Author Topic: Flu (Read 1164 times)

Monkeyleg · « **on:** January 13, 2013, 06:08:00 PM »

There's a strain of flu that's making the rounds in the country, and my wife got hit with it last weekend. She's spent the last eight days in bed. She tried to go to work twice, but only lasted a couple of hours.

I started feeling the effects Thursday evening, and was feeling it 100% by Friday morning. I'm in bed so long that my back can't take it, but if I get up even for a short while, I'm back in bed again. Everything hurts. Even my elbows hurt.

I have to force myself to eat. I've lost seven pounds since Thursday.

Ugh.

De Selby · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:20:29 PM »

Time for a visit to the doc maybe?

I'm definitely getting the vaccine when it rolls around this year.

lee n. field · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:22:36 PM »

It took me about 2 weeks to be back mostly to normal.

lupinus · « **Reply #3 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:23:31 PM »

Sorry to hear dude.

You know the routine. Liquids, stay hydrated, rest, and eat.

MillCreek · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:26:54 PM »

According to our county emergency medical center, we have a 'flu emergency' in my county with three people dead of it so far.

Scout26 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:45:22 PM »

From what I've heard, the Flu vaccine that they used this year is for a different strain then what is going around. Seems like the Fed's never guess right.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #6 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:50:28 PM »

I don't know what I've got, but it hit me Thursday. Usually I get a cold, and when it's about over it settles in my chest as bronchitis and atypical pneumonia. This *started* in my chest. Was totally wiped out yesterday. I don't feel all that bad today, but my ribs hurt from coughing. When I lay on my back, I can hear crackling in my lungs when I breathe. Mild fever comes and goes.

I'm gonna try to see a doc tomorrow about that lungs crackling thing -- I think that means pneumonia.

charby · « **Reply #7 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:50:56 PM »

I got the flu shot back in October and I had the week before Christmas, lasted about 8 days until I was back to feeling back to pair, missed a lot of my favorite time of year to hunt. I still have a cough every now and then.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #8 on:** January 13, 2013, 07:03:18 PM »

Quote

I'm gonna try to see a doc tomorrow about that lungs crackling thing -- I think that means pneumonia.

That sounds like pneumonia. I've had it several times. Once my doctor gave me a prescription. It was really, really expensive, and there were only one or two pills. But it knocked out the pneumonia in one day.

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #9 on:** January 13, 2013, 07:17:50 PM »

Quote from: scout26 on January 13, 2013, 06:45:22 PM

From what I've heard, the Flu vaccine that they used this year is for a different strain then what is going around. Seems like the Fed's never guess right.

That's what they want you to think

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #10 on:** January 13, 2013, 07:56:12 PM »

It went around at work. I'm the only one that didn't get hit.
The baby might have had something diffrent, she only had a fever for a day.

The elder boss is still deathly ill. She got it last. It seemed to hit fast and hard. Both my coworker and the other boss lost weight. I need to lose some pounds but I decided to pass on that diet...

never_retreat · « **Reply #11 on:** January 13, 2013, 08:22:54 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on January 13, 2013, 07:03:18 PM

That sounds like pneumonia. I've had it several times. Once my doctor gave me a prescription. It was really, really expensive, and there were only one or two pills. But it knocked out the pneumonia in one day.

Is that tamaflue (sp)

zxcvbob · « **Reply #12 on:** January 13, 2013, 08:48:10 PM »

Quote from: never_retreat on January 13, 2013, 08:22:54 PM

Is that tamaflue (sp)

Sounds like Azithromycin, except that's really not all that expensive.

Northwoods · « **Reply #13 on:** January 13, 2013, 09:58:28 PM »

Got a flu shot last Friday. So far at least 2 bugs have run through the family but I have not gotten sick at all. Yet anyway. I probably would not have bothered with a flu shot, but with the new baby coming I figured it was worth it.

lee n. field · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2013, 10:11:44 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on January 13, 2013, 06:08:00 PM

There's a strain of flu that's making the rounds in the country, and my wife got hit with it last weekend. She's spent the last eight days in bed. She tried to go to work twice, but only lasted a couple of hours.

I started feeling the effects Thursday evening, and was feeling it 100% by Friday morning. I'm in bed so long that my back can't take it, but if I get up even for a short while, I'm back in bed again. Everything hurts. Even my elbows hurt.

Ugh.

Would this be a good time, you being sick and delirious and all, to get a moccasin quote?

Quote

I have to force myself to eat. I've lost seven pounds since Thursday.

Yup, no appetite for a few days.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2013, 10:46:33 PM »

Quote

Would this be a good time, you being sick and delirious and all, to get a moccasin quote?

I don't have to be sick to give away the store to customers.

As for the prescription, I don't remember what it was, but I want to say it was $75 or $150.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2013, 11:09:47 PM »

Quote from: never_retreat on January 13, 2013, 08:22:54 PM

Is that tamaflue (sp)

Tamiflu.

It was one of the things that went on shortage when there was the big SARS/Avian flu scare or whatever it was a few years back, along with the N95 grade micron filtration masks that can actually catch an Influenza virus... That and the antibiotic Cipro during the Anthrax scares way back during the 9/11 time-frame...

