I think I have H1N1

[bakercape]

I finally think I got the swine flu. This is my reward for being well enough to interact outside of my home. I have been dreading getting this bug with CFS. So far two days of sore throat and coughing, Headache, Muscles ache (more) aand fver of 102 started today.

Anyone else have the swine flu or reg flu yet? Did you recover OK and in a normal time frame?

I usually don't get bugs but have been pushing myself too hard through my CFS lately and I know that's why I got it. Any advice for agood recovery.

I did not get the vaccine because I am allways afraid a vaccine will trigger a relapse for me. Maybe that is dumn I don't know?

 

[Jody]

Bakercape,

I am no expert, but I can give you my opinion.

I'd say you were wise in not getting the vaccine, that type of thing can cause bad, weird reactions for us.

If it were me down with the flu right now, I would get as much rest as possible. I would take breaks every half hour or so if I was doing anything that wasn't bed-related. I would drink lots of fluids. I would be extra careful with my diet, avoiding any food triggers I'm aware of and majoring on the foods I know work best for me.

I would try to stay in my parasympathetic nervous system ( regenerating, healing) and out of my sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) by remaining as tranquil and trying to stick to positive thoughts as much as possible.

I would stay with the assumption that I will get over these symptoms and just rest, rest, rest.

 

[Andrew]

Anyone else have the swine flu or reg flu yet? Did you recover OK and in a normal time frame?

The outcome of swine flu is not always the same. But I've thought about what I'd do if got a fever. I'd go to the doctor ASAP.

 

[Robin]

People react differently to the vaccine so there is no way of predicting if you will relapse or not. I got one and had no problems while others have gotten really sick!

Jody's advice is great. My (healthy) friend had the first wave in the Spring and said it was a real bear, it took her two weeks to get over it, but her husband was fine in a few days.

If you find you have trouble breathing, spike a really high fever (104+), or have severe vomiting/dehydration, get yourself to an ER right away, OK?

 

[brenda]

Hi bakercape

As the main problem with the swinwflu is the chest infection that often results, leading to pneumonia, I would start working on keeping my lungs clear by breathing in steam from a jug or something fillled with boiled water and a towel over your head to capture the steam doing it every 4 hours or so. At the first sign that here is infection developing there, you need to get a doctor involved.

 

[bakercape]

Thanks for the free advice.

My doctors office did a trage nurse over the phone. I was hoping for a tamiflu prescription as well as a test for H1n1. They said I already had symptoms for 2 days so tamiflu would not help. Also said if I wanted a test for h1n1 I would have to go to ER.

Ahhh. That made me kinda mad that myh doctor would not give me tamiflu or a test. My fever has been fluctuating between 99 and 102 since wed afternoon.

Boby ach is horrible as my body already aches from the CFS. The headache and sore throat are better. Tylenol is effective for keeping the fever down. I am drinking a lot and still have my appetite. I have done nothing but lay and sit around since wednesday. Not that that is totally different then the ussual.

I guess I am still glad I did not get the vaccine. I'm so wary of them having CFS.

Hope nobody gets the flubut if you do don't try to push through it. I think I'd be much worse rigt now if I did.

 

[spit]

I'm almost positive I had it right after thanksgiving, and it was hellish. They didn't test me either, or anybody else who got it at the same time, but everybody including the doctors was pretty sure it was H1N1.

I'm really sorry you're going through it. Sadly, there's nothing that can be done except to rest lots, drink tons of water, treat symptoms if they're driving you nuts (guaifenisin, not dextromethorphan, IMO -- better to keep mucus moving if it's going to be gooping around anyway). Watch especially for your lungs. I never hit a point with it that felt dangerous, but I did have very, very deep lung congestion, and I can absolutely see why, after experiencing it, some people are getting pneumonia etc. It seemed to be constantly battling to take hold deep down in my lung tissue. So make sure you're paying attention for any real trouble breathing.

I also had mild pinkeye with it, which was never a big deal, but does happen sometimes with nasty viruses.

At the tail end of it, as I was starting to get better, I got a terrible case of hives. My doctor had never heard of such a thing with it, but looking around online, it seems to be not terribly uncommon with this flu, which actually makes some sense to me, theoretically -- it's not uncommon for small children to get hives from viruses, and we might as well be small children as far as immune response to this particular influenza goes. At any rate, if you don't get a rash, awesome, and if you do, you might want to ask a doctor about it, as rashes with fever can also sometimes accompany meningitis or hypersensitivity reactions that can go wonky (though both are really uncommon, and if you do see hives, they're very probably just a slightly amped up immune response and will go away on their own, so don't panic, either).

