The Flu.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123014219#Comment_123014219

I got both in my local McCabes pharmacy with no issue. So did my daughter.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123015295#Comment_123015295

It's highly addictive. Many people in Ireland have been going pharmacy to pharmacy chugging back bottles of it. That's why it is getting stricter.

gipi

Thanks @jackboy , I guessed that might be the reason for tighter controls.

Hyperbollix

My elderly mother had a persistent cough for a couple of days but just put it down to a cold. Wasn't feeling especially the worst for it, until she got a weakness at the kitchen table. Obviously you fear the worst, stroke etc, but the person on 999 couldn't have been more helpful and the paramedics decided to bring in her for tests. She was discharged that evening, the only thing they could find was that she had flu. The A&E doctor told me he's seen a lot of it of late, otherwise healthy people just floored (literally) from it.

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023328#Comment_123023328

Glad she's doing OK

I have had the worst cough the last few days have never had a cough like it, completely dry I sound like a sealion barking and the pain of it in my chest is incredible

But apart from a cold I don't feel like I've the flu but earlier my right arm could barely lift my spoon to eat my soup at lunch

Maybe it is the flu but without the fever I assumed not

Cherry Wood

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023328#Comment_123023328

Was she tested for the flu? Hospitals in the UK aren't testing for covid and putting everything down as the flu. Wondering are we doing the same.

Condor24

Had a heavy cold before Christmas, I could function and get on with things but it was a wee bit of a struggle. The cough was extremely annoying at night. But during the day all I'd want to eat was a bowl of hot chicken soup (I like condensed but that's just me) and bread and butter. It's magic stuff as we know, really does help make you feel a good bit better. All good now just a slight tickly cough occasionally.

Geuze

Is there any OTC test available from pharmacies that confirms whether or not you have influenza?

RockOrBog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023797#Comment_123023797

I was in Tenerife this time last year and I did a COVID test, the same test was for influenza and something else which I can't remember. But I've never seen them in this country

Kalimah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023364#Comment_123023364

I’ve had similar since December 19th- just couldn’t shake it off. Got a doctor’s appointment on Friday and am now on antibiotics and steroids for a chest infection. Haven’t been as sick in decades. I hope you’ll feel better soon.

dougm1970

worried about my left ear ... completely deaf in it for 8 days now....going to docs later...im guessing a perforated eardrum from coughing..maybe....i wonder how long such things take to heal.

real strange sensation.…someone talks on left side of me and i hear it coming from right.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123025655#Comment_123025655

I had a double ear infection for about 2 or 3 weeks during the "Beast from the East" storm in 2018. I had got what seemed like a normal cold but it got into my ears. It felt like there was fluid inside and I was almost deaf. I was put on two different sets of antibiotics and they did nothing, I suspect it was viral. It eventually cleared but I was left with tinnitus in my right ear for about a year afterwards!

DJIMI TRARORE

Anyone having trouble with their eyes

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123025877#Comment_123025877

What kind of trouble?

rob316

So many think they have the FLU when its really just a heavy cold. Cold can also give you pains,aches and temp.

I had the proper Flu twice in my life and I vividly remember the last one 4 years ago, it was **** horrible. 2 weeks in bed, barely able to breath, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.

yagan

Around october 2016 I picked up a nasty dose, went to bed with shivers for about two days. Anyway was back to normal after about a week except one of my ears felt blocked. It wasn't until about six months later that one day I could feel this sudden release of pressure and my hearing was back to normal.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123025961#Comment_123025961

Flu can run the range from asymptomatic, to mild, to being floored as you have described.
You can have flu and symptoms overlap with that of a heavy cold.

Roughly three-quarters of people with seasonal or pandemic flu show either no symptoms or mild ones that aren't usually linked to flu. "[The] flu is more common than we thought, but often less severe than what we had thought," says Andrew Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London and the study's lead author…
The study tracked nearly 5,500 people across England over six flu seasons between 2006 and 2011, including the 2009 H1N1, or swine flu, pandemic. Researchers drew blood samples before and after each season from each participant to check for signs of the infection.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/17/290878964/even-if-you-dont-have-symptoms-you-may-still-have-the-flu

DJIMI TRARORE

Constantly running,pain behind

xzanti

I highly recommend a good probiotic if you're sick.

