Flu-ish question

[RangerWickett]

I think I had the flu yesterday.

I didn't throw up or anything, but I was just ridiculously weary, lying in bed for sixteen hours of the day. My throat was sore, and my stomach felt queasy often, though it got better once I got the placebo effect of chicken noodle soup. Of course, it took me several hours to convince myself to get out of bed and stagger to the kitchen.

Anyway, I became mobile yesterday at 2pm, and I went to bed at 11pm. Then I woke up this morning at 5am, feeling fairly well-rested. However, my entire body feels slightly numb. I've got this general lethargy that makes me want to lie down, even though I know I won't be able to sleep. My throat is still sore, but my stomach feels fine, and I have only a mild head ache.

Do you have any suggestions for what I can do to kick this great weariness?

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I had this a week and a half ago (11/01) it lasted for a good three and a half days. I couldn't eat anything solid for the secondand third day and could not keep anything (not even water) down on the first. Stay in bed. Get plenty of rest and, when you are feeling well enough eat plenty of jello or similar foods. Youll feel better in 4 or 5 days the latest.

 

[Morrus]

You don't get the flu for a day - sounds like you just have a bad cold.

 

[RangerWickett]

Maybe you English suffer from the flu for a long time, but we Texans are made of sterner stuff.

Or, yeah, it could've been a bad cold. But it still made me feel like crap. Don't trivialize my pain.

 

[Morrus]

Hey, I had a bad cold last week - I know how you feel! But you don't have flu, trust me.

Not much worse than a cold (except, of course, for flu, which is much, much worse) - makes you feel thoroughly miserable. Why, oh why, can't they find a damned cure for it? Chicken soup never works for me.

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, the intellectual answer is that 'the common cold' is actually a whole host of thousands of different infections that have similar reactions. They mess up your respiratory system, and your body responds the way it knows best: gum up your sinuses and make you want to sleep, so that your immune system can clear out the badness.

You can cure one cold, probably, but curing them all would be silly. Plus, honestly, getting sick every once in a while is good for you. I mean, some day we're going to need to invade another planet, and we really don't want H.G. Welles saying, "I told you so" when we die to the common alien cold.

 

[Morrus]

It was a rhetorical question, Ryan. I didn't expect you to actually answer it.

 

[Captain Howdy]

As far as a cure, you'll have to wait. But for prevention, you are in luck. Whenever I feel a cold coming on (feel really tired suddenly for no reason), I take a few echinacea pills. It is an herb that bolsters your natural defenses. It's probably too late now, if you have been sick for a couple days, but try it next time. Seriously, when right when I start feeling crummy, I take some ASAP. I literally haven’t gotten sick in over 2 years. (well... I got food poisoning once... but that is a different thread all together.)
You can probably find a bottle of echinacea in any store that sells herbal or dietary supplements. I have read that it doesn't work for everyone, but it sure as hell works for me, so give it a try.

 

[Felonious Ntent]

My wife had something similar. Only diference was on 2nd day she actualy puked. And she was cold the whole time. Lasted about 21/2 to 3 days.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Mmmmm, I am a little concerned for you, this is your second post in about the same amount of time of illness. I think you may be eatting something that that has not been cooked right or has passed its date.