There's arguments if it even works. Roche hasn't released all their data. There has been an independent review by some other groups that says it's not complete bunk. If it does work, it certainly won't "cure" a case of the flu, if it is helping, it might knock down the the duration/severity to just a few days. It's best use seems at least statistically, to take the edge off and help mitigate the potential for serious complications like pneumonia. It's supposed to prevent the virus from cutting ties with the host cells that have been hijacked into producing more so they don't spread as much.

Although some complain Tamiflu hasn't even gone head-to-head with Aspirin and Tylenol in proper double-blind controlled studies to see how effective it is as compared to very common drugs and supportive therapy, like just keeping an eye on people and keeping them hydrated. Because symptomatic treatments could just as easily be as beneficial to the person's overall health and keeping them from getting sicker etc.

You do have to see the doctor within the first 48 hours I think for it to be the most effective. After that the virus has spread too far or is already inside too many cells forcing them to churn out copies that the inhibitions the drug provides won't help much.

K Frame · « **Reply #17 on:** January 14, 2013, 07:50:06 AM »

I've been fighting a nasty head and chest cold the last couple of days. I think I will pass on the flu. It's why I decided not to go to work today--I don't need to pick up the flu on top of this cold.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #18 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:43:58 AM »

CDC is reporting a "health emergency" in all but three (3) states due to the flu.

CDC reports that the vaccine is 62% effective - 1 in 3 chance that if you get the shot you will still get the flu. Yippee!

I got the shot* as soon as it came out (September 2012) and I follow my infectious disease prevention plan - stay away from people. (Being a curmudgeonly hermit helps.

)

Otherwise healthy folks who get it are laid low. The already-weak are getting buried. It's not a pandemic like they feared a few years ago, but it's nasty as it makes its rounds. Also, it is early this year.

stay safe.

* http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/vaccine-selection.htm

InfidelSerf · « **Reply #19 on:** January 14, 2013, 12:12:44 PM »

I'm just now getting back to 90% plus after it took me out for nearly two weeks. I still have a nagging cough that if not gone by next week I'll go to the doc for.
I never get sick and never go to the doc for things like cold or flu.
I figure my body needs to tough it out.
I've never received and would probably never get a flu vaccine. Most of the time it's not for the right strain, so what's the point.
I can understand youngsters and the elderly getting them. But I'll stick to the tried and true method of Nyquil, cough syrup, hot tea (and hotty toddies) and Campbell chicken noodle.

But yeah I feel for you Monkeyleg and all others who got hit with it. I thought I was gonna die for a few hours in that week plus. Everything ached, I actually got several bed sore bruises. And my thermostat was all out of whack.
SWMBO didn't give me any sympathy on the hot flashes, she just laughed and said welcome to MANopause.
Another weird thing I noticed was my beard just stopped growing, I went a week and a half without shaving and it only got to a 5oclock shadow and stopped. Normally I'd be pretty shaggy by then.

HankB · « **Reply #20 on:** January 14, 2013, 01:06:21 PM »

Wonder how much flu is going to be spread by dense crowds in heavily-attended gun shows . . .

I think I'll avoid contagion by sitting out the next few at home.

kgbsquirrel · « **Reply #21 on:** January 14, 2013, 02:32:07 PM »

Quote from: scout26 on January 13, 2013, 06:45:22 PM

From what I've heard, the Flu vaccine that they used this year is for a different strain then what is going around. Seems like the Fed's never guess right.

I'm curious why they don't expand it to cover more than one strain? Lets say, the top 3 strains they think may be prevalent this year, instead of just one?

Also, this for those of you unfamiliar with oral rehydration solutions:

Reduced Osmolarity Rehydration Solution:

To 1 Liter of Water add:

2.6 Grams Sodium Chloride (Table Salt)
1.5 Grams Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute)
2.9 Grams Trisodium Citrate (Citric Acid)
13.5 Grams Glucose (Sugar)

For those not equipped to measure metric here's a rough conversion..

To 1 standard U.S. pint of water (16 fluid ounces) add:

quarter teaspoon (1/4 tsp.) table salt
eighth teaspoon (1/8 tsp.) salt substitute
quarter teaspoon (1/4 tsp.) citric acid
one and one quarter teaspoons (1 1/4 tsp.) sugar

MechAg94 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 14, 2013, 02:46:28 PM »

Quote from: scout26 on January 13, 2013, 06:45:22 PM

From what I've heard, the Flu vaccine that they used this year is for a different strain then what is going around. Seems like the Fed's never guess right.

This is the main reason why I never bother to get the vaccine. I am not at risk to either contract it or have serious problems because of it and the vaccine typically only helps for a specific type.

I haven't gotten anything this year though it is cold and wet this week so if there is a week to be susceptible, it is this one.

drewtam · « **Reply #23 on:** January 14, 2013, 04:57:11 PM »

I think my youngest daughter got it. Neither wife, oldest daughter, nor myself have gotten anything. But the youngest (<2yrs) was bed ridden for about 7 days straight with 103-104 temp. Refused to eat. Gave her water/Gatorade/pedialyte to keep hydrated and advil to reduce the fever. 2 weeks later and it still lingers with eye mucous, and coughs; also developed an ear infection complication. Never did do a blood test to check what it really was, but I figure it is the flu that is going around.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #24 on:** January 14, 2013, 06:02:16 PM »

I just got back from the doc. He says I just have a cold, and it's actually progressing very quickly and I'm on the back side of it now. Still at risk of a secondary infection, but I don't have one yet.

News:

Author Topic: Flu (Read 1164 times)