I got covid last Christmas for the first time. No vaccine. I took 3 Super 8 Udo's capsules three times daily and never needed to take to my bed. Slept fine at night. Felt like I had a cold for a few days and then back to normal within a week. The only part I found particularly unpleasant was the loss of my smell. I took over the counter cold medicine for the cold-like symptoms.

I felt like I was coming down with something a few days ago. Took the Super 8 as above and it didn't develop beyond the initial icky feeling. Was grand after a day.

Just my personal experience.

Most pharmacies now stock Udo's in a little fridge.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023328#Comment_123023328

Did she have the vaccine?

Thelonious Monk

other half works in ICU, pretty much everyone in there has flu now (on top of other things), but it's making things a lot worse, young enough people too

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123030470#Comment_123030470

Bad enough when you're healthy.

Archeron

I see a few people mentioned changed tastes earlier in the thread. I was sicker than I've been in ages over Christmas, came on really quick Christmas day and lasted over a week. Had cooked the dinner, felt great, plated it up and as soon as I sat down to eat, immediately felt really unwell, took to bed, and didn't eat properly again for a number of days.

Grand now, but I can't stomach the taste of coffee any more for some reason.

I used to drink four or so cups a day, and wasnt fussy about brand, but since Christmas I can't touch it. Tried again today and bleurgh, and my morning coffee was a really enjoyable thing previously.

Ended up buying a box of green tea to drink in work from now on.

Sorry if off topic but I found it interesting a few other people mentioned similar.

watchclocker

Confirmed by swab today that I don't have flu

But have a very bad respiratory tract infection so antibiotics it is

The hospital (I was sent by GP) was riddled with coughing and splutters

Cherry Wood

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123030882#Comment_123030882

Were people wearing masks?

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123031889#Comment_123031889

Yes they were mandatory

black & white

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123030866#Comment_123030866

Just had my first coffee since the 24th December, definitely not the same taste as previously but I enjoyed it. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

secman

Have a poxy dose since 26 Dec, eventually went to doc on Thursday, been on antibiotics and steroids since then. Just can't get to sleep tonight with the poxy cough....3 hours now trying to go asleep....Kunt of a cough it is...

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123025877#Comment_123025877

Sore stingy eyes, freezing and then sweating,,horrible cough, pains in the soles of my feet (!) In bed last 2 days, worst I've felt in years.

I looked up feet pain and it's a covid symptom.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123043545#Comment_123043545

Your might be beyond this point, but I used to go to bed, cough away for a while then take sips of flat Club Rock Shandy… the citrus seemed to help with a dry cough. OH uses pineapple juice for same situation.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123025722#Comment_123025722

I had that back in November during a trip to Korea. Absolutely horrific. Of all times to get something like that.

Stayed in a Buddhist temple one night where we slept on a floor which is I think what causes it.

Woke up the next day with one ear blocked. Felt like it was under water.

Pain started getting worse and worse to the point where I was in absolute agony. Then it spread to the second ear. At which point I was practically totally deaf.

Luckily it was towards the end of my trip but the journey back was horrific. 17 hours on planes totally deaf with both ears throbbing this non stop agonising pain in tandem with my pulse.

I think the pain lasted about three weeks in total. The tinnitus has only really gone away now. I actually had so much fluid pressure in my ears I thought I was going to have to have surgery for it to be released.

I got some antibiotics in Korea which made a lot of the dizzy/nausea sensations go away but didn't fix my ears. Was on then for ten days. Then had to go on ten days of antibiotic ear drops when I got back.

I don't think I've had an ear infection since I was a kid. (Let alone a double one!) Had completely forgotten how bad they are.

picturehangup

I have been down with a really awful dose since last Wednesday. Fever, headache, chills, coughing -turned green!

Still sick almost a week later, feel awful. What is this beast? Do we have a name for it?

Doc has prescribed second round of steroids and antibiotics. A lot of my colleagues have it as well, trying to battle through, not easy. How are folk dealing with this monster?

