^ what strain did you test positive ? My sister’s grandchildren have b strain in central nj
I’m on week 3 of a nasty cough, thanks to someone from work. No fever, some nasal congestion, but mainly it’s the cough from h—. DH is on Week 2 and is mostly better. S2 just came down with it yesterday. Had to remind DH this am when he was grousing about the “bureaucratic process of laundry” in this house that he is not the only one who has felt like cr*p the past few weeks. I had the audacity to go to bed at 11:15 last night. Sue me already!
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@SouthJerseyChessMom, I’m only guessing I had the flu. I didn’t get tested. I think it may be likely it was flu because it was much worse than a cold. My temps would exceed 102 (just by a hair), even with NSAIDs on board, which is not really typical of a cold. But it could have been another nasty virus rather than the flu. I don’t know for sure.
@CountingDown, is your cough productive or dry? And have you found a medicine that relieves it, even if just for a little while? I’m really hoping I’m not still writing about my cough in 3 weeks! Gah…
It was productive for the first two weeks, but has now graduated to dry. Tried Delsym and Mucinex, but expectorants and I do not get along – it made the coughing worse. Have not wanted to go into the doctor, as I don’t want to infect anyone else with this crud, but I’m at the point where I need to get over this already.
Well, here is a new study: flu is more easily spread than we thinks.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/flu-can-spread-just-breathing-new-study-says-181713428.html
@BunsenBurner, not too surprising. And that photo-YUCK.
Yuck indeed. 
Hope you get better soon. Flu is a nasty, nasty bugger.
(When I type “flu” on my iPhone, it suggests an emoji of a smiley face in a face mask.)
" Also, most of the recommendations I’ve read about this flu outbreak cautioned against clogging up clinics and ERs with low level flu symptoms, miserable though they may be."
I think this bears repeating.
Thank goodness for my PPO that allows me to skip the primary doc. When I made an appointment at a specialist clinic, the receptionist asked why I did not go to my family clinic first. I explained that (a) I did not want to be exposed to flu and (b) the doc would send me there anyway, possibly to spread the flu further
I’m pretty sure I had a “lighter” strain of the flu (I’d had a vaccine earlier). My god the body pains, exhaustion, and headache. I had some congestion/ cough/mild fever/nausea/itching(?). It’s been almost 3 weeks now and I am at about 85% (which feels wonderful after being at like <40%)—I go home and nap or fall into bed every night, have a cough still, but at least I am good for most of the workday. The day I went back into work I wasn’t probably quite up to it bc a mild spat with a coworker had me in tears at my desk (which last happened during my divorce 9 years ago). Thankfully my family seems to have escaped.
I had a sinus infection and bronchitis but not the flu. After 2 antibiotic shots and an oral antibiotic plus an atomizer, I am on the mend.
Just to make sure I understand, am I right that if someone has the flu, after a few days of fever and illness, having a normal temperature in the morning and then spiking a fever in the afternoon is not a cause for concern? When I have had the flu, during my recovery I’d have a higher fever in the afternoon/evening than the morning. I have always thought that was the normal course of the disease.
OTOH a couple of days of improvement followed by worsening is a bad sign.
@CardinalFang, it seems so. I read a bit about it, and I found that temps are often lower in the morning even in absence of illness. The ups and downs of fever during flu infection is indicative that there is a battle going on in the body.
And yes, to be fever free for a few days but suddenly spike a fever would be cause for concern and should mandate a call to the doctor.
“When I have had the flu, during my recovery I’d have a higher fever in the afternoon/evening than the morning. I have always thought that was the normal course of the disease.”
That’s been a pattern in my family as well many times. It makes sense to me - after a night of sleep, your body is rested and has spent the night healing. During the daytime, while awake, you are expending more energy just being awake, even if it is just lounging around. Sleep is important for a sick body.
Folks are fearful of fever but it is the body’s defense mechanism. Not all fevers should be feared.
Is it an old wive’s tale? I’ve always thought fevers tend to spike in the late afternoon, say 3-4-5pm
There is a circadian rhythm to temperatures, generally speaking.
When we have a very bad cough the that interferes with our abilitiy to sleep and therefore the healing process, our doctors generally will prescribe phenegren with codeine cough syrup (or its generic). This helps us get the needed rest so that our body recovers.
That said, coughs can persist months after all other symptoms are gone.
Healthcare providers are nowadays more reluctant to prescribe this because of abuse of this medication, sadly.
Dry cough tickle relief? Anybody? Anything?
Codeine can be a very effective cough suppressant. For some reason, codeine makes my stomach cramp up horribly. It’s just like a “charley horse” that can happen in the calves at night. Very strong, very painful. So I can’t take it. And I could sure use something like that, at least at night as @HImom relates.