. The PA that saw me at the ER said this years flu shot was only 10% effective. But it's bad here. I had this last winter too and was really sick a long time. It seems it really takes my already weak body and just stomps on it. I might have to rethink the flu shot. It's so hard to know what to do

 

[Wishful]

No, not worried. I didn't even think about it. I haven't had a flu for many years, so it's just not something I think about. I'm sure I'd hate getting one, but I'd hate getting struck by a meteorite too.

 

[Artorias]

I've had the flu since December 18. I'm still sick. I've been to Urgent Care twice and the E R once. I've had tamiflu, 2 rounds of prednisone, 2 rounds of antibiotics a truckload of otc medicine. Nothing has seemed to help. They diagnosed me with acute bronchitis. Maybe I would be worse if I hadn't taken all that medication but I don't think it helped much either.

I didn't get flu shot for fear of making my ME worse. The PA that saw me at the ER said this years flu shot was only 10% effective. But it's bad here. I had this last winter too and was really sick a long time. It seems it really takes my already weak body and just stomps on it. I might have to rethink the flu shot. It's so hard to know what to do

Sorry to hear you're going through this. I hope you're back to normal (whatever normal is for ME sufferers!) soon.

I also struggled with the idea of getting the flu shot. When I had one years ago I had a bad reaction, nearly passed out and felt awful for a week. It's like, do I have something that I know for a fact has made me worse before but might not in the future, or risk catching something that could make me much much worse? Efficacy of this year's flu shot in the UK seems to be mediocre at best. Being housebound and having only one other person around reduces my risk quite a bit, but there's still a risk.

 

[Worried1230]

Becareful. Yall the flu is going around bad especially here in texas 2 weeks ago i was hit bad & had a fever of 102.00 woke up the next night my bad drenched in sweat.... it took about 4 days i got better than went out that friday night & got sick again the next day but it wasnt the flu more like a viral throat infection as i had a hoarse voice & throat phlegm but odly no runny nose the whole time

 

[pattismith]

I've had the flu since December 18. I'm still sick. I've been to Urgent Care twice and the E R once. I've had tamiflu, 2 rounds of prednisone, 2 rounds of antibiotics a truckload of otc medicine. Nothing has seemed to help. They diagnosed me with acute bronchitis. Maybe I would be worse if I hadn't taken all that medication but I don't think it helped much either.

I didn't get flu shot for fear of making my ME worse. The PA that saw me at the ER said this years flu shot was only 10% effective. But it's bad here. I had this last winter too and was really sick a long time. It seems it really takes my already weak body and just stomps on it. I might have to rethink the flu shot. It's so hard to know what to do

my bronchitis after flu lasted three weeks, without any improvement from antibiotherapy. I guess you just need to wait for the virus to leave your body.
My cought was so bad that 6 months after, I could still feel the pain in my abdo muscles...

The flu shot is not enough, because it's protection is not full, you need to take anti-influenza drug on the very first day you are feeling ill (Tamiflu or other Tamiflu like drugs).

 

[ebethc]

Becareful. Yall the flu is going around bad especially here in texas 2 weeks ago i was hit bad & had a fever of 102.00 woke up the next night my bad drenched in sweat.... it took about 4 days i got better than went out that friday night & got sick again the next day but it wasnt the flu more like a viral throat infection as i had a hoarse voice & throat phlegm but odly no runny nose the whole time

it keeps coming back for me, too... I'm on my 3rd week and every few days I feel better, and think, "one more good night's sleep and I'll be better" .. then I wake up feeling worse again! That usually happens once during the flu for me, but this flu keeps faking me out over and over

 

[Sundancer]

yes, no, not scared really, if it comes it comes. but very careful. Live alone, so that helps in the risk. Those people that visit me know I'm very vulnerable so are careful.

Two weeks ago i had the GP here, so we sat together on my bed, looking through the differences in bloodwork. Afterwards I thought, err, he's visiting flu-patients. But nothing happened.

Flu still rages here, mainly children but also elderly and vulnerable people.


When I don't get it, it'l be the first winter after three with extra infections. Last winter I've been down with diarrhea for months, started in September with a virus, after 2 months the virus was gone but the diarrhea raged on, I'm too thin already too... and was only finished in may... I need respite from invading little monsters to get a little better...
some weeks to go now, very hopeful about it really.

 

[dannybex]

I've been sick for 19 years and haven't had the flu once during that time. I'm kind of surprised others here have, as w/ME/CFS it was my understanding that we don't usually have the 'normal' immune reaction -- high fevers (enough to fight the virus), etc.

So my question to those who've answered 'yes' -- do you get 'flu-like' symptoms (often typical onset-type symptoms) or the actual flu?

 

[Sundancer]

I've been sick for 19 years and haven't had the flu once during that time. I'm kind of surprised others here have, as w/ME/CFS it was my understanding that we don't usually have the 'normal' immune reaction -- high fevers (enough to fight the virus), etc.

So my question to those who've answered 'yes' -- do you get 'flu-like' symptoms (often typical onset-type symptoms) or the actual flu?

I get both, flulike symptoms as part of crashing. And Flu when a virus hops into my body, the difference is very clear to me.

Hardly any fever here, but I can feel very feverish, I think I just do not have the energy to raise my body temp anymore . I told my new GP that when i come up with a temp of 37,5/ 38 degrees C I'm very ill indeed, like as a healthy person having (over) 40...

I found that when I get a virus, i get depressed. Now of course people the say, of course you get depressed now that you're being more ill. But it's the other way round. Through the years I've found that when I feel the depression rising, it's a sure sign that I will come up with a viral/bacterial infection.

( meaning that as soon as I feel that depression raising its ugly head, I start with my infection packet, being more vit C/D + elderberry+ curcumina etc.)

 

[Carl]

I made sure that I made some Reduced Colloidal Silver so that I am prepared for any viruses. I rarely get flu and always refuse the flu jab. However seeing as this years flu is meant to be extreme I made sure that I have some RCS just in case. I am also T1 diabetic and illness can really badly affect blood sugars.

That is something that CFS should be aware of because I have noticed that as my blood sugar rises, I get exhausted. Blood sugars of around 8 mmol/dl really hits my energy. Cortisol must be released when BS rises and 8 mmol/l is within the normal range so that just shows how badly high sugar diets are affecting the general population. The strange thing is that low blood sugars do not have the same effect. Therefore it does not seem to be solely adrenal issues. Slightly raised BS really make me feel crap.

 

[jesse's mom]

I've been sick for 19 years and haven't had the flu once during that time. I'm kind of surprised others here have, as w/ME/CFS it was my understanding that we don't usually have the 'normal' immune reaction -- high fevers (enough to fight the virus), etc.

So my question to those who've answered 'yes' -- do you get 'flu-like' symptoms (often typical onset-type symptoms) or the actual flu?

I flu like symptoms when I am crashing, and I have had the flu twice. tested positive both times for the Flu