I feel as though something is 'stuck' at the top of my lungs/bottom of throat. Sometimes green gunge, sometimes dry.

Irishder

Absolutely crippled with fevers, chills, cough, runny nose, sore through the last 4 days. To make it worse i had to travel the states for work. Worst ive felt in years, i had covid and for me this is 10 times worse.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108295#Comment_123108295

I had same before Christmas, I was using saline pods in this to help get the green gunk up off chest.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CX4S1WX2/ref%3Dppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

greasepalm

Is this not related to this new bug that came from China and spreading through Uk mentioning having an effect on lungs.

watchclocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123110338#Comment_123110338

HMPV?

It's not a new bug, it's been around decades, and if you read up about it you have probably already had it at some point

It's been in the news because China had an increase in cases so there is a big hoohaa about it but it's mostly completely harmless, as with all viruses some people are at risk of being affected worse than others

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111165#Comment_123111165

That sounds like it but others had reported it as much worse and taking 3 weeks to get over it and nastier.

So far so good as not had it yet.

Glaceon

I was only just getting over my previous dose in the last week or so. Felt fine except for the lingering cough. But in the last few days it's back again. I obviously don't know if it's the same thing or another one but I'm bunged up and sneezing a lot again. I haven't gotten a break from it since Christmas!

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123112337#Comment_123112337

Was either one worse than the other and what did you use to aid YOUR treatment

picturehangup

So, I had a visit to A and E with suspected pneumonia, but wasn't, thankfully. They put me on a nebuliser, helped for a while. Breathing still tight, coughing up all sorts. Whatever this is, it's not good, and no one is calling it out. I'm exhausted, wondering if I will be able to go back to work tomorrow. I teach, so need to be in the whole of my health. Fed up with this.

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123130081#Comment_123130081

If your that bad maybe not a good idea to try and teach been so low in the dumps and possibly contagious as the normal flu zaps the energy out of you.

Hippodrome Song Owl

I too am now affected by this. I don't think it's flu as I'm vaccinated and I don't feel all over sick enough - no temp or aches and pains - but it could be a mild dose. It's a weird one in that it started straight away on my chest, bypassing upper respiratory symptoms. Literally woke up with painful chesty rattled breathing due to phlegm. No cough, no sore throat, no head cold symptoms. Trying to force cough it up is painful. It's worse at night, and is aggravating an existing cardiac issue.

BorsukBroCsNake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123023879#Comment_123023879

Yep tests seem to be for Covid, RSV and Flu at least that's what you get these days in Poland if you ask for a Covid test, no idea how accurate they are etc.

BorsukBroCsNake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123109275#Comment_123109275

These are great, saline pods or if you can get it decongestant etc great piece of kit to have at home I think.

jamieon

Are people still running for covid tests when they have a sniffle? Asking for a friend…….

black & white

No but my GP is asking people to do a Covid Test before attending the surgery.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123133045#Comment_123133045

Sure.

My wife and I both have caring commitments with elderly and immunocompromised parents.

Covid might manifest as a sniffle or mild viral illness with us, but it could easily put the parents in hospital, or worse, if they were to contract it.

A quick Covid test tells us whether we can carry on as normal, or keep away from them until will test negative.

Glad to have the tests available tbh.

jamieon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123133433#Comment_123133433

So before 'Covid' would you have still cared for the elderly with a cold/flu? Or stayed away? Because if you stayed away then whats the point in taking covid tests still

Larbre34

Yes we would have stayed away if symptomatic. If, however, we were to get Covid now, we have a clear marker of whether there is active virus in our bodies,ie whether or not we might be contagious, even if asymptomatic.

If we at the same time test negative and feel well, we can resume visits earlier than we may have if using the passage of time as a caution.

I consider it no different to taking a test before going to any medical setting where immunocompromised people may be.

amandstu

Is the flu season past its peak now?

(I haven't heard mention of it in a while)

From this story on CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/14/health/flu-season-hospitalizations-mrsa-ane/index.html

they are going through something similar (worse?)

I wonder if it just took a month or so to "cross the Atlantic"