How long to get over flu?

[Ravenbait]

I went down with infuenza in the middle of October. I was off work for four weeks, developed a severe chest infection, was coughing up blood for a while, yada yada yada.

I'm still coughing now, and tired, and not sleeping because when I lie down my chest gets tight. I am regularly coughing with sufficient severity to make me physically sick. I've been back to the docs, and she told me that I have excellent peak flow and my chest sounds clear but because the infection was so bad my immune system has gone a bit hyper and is over-reacting in my upper airways and there's nothing for it but to wait and let it settle down. She told me I'm "convalescing", although I thought that was something you had to go to the Swiss mountains to do.

I've been advised not to do any exercise until I'm feeling fit but I'm getting really effed off with it, to be honest.

How long should I expect this to go on for?

As a side note, if anyone ever tells me in future that they have flu, it had better be proper bloody flu or they'll get short shrift from me. I've never been so ill.

Sam

 

[Panter]

Sorry to hear that, and I can't really offer any help.

I've had "proper flu" twice, it's very, very nasty. The 2nd time resulted in pneumonia which was no fun at all, but even that was considerably better after a couple of Months.

Anyways, get well soon.

EDIT: To add to the feeling ill bit, I must admit that was the worse. I remember worrying that I was going to die during the early stages, and then worrying that I wasn't going to as it progressed, and I felt even worse!
I physically couldn't get off the settee at one point.

 

[slugonabike]

((Sam)), sorry you've been so unwell.

Last time I got flu I neded up with pneumonia too. I was a couch potato at the time so getting back to activity wasn't an issue but I do remember that it took me about 6 months to feel fully recovered. Hopefully, because you are already in reasonable nick, you will find that it doesn't take anything like that long, but I woukld still predict a few weeks after your chest symptoms resolve.

 

[Becs]

Has your GP given you any inhalers to help reduce the hyperesponsiveness in your lungs? I ended up on inhaled steroids for 3 months after I have swine flu last year. I believe it's quite common to be prescribed brocholdilators and steroids after a chest infection, even if you are not usually asthmatic (although I could be wrong). If you were coughing up blood then I would expect to be out of action for quite a while, especially strenuous exercise

 

[Speicher]

When I had flu, in 1992, I was seriously ill for at least six weeks.

For the first three weeks, I did not leave the bedroom. Could not eat, read, or listen to the radio. Like Panter I seriously wondered how much worse I could possibly feel, without dying from it. As you say, the coughing is bad enough to make you feel sick, even if you haven't eaten anything. Sometimes I felt I was going to suffocate.

If people think they have flu and then get better in days, then I do think they have had flu.

Last year, I got flu for the second time, which I think was swine flu. I was very ill for three weeks, and then it was a further four weeks or so, before recovery.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

 

[Ravenbait]

EDIT: To add to the feeling ill bit, I must admit that was the worse. I remember worrying that I was going to die during the early stages, and then worrying that I wasn't going to as it progressed, and I felt even worse!
I physically couldn't get off the settee at one point.

This. Oh gods, this. I even wrote a will!

Sam

 

[Ravenbait]

Has your GP given you any inhalers to help reduce the hyperesponsiveness in your lungs? I ended up on inhaled steroids for 3 months after I have swine flu last year. I believe it's quite common to be prescribed brocholdilators and steroids after a chest infection, even if you are not usually asthmatic (although I could be wrong). If you were coughing up blood then I would expect to be out of action for quite a while, especially strenuous exercise

No, I haven't been prescribed anything.

From the sounds of things I'm just going to have to deal with being out of action for a whle longer. Bah. BAH.



Sam

 

[Banjo]

I had a serious dose of flu about a year ago. Was in bed for about a week, weak as a kitten afterwards . About 2 weeks after "feeling better" I went out on the bike on a route I normally average about 16mph. My average was 8 mph I didnt think I would be able to get home and I normally would not use the granny ring on that route.

Dont rush it and do very short rides at first . Flu is a serious illness,

 

[ttcycle]

I got swine flu last year in July and unfortunately have not been the same since, however, on top of that it has been a hell of a stressful none stop where maybe my immunity has not had the chance to go back to 'normal' so my advice would be rest up as well as you can, take it easy and slowly get back into exercise/rides at a lower speed than before and importantly if at all possible try to keep the stress levels in your life low.

Get well soon Sam!

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry, I can't answer your question but I hope you get well soon!

I laugh at the "I had 'flu a couple of days ago but I feel better now so shall we go to the pub tonight?" types.

I had a major bug once which came on overnight and I'm pretty sure it was 'flu. As soon as I woke up I knew that there was no chance of me going to work so I went to phone in sick and my legs buckled beneath me. I had to crawl across the floor and then pull the phone down by its cord because I didn't have the strength to stand up. They could hardly hear what I was saying.