Otherwise, yeah, don't push it. Rest, recuperate, sleep as much as you possibly can, and check in when you feel up to it. You certainly have my sympathy, it was a terrible week of constant sick. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[bakercape]

Thanks

Spit for the info. Especially about the hives. I never would have known that.

I really freak out when I get the flu that it will take away what health I've gained back through the years. It's hard to relax. I panic.

I'm happy to hear you got better from it.

 

[spit]

Totally know what you mean. When I felt myself getting sick, I cursed a lot, because I really didn't know what I should expect in terms of my body dealing with it. I was really concerned that it would spur some kind of very strange reaction, since I have no idea what my body's responses are about even without adding a whole new weird flu into the mix.

I came out fine, though. It took me probably a little longer to feel normal tired instead of virus tired than most people take, but nothing major in a long term sense. I think my (ostensibly healthy) partner actually had more long term trouble from it than seem to have; she had it in the summer, and her weight took a nosedive and still hasn't quite balanced out.

Best of luck with it, and do check in as you feel able.

 

[Marylib]

I think I may have had it last spring. Started intestinal and went respiratory, without a sore throat, thankfully. I stayed in bed for 2 weeks and gradually felt better. Mucinex was great. I do not think it kicked me back too much. That happened in October, when my father in law was diagnosed with terminal cancer and my husband and caregiver went severely stressed. The flu was easier on me than that = all the stress cortisol and all that.

Rest up and try not to worry. It was bad, but did not take me all the way down.

 

[bakercape]

Day 5

well the fever is gone since yesterday. God it has been terrifying to have this. It has fealt so similiar to when I first had Sudden onset cFS and could not leave my bed. It's like living that memory all over again.

I am feeling better but still very fatigued. I would say I am a 70% recovered person with CFids normally and I feel knocked down to 40 or 50 percent right now. I'm feeling pretty confident I will be back to my 70% in the near future.

If any body gets this soon the tylenol worked really well for the fever. I took advil for the muscle pain. I downed gatoraid, stayed in bed and ate toast and chicken noodle soup. My stomache did get affected by this flu and I am so glad I did not eat much that would be hard on the stomach.

Thanks for your advice and concern fellow cfs sufferers. It's nice to have this place to go where people understand and believe you.

 

[Lily]

Hey there

I'm go glad to hear you are feeling better! Just don't get overly confident now please......(I'm putting on my mother face and my nurse cap at the same time). Most people start trying to 'be normal' (whatever their normal is), as soon as they feel like they're going to live A lot of times they relapse somewhat or the secondary infection comes at this later stage, so just take 'er easy, 'kay??

Thanks for letting us know how you're doing. I look forward to hearing more of your progress

Linda

 

[Robin]

Glad that the worst is over! It sounds like you did all of the right things to get your body through. Give yourself extra time and rest like loldershaw says to recoup and you'll be glad you did.

 

[bakercape]

Almost all better after a week and a half. Appetite stillnot all back. Energy not back to my regular 70% CFS level but I'm allmost back.

I'm so happy I can fight off a flu and actually not wind upwith severeCFS all over again.

 

[Jody]

bakercape,

It can be a great relief to find yourself pulling up out of the worsened symptoms again.

The not knowing whether you will get back up is scary.

Glad to hear you are on the mend.

 

[bakercape]

Thanks Jody. Just about 100%. still making sure I rest a lot. If any of you CFS/ME patient out there get this rest as much as possible and drink a ton. I still feel dehydrated about 2 weeks latter. Hopefully if your immune system is the same as mine don't panic as much as I did. You can get the flu and recover but I think it take longer than a normal person and you will probably feel worse when you have it.

 

[JillBohr]

My poor kids (both with autism) got the H1N1 TWICE! I was dumbfounded. I asked the doctor how this could have happened and she said that the H1N1 (geez - I can not even think of the word). Anyway, the first time, we rode it out O.K. The 2nd time, it was much worse. My kids got better but then my oldest son started to have very bad seizure actiivity after his fever died down. What made it even worse is that their ME/CFS aunt took care of them so that I would not miss work. She got ill after they got better and it took her almost a month to recover and I do not think she really did recover 100 percent. This was back in October and our family was way behind on everything during the holidays.

 

[Jody]

Thanks Jody. Just about 100%. still making sure I rest a lot. If any of you CFS/ME patient out there get this rest as much as possible and drink a ton. I still feel dehydrated about 2 weeks latter. Hopefully if your immune system is the same as mine don't panic as much as I did. You can get the flu and recover but I think it take longer than a normal person and you will probably feel worse when you have it.

Sounds like you are doing well, all things considered.

Just keep on resting. It may take awhile but you will come up out of this latest setback. LOTS of rest. :Retro smile: