Both types of flu at the same time

[Only me]

I posted yesterday about dd being diagnosed with both influenza A and B at the same time. The doctor said it was rare but can happen. I should have asked more questions but we had already been there awhile and I knew the doctor was busy.

 

Has anyone had this before? I searched online and don't see how it is even possible. She would have had to come into contact with two different people with the flu at the same time. I'm actually worried that I may have started getting it this past weekend. I thought it was severe allergies. I was also really dizzy. I had hit my head the night before and thought the dizziness was from that. I've had a mild sore throat for the past few days. This morning I have chills and ache all over. I have chronic pain and take pain pills every day so it's hard to tell if I actually have a fever. Also I'm always in pain but this seems to have made it worse. My chest is a bit congested but not near as bad as she is. I'm wondering if I have a mild case of influenza B since that is less severe than A. I wonder if I gave her the B and she got the A at school.

 

Because she has both do you think it will take longer for her to get better? I feel so sorry for her. It's going to be so tough missing her college classes. She is also on a travel 19u girls hockey team and will miss that for at least this week. It stinks since she is new to the team and they are really deciding positions this week. It looks like she was going to be center but that might change now. I hope not.

 

Besides taking the antiviral and lots of fluids can you think of anything that could shorten the duration. Would elderberry still help?

[OneStepAtATime]

No clue but I wanted to send you hugs for both of you.   :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[creekland]

Same here with no actual advice or thoughts, but plenty of hugs and hope/prayers that you both get better soon!   :grouphug:

[Spryte]

We have had both strains at once here, several times.  Our pediatrician doesn't seem to find it rare, though maybe she's just never mentioned it.  DS and I are the ones who end up with both strains at once, for some reason.  DD and DH just catch one at a time.  

 

Treat it the same way you'd treat any flu.  Lots of rest, fluids.  We do the elderberry syrup, plus the homeopathic flu remedy, and if we catch it in time, we take the Rx anti-viral, too.  

 

It's miserable.  So sorry.   :(

[JennyD]

 

Oh dear, poor thing!  I have nothing useful to offer but I hope you both recover quickly!

 

[trulycrabby]

We had both strains at once a few years ago. We all had our flu shots but it was a year that the vaccine was comepletely different than the circulating strains.

 

I hope everyone feels better very soon. :grouphug:

[Rebecca]

I didn't read all of the responses....but I did want to say that several of my children had both influenza A and B in 2009. It definitely can happen. They were very sick and it was very scary. It definitely gave me a whole new respect for influenza. I am sorry you are going thru this! Swift healing.

[zoobie]

My two oldest had both as well--this was January 2010. It was miserable! They both relapsed. One got strep. One got an ear infection. It sucked. :( I hope your DD feels better soon.

[Mommyof4ks]

I had both in 2008, and I ended up with chemical meningitis too (sounds scarier than it is, but it hurts worse than a migraine). That was the sickest I have ever been, and it took a week to recover fully. That was the season where the vaccine was useless since the strains were not right in the vax. Even if she had the vax the effectiveness rate is still around 50% according to a CDC article I read last year (that left me scratching my head), so she could have gotten the flu anyway. I hope she is better soon and she can get her attendance worked out with her school.