My bout with H1N1

[jblomenberg16]

There has been a lot of discussion so far about H1N1, both hype and reality. I'm currently recovering from H1N1 myself, so thought I'd mention my experience.

Symptoms:
-Aches and Pains in my Legs and Low Back / Kidney area
-Intially Sore Throat, which went away after a day or two
-Sore throat transistioned to chest congestion and coughing up a lot of flem
-Really no real fever, but several hot and cold flashes
-General feeling of being in a fog, hard to concentrate, lack of balance, tunnel vision, and poor depth perception. I noticed this most when driving at night.

All in all, it really didn't feel any different than a typical head/chest cold, which is all that I thought I had.

What I did to get over it:
-Took a day and a half off work and slept a lot.
-Drank about a gallon of OJ and Gatorade per day
-Dr. prescribed a Z-pack (antibiotics) to clear up the chest congestions

I've definitely been much sicker in the past, with strep throat, stomach flu and the like. I first started feeling bad last Tuesday, and started feeling better on Sunday, after 3 days of antiboitics.

In fact, I felt good enough Sunday afternoon to get in a little shooting, which I honestly think helped me feel better, as the fresh air and sunshine is always a good thing.

I still have a bit of a nagging caugh and runny nose, but the rest of the symptems are passed. So far my wife an daughter haven't come down with it, and we hope and pray they don't either.

Through the whole ordeal, I really didn't feel like I was out of action. I was able to stay fairly active here at INGO (especially while in quarantine in the bed room), and got a lot of other things done, including take an exam for MBA school. I did get tired easily though, so could only work on things for maybe 1/2 hour at a time before needing to just lay around and rest.

I was back to work this week, and manged to play softball a few evenings in the local park and rec league, just like usual. Still not a lot of stamina though, and the cold air really brought on the coughing.

So, it isn't all gloom and doom. My advice would be to get to the Dr. as soon as you start feeling bad, get some medicine, and get over it as soon as you can. Apparently the longer it goes untreated, the more likely the chest congestion can lead to pneumonia and other complications.

Good luck!

 

[SavageEagle]

Glad to hear you're over the hump! I bet the day in the sun really did help since it's the natural source for Vitamin D. Also glad to hear you had a doctor with his head on straight and didn't give you Tamiflu!

 

[infidel]

How was it decided that it was H1N1?
Glad everything went as well as it did!

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

Given that list of symptoms....I think I may have already had it and gotten over it....and thought it was just a bad cold.

Still have some nagging congestion, but I'm otherwise fine. Wife and stepkids had something similar, wife had it a LOT worse than me...but maybe thats the extent of the Swine Flu epidemic on my end.

Oh well, guess I need to find a market for all these MREs and NBC suits, if thats all there was to it.....

 

[VN Vet]

Those were my symptons too, except mine lasted nearly two weeks. All I did was to take Nyquil and mega doses of Vitamum C. I still have a little drainage.

 

[redneckmedic]

Also glad to hear you had a doctor with his head on straight and didn't give you Tamiflu!

Hmm, and why is that?

Since there is no cure for influenza, using a neuraminidase inhibitor is your best bet, other than the fluids, rest, treat the s/s stuff.

For antiviral chemoprophylaxis of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection, either oseltamivir or zanamivir are recommended. Currently, circulating 2009 H1N1 viruses are susceptible to oseltamivir and zanamivir, but resistant to amantadine.

Amantadine is better know as Symmetrel (another antiviral, and also used for other diseases like Parkinsons.)

And before you go down the "tamiflu resistant strain" road I will nip that in the keester too. Its a small % and giving a shot has benefits that out way the risks.

Sorry for the tangent, back to my original question. Why wouldn't he have his head on straight if he prescribed a treatment that has had success in the past?

 

[jblomenberg16]

Wow, those were some big words! Triple and double word score for sure!