I crawled back to bed, suffering alternating bouts of violent shivering and feverish sweating. Then I felt something awful was going on in my intestinal tract. Crawled into the bathroom and only just got there in time.

Eventually, spent, I crawled back to bed. Then I felt my stomach start to go. No chance of getting to the bathroom again so I grabbed a plastic waste bin and projectile vomited into that until there was nothing left.

I had no food for days, and just took whatever water I could. Not at all nice!

I definitely would have passed the "There is a bag of £20 notes on your doorstep and it's yours if you pick it up in the next 30 minutes!" test. There could have been a banker's bonus waiting for me and I wouldn't have been able to summon the strength to collect it!

 

[ventoux50]

Hi Sam, rally sorry to hear you're stricken so badly . . . I had a similar experience last year and just couldn't shake it for ages - ended up getting very downhearted and having chest xrays peak flow investigations etc....


I really think you need to get back to see the doc and re-assess whats going on at the moment, it sounds most likely that you've developed a secondary infection which probably needs antibiotics to clear up.

Have you tried steam inhalation ?

If not, boil a kettle, pour into a bowl (add a few drops of Olbas oil if you can stand it !) place your head over the bowl and cover with a towel - breathe deeply for as long as you can bear it. . . . . . this really works - if you've got thick mucus stuck in your lungs the steam helps to soften it and 'dilute' it enough to get it moving.

Also try some of this:

sitting down place your hands on your stomach just below your diaphragm, inhale as deeply as you can until your lungs are full . HOLD IT. then sniff a few times to hyperinflate the lungs. HOLD IT. for 2 seconds and then breathe normally. . . repeat this 3 times and then :

open your mouth and forcibly breathe out until your lungs are empty - then force a few more huffs of breath out.

These two exercices are routinely prescribed by physios to people with lung problems and I guarantee they'll loosen what ever is lurking down there and then induce productive coughing to help get rid of it.

One thing - when you see the doc ask for a sample tube to collect what you cough up - he/she might want to analyse it to be sure you get the relevant antibiotics.

In the meantime forget exercise other than walking around, if you have a secondary infection you need it cleared up, exercise at this stage can cause much more serious problems.
Additionally once it has cleared you need to give your immune system chance to regain its effectiveness before you start exercising again (especially in the cold damp air)

Hope this helps and you're soon on the mend.

P.S. are you male or female ?



Of course if it's man flu (which I had) then it's bound to be much much worse !

 

[Ravenbait]

Was back at the doc's a week ago. She said that the infection has cleared (I was on high strength antibiotics for a week) but my immune system has gone into hyperactivity owing to the severity of the infection.

I managed to sleep through most of last night for the first time -- only woke up twice -- so things are on the mend, it's just incredibly, frustratingly slow. I will try some steam inhalation and the physio exercises, thanks.

I'm a girl Sam, by the way (I'd have thought the sig was a dead giveaway).

Sam

 

[montage]

As a side note, if anyone ever tells me in future that they have flu, it had better be proper bloody flu or they'll get short shrift from me. I've never been so ill.

Sam

This is so true, really annoys me when people stand there and claim to have the flu.
I got it on a school skiing trip....not fun. Had to be picked up from Italy

Hope you feel better soon

 

[ventoux50]

I'm a girl Sam, by the way (I'd have thought the sig was a dead giveaway).

Sam

ooops sorry Ms Sam ! didn't want to presume, at least you can't get the dreaded 'Man flu' after all !


Are you certain the infection's cleared - are you still producing lots of mucus ? If it is green / yellow /smelly then you still have an infection and may need further antibs.

When you breathe in/out, do the airways sound clear or are you aware of a 'ruttling' sound a bit like water gurgling down a drain ? - if yes then you have secretions in your lungs that need clearing.

I don't really understand the concept of your immune system going hyperactive - the normal course of events when you've had an infection (and particularly after antibiotics) is that the immune system is low for a while afterwards - hence the propensity for secondary infections to occur shortly after.

The pain you feel is slightly worrying and could indicate something other than a simple infection (e.g. pleurisy) I'm really not intending to scare you here but I really think you need another visit to the docs to at least put your mind at ease.

Maybe see a different doctor for another opinion ? If you think things aren't right don't be afraid to tell the doctor that - they are there for your benefit and well being - not the other way round.

There are various postural drainage positions to try if your lungs are clogged with secretions, but first you need to know that they are clear and that there are no areas in either lung which may be blocked (sometimes following infection you can be left with a big plug of mucus which literally closes off some of the airways like a cork in a bottle - hence the suggestion of steam inhalation)

A doctor should be able to listen to each particular area of each lung and determine if the airways are clear.

Best wishes

V50 (a male man who has had Man Flu )

 

[montage]

Interestingly the doctor who diagnozed me with the flu was some crazy italian who's room ressembled the amazon rainforest - one look at my teeth and he said I was struck down with the flu...hmmm