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This years’s Flu symptoms - a question


Spryte
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If you’ve had flu this year, did it start as the traditional “I’ve been hit by a truck†feeling? High fever at onset? Or was it something different?

 

I have a high risk asthma kid here. He’s sick but not miserable, and it doesn’t look like when he’s had flu in the past. Temp is hovering at 100 - 101, but with ibuprofen it comes right down and he’s well enough to feel like he wants to go out and play, as long as the ibuprofen is working.

 

I wouldn’t ask, but if thIs year’s flu is starting differently, then I should take him to the pedi’s Sat hours and get him on tamiflu (per doc’s orders, this is a kid with compromised immune issues). Waiting till Mon would render tamiflu less useful.

 

So - what’s flu looking like this year, at onset?

Edited by Spryte
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I'd call the doctor and ask them. I always assumed the flu hit like a ton of bricks, but now am hearing of folks who are not starting out that way. Perhaps they could call in a prescription so it is ready for you to pick up and use IF kiddo gets sicker after the doc office closes for the weekend. Better they do that than make you bring in the kid and expose him to more germs, or end up at ER tomorrow - more germs - if he gets worse. Remind whoever answers the phone that this is the high risk kid the doc does NOT want skipping Tamiflu if he needs it.

Edited by JFSinIL
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Ok, I think I’ll call. That’s a good compromise.

 

I don’t want to take him in if there’s a chance it’s not flu, because of course the office will be swarming with flu germs and we’ll be bound to bring it home. Compromised immune and all that (he and I are both vulnerable to catching everything).

 

ETA: we did have flu shots, so hopefully that will lessen the impact, if it’s flu. Ugh.

Edited by Spryte
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Ok, I think I’ll call. That’s a good compromise.

 

I don’t want to take him in if there’s a chance it’s not flu, because of course the office will be swarming with flu germs and we’ll be bound to bring it home. Compromised immune and all that (he and I are both vulnerable to catching everything).

 

ETA: we did have flu shots, so hopefully that will lessen the impact, if it’s flu. Ugh.

Most of us did not get very sick.

 

We had also had the shots.

 

Of course it could be something other than the flu, there is a lot of stuff going around. Maybe call first and see what your doctor recommends?

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There are a couple of strands of the flu going around and one is more severe than the others. So it might be flu but a milder version. I got both strands this winter, and one hit me like a truck and I was out for a week solid and not truly better for 2-3 weeks and the other was much milder and lasted only a few days. Hope everyone feels better soon!

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Most of us did not get very sick.

 

We had also had the shots.

 

Of course it could be something other than the flu, there is a lot of stuff going around. Maybe call first and see what your doctor recommends?

Thanks. I’ll call, for sure. His sister is sick, too, but similar symptoms - really, just a low grade fever. DS has a headache on and off, but with ibuprofen seems normal.

 

There has been something going around with the neighborhood kids, I don’t think it’s flu, so fingers crossed it’s just that.

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There are a couple of strands of the flu going around and one is more severe than the others. So it might be flu but a milder version. I got both strands this winter, and one hit me like a truck and I was out for a week solid and not truly better for 2-3 weeks and the other was much milder and lasted only a few days. Hope everyone feels better soon!

Oh goodness, you hit the lottery, having both strains. Ouch. I’m glad you are better now!

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My twins had it in early December.  I took one in for fever, sore throat, and white spots on his throat.  Thought surely it was strep, which was why I took him in.  No strep, but positive for Flu Type A.  I assume his twin had the same thing, but did not get him tested.

 

Mine did not have the fever, hit by a truck thing.  We were away from home for a night and they started feeling poopy the morning we were heading home.  By that night, I knew they didn't feel well and mild fever.  The next day and a few days after was worse.  Not super bad though.  Mine did not take Tamiful.  Lots of liquids, rest, and elderberry syrup.  Mama wore a face mask around them and was spared :-) !!!

 

They did have the flu shot so maybe that helped.

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A couple of weeks ago my two school-aged kids got sick. One threw up and had a low-grade fever. The other just had a fever. They were both better within two days. That same week my husband caught the hit-by-a-truck flu and was pretty sick and is still recovering. He thinks that the kids might have had the flu, but just a milder version. At least one of my sick kids had had the flu shot. My husband did not get the shot. 

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I have flu b, and for the first time ever I didn't feel like I was hit by a truck.  I felt like the sniffles plus mild body aches for the first day and a half, then I felt like I got hit by a truck.  Suddenly it was much worse than a cold and I needed DH's help with the baby. No one else in the house has had it as bad as I have though.

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In December my daughter and I ended up with the high fever/hit like a truck version. We were both down for 3-5 days and felt fine after that. 

 

My dh just tested positive for the flu yesterday and his only complaint was coughing and a sore throat. He's feeling a little worse today but has been up and about a couple of times (we've had two flat tires today on two different cars) but he's certainly not like we were a couple of months ago. 

 

I've got the elderberry going -- glad I got that in December. 

 

 

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Both of my teens had a flu-like illness, one last week and one this week, and we did not go to the doctor so I don't know for sure what it was. Both had flu shots--I think there's a chance they had a flu but an easier time of it than many thanks to the flu shot. Both had instant onset, hit by a truck feeling, bad sore throat, bad headache for one, chills and fever, all on day 1. One was in bed for 2 days than back to school feeling like she had a cold--coughing, blowing nose, but basically feeling okay. This week the other was in bed for 3 days, complained of sinus pain, "clogged" ear, now feeling fine but like she has a cold--coughing.

 

I would lean toward not going to the doctor with your ds's symptoms but just keep an eye on him.

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So did you call? I hate to even mention this, but the most sucky part of asthma plus viruses is that even if you think you're beating the viruses you STILL can get pneumonia. This last bug I had, I fought SO hard. I was like dude, I'm beating this. Didn't go into my ears, minimal occasional cough, I basically hardly looked sick. I took sambucol, lots of C, used my inhalers, and I really thought I was beating it. 

 

Only problem was, my lungs developed pneumonia anyway. I beat the bug and STILL got the pneumonia. 2nd time in one winter. And my main symptom (before it went to higher fever and mac truck hitting you) was just that my lungs hurt. Like just hold your chest, they hurt.

 

So it's at least good to let the doc decide, just because it really sucks to have it go south.

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