What you posted was exactly right. The Z-pack I was prescribed was to treat the chest congestion, not the actual flu virus itself. Just like other docs are going to use what they know works for the other symptoms.

I think people often forget that in treating the flu, which is viral, that most of the treatment is for the other symptoms so the body itself can take care of getting rid of the virus.

 

[SavageEagle]

Hey, if the Tamiflu works for you and you want to take your chances with the shot, so be it. That's your choice. I did my research. Tamiflu has failed for H1N1. It's been banned in other Countries. It causes regular healthy teenagers to commit suicide. The shot has a chance to paralize or kill or have long term effect of which we have no idea of.

If you want to take your chances with UNPROVEN methods that's your choice. I posted some of my info in my own thread about my daughter. she had three doses of Tamiflu and she started to show signs of violent behavior that she never shown before. I put her on vitamins and OJ and she was over it in two days without the Tamiflu. I've had everyone else taking the vitamins and we never quarantined her from the rest of the family and no one else is sick. Especially not me or her mother and we've been in close contact the entire time caring for her.

Make you're own conclusions. Just do your research first.

 

[possum_128]

Just picked it up today from the grandson. Not a good feeling. Went to doc to confirm it was H1N1, suprise, it is. Oh well off work till Tuesday. This crap sucks big time.

 

[tyler34]

Make you're own conclusions. Just do your research first.

I'm pretty sure he has done his research seeing as he works in the medical field.

 

[ggglobert9]

Update on pig flu. I work in one of the local trauma centers...Most everyone thinks they have "SWINE-FLU". Only way to tell for sure is a specified swab done specifically for H1N1. Most people are getting ILI... Influenza Like Illness. Ranges from cold to flu and so-on so forth. Influenza A is a close mimick of pig flu but is treatable with good old Doc Moms favorite remedy...Plenty of rest, Plenty of hydration, Control fever as necessary and stay home until your fever is gone for a day. Most people DON'T have swine flu. We have doubled our numbers for the last several days as far as patient numbers. However almost every person is sent home with preprinted instructions to Dr Moms philosophy. Come back if you get worse or call your family MD but stay home as not to infect others who are not sick with whatever the ill condition you are carrying. The MD's are not prescribing Tamaflu for hardly anyone except children less than 4 years or adults 65 plus with predisposed medical conditions ie asthma immunosuppressed disorders etc. dear ol Doc Mom sure was smart and a lot cheaper than an ER visit that is overwhelming the ER's for those who are truly sick and injured. Thank the old propaganda machine for the nightmare. Get well soon and call me in the morning!

 

[Bubba]

I guess I can't compete with the medical types, but I've been out since Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. I got prescribed Tamiflu and a Z-pack right off the bat but maybe that was because I didn't go until I was on my second day of near-103 fever (when not medicated with ibuprofen) after getting nothing but rest and extra hydration? She also wrote a scrip for cough syrup with codeine that I'm not planning to fill since I really don't react well to sedatives.

I didn't bother paying for the H1N1 test since the doc said the treatment was the same for all three major strains. Also, the clinic didn't have the machine and it would take a week to send out for the results. In addition to the high fever I also had fatigue, muscle pains when walking, and a "disconnected" sort of feeling. There were also some violent chills the first night after I downed a bunch of ibuprofen. My temp was at 98.6 during the episode but I was shivering so violently under 4 blankets and a sweatsuit I was panting from the effort and almost made myself yak. Cough and runny nose weren't a real big factor until today, now the 3rd day since the onset of symptoms. I haven't had any strange urges yet but maybe I'm too old for the Tamiflu to affect me?

Anyway, glad you're on the mend, jblomenberg16.

 

[Trevorreplys]

The more and more I read these H1n1 stories the more I realize I someday will most likely have it ;\ glad youve gotten better

 

[Wabatuckian]

Hey, sounds just like what I had.

