FLU!!!!

[slippingintochaos]

Hi all,

I forgot to get my flu jab this year flu has hit me harder than most for as long as I can remember so for starters this is a reminder that a lot of information from doctors and online says that flu tends to be worse in people with fibromyalgia. Getthe flu jab! Even if it does cause you a flare up it can't be as bad as the actual flu. Okay so a few questions 1. Does increase in pain affect your mood? I have been ridiculously snappy thought it was my borderline personality disorder but it somehow feels different like the pain which I unbearable has made me feel this angry. 2. I have a low body temperature (36.2) so when I get to 37.5 that is a temperature for me and I know it for a fact! Is this a fibro thing or a me thing? 3. I can't take paracetamol or ibuprofen as it hurts my stomach too much even with omeprazole any suggestions? 4. The pain is incredibly bad which is making it harder to sleep which makes the pain worse (viscious cycle) any suggested management techniques? I am genuinely thinking about going to the hospital and asking for ivmorphine because it doesn't upset my stomach and I'm really not coping any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time xx

[TheAuthor]

Hi slippingintochaos

I really am so genuinely sorry to read this my friend, and I sincerely hope that you feel better soon.

1. At a guess, I would say prolonged pain makes most of us quite irritable and therefore it could easily affect our mood and state of mind. 2. I really do not know about the temperature question my friend. 3. As for pain killers, I think you may be better off ringing the 111 service and see what they would recommend for you? There are alternatives such as Nefopam, if they feel it is suitable for you? 4. When I cannot sleep because of pain I tend to use a TENS Machine and this works for me.

I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck and please take care of yourself.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[slippingintochaos in reply to TheAuthor]

Thanks for your reply! Not sure what a tens machine is? I managed to get an emergency doc appointment today doctor says 37.5 does qualify as a temperature anyways just a mild one. They changed my stomach medsfrom imperazole to esomeprazole and told me to take dihydrocodeine with paracetamol as opposed to the naproxen and dihydrocodeine I was previously on has helped quite a bit so far temperature is down and pain is now just mild aches super sleepy but I also took methocarbamol for the back spasms (which isn't a flu thing but a me thing) and that can make me sleepy

[TheAuthor in reply to slippingintochaos]

Hi my friend

I have pasted you below a link to the NHS Choices cache on TENS Machines:

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)

nhs.uk/conditions/tens/Page...

I have read that Naproxen can be quite harsh on the stomach?

Good luck

Ken

[kmc-cudsleepforaweek]

Hi, I'm so sorry you're going through at the moment & thanks for the reminder, I missed my flu jab day but luckily enough I had an appt come through yesterday & with 2 kids in uni, you never know what they bring home!

I'm afraid I can't be as numerate as Ken but as far as the Omeprazole goes, I was in that but it didn't work & I was given Pantoprazole & this works for me & did from the dat I started. I so wish I could help with the rest but Fibro is a bugger. I would however do all you can to have review of your medication before resorting to to a dangerous option. Try to get an emergency appt with your doc? I hope this has helped a little bit. Will be thinking of you xx

[Joyia]

I have to be honest, I used to have the flu jab but these latter years have refused it due to concerns about the ingredients and others here having similar concerns. Well I have just gone down with the flu and it has been an awful last ten days, I have had to manage as best I can as I refused having family help due to spreading infection apart from some food shopping left on my door step. I have felt very ill. This is my tenth day and think I may be turning a corner but I still have chronic cough, sore throat and stuffed nose besides feeling weak. Whatever the risks I will in future have the jab, it is too risky at my age not to have it.

[slippingintochaos in reply to Joyia]

I genuinely feel like the flu jab is better than the flu but I know everyone has a different experience got the flu jab for the past 4 years as the last time I got flu 5 years ago turnt into pneumonia and put me in hospital for a week. Went doctors today who suggested I get a flu jab once I'm better as you can apparently get you more than once in one winter id look into it if I were you wouldn't want you to get It twice in one year

[Joyia in reply to slippingintochaos]

That's good advice thank you.