Started with a tickle in my throat last Friday, progressed to scratchy throat and runny nose on Sunday at Appleseed. Figured it was just allergies and the cold. (If anyone's currently sick and attended the Wabash Appleseed, I apologize!)

Was sent home from work Mon night, went to the doc on Tues, was prescribed antibiotics to be taken only if I felt I needed them, and scheduled to return to work, well, today.

Still sleepy, but no big deal.

If it was H1N1, well, I'm just not all that impressed.

Josh <><

 

[redneckmedic]

Hey, if the Tamiflu works for you and you want to take your chances with the shot, so be it. That's your choice. I did my research. Tamiflu has failed for H1N1. It's been banned in other Countries. where there is no FDA? It causes regular healthy teenagers to commit suicide. The shot has a chance to paralize or kill or have long term effect of which we have no idea of. antidepressants have a high rate of sucitde too, whats your point, BTW we were never talking about the shot

If you want to take your chances with UNPROVEN methods that's your choice. I posted some of my info in my own thread about my daughter. she had three doses of Tamiflu and she started to show signs of violent behavior that she never shown before. I put her on vitamins and OJ and she was over it in two days without the Tamiflu. I've had everyone else taking the vitamins and we never quarantined her from the rest of the family and no one else is sick. Especially not me or her mother and we've been in close contact the entire time caring for her.

Make you're own conclusions. Just do your research first.

WOW you should be on Oprah with all the other 1 case wonders. Every medication in the world, ETOH, Caffeine, nicotine, OTC's, and Rx effects folks differently. But across the board for a general population there is a proven intended effect. You had 1 bad experience and now call it post hoc ergo propter hoc.

 

[SavageEagle]

If you have any trust in the FDA I feel sorry for you. The FDA hurts this Country more than it helps. Unless you're a pharma fat cat hell bent on getting rich off of sick folk. I've stated many times that drugs effect everyone differently. I'm not stupid. But show me where Tamiflu is actually effective. By itself, not with other drugs. You can't because it isn't.

wow vos can utor foriegn lacuna

Sic can EGO

 

[redneckmedic]

If you have any trust in the FDA I feel sorry for you. The FDA hurts this Country more than it helps. Unless you're a pharma fat cat hell bent on getting rich off of sick folk. I've stated many times that drugs effect everyone differently. I'm not stupid. But show me where Tamiflu is actually effective. By itself, not with other drugs. You can't because it isn't.

wow vos can utor foriegn lacuna

Sic can EGO

I use the information the FDA provides me (and even participated in studies that provided them information too) to save lives, along with a college degree and a 10yrs of reading articles and doing thousands of hours of continuing education. And that doesn't count my side job. Where do you get your information, quick google searches and conspiracytheory.com?

 

[6birds]

I use the information the FDA provides me (and even participated in studies that provided them information too) to save lives, along with a college degree and a 10yrs of reading articles and doing thousands of hours of continuing education. And that doesn't count my side job. Where do you get your information, quick google searches and conspiracytheory.com?

Quit jumping to conclusions! He used Yahoo as his search engine, and it wasn't quick. It took the whole day!

My wife's at Riley, and see's some pretty sick kids, let's say a quick prayer for them, whatever they have.

 

[rambone]

All in all, it really didn't feel any different than a typical head/chest cold, which is all that I thought I had.

Thanks for sharing and hopefully quelling some people's fears. It's just the flu.

Prayers to all those sick.

 

[redneckmedic]

Thanks for sharing and hopefully quelling some people's fears. It's just the flu.
Prayers to all those sick.

You are 100% right.

Is the media blowing this out of control.... YES
Are Some people getting much sicker than others....YES
Is H1N1 killing otherwise health people.... YES
Does the regular flu...YES very few just like H1N1
Does the CBC want you to get the vaccine for your benefit...NO
It is so you don't get the flu and help spread it so those with compromised immune systems don't end up dead.
Did I get the shot....NO. I use all the other precautions though. Like hand washing.