Horrible virus, now I think it's going into a flare!!!

[Sara_A]

So had an awful viral illness which started with a temp of 39.5 a wk ago and all wk I've had a fever daily of above 38.5 and felt awful with bad throat and chesty cough.

Now its day 7 and thought I must finally be getting a bit better as cough breaking and lots more phlegm coming up and not hurting so much to cough.

Didn't have a fever yesterday but then today my temp is 38 and I feel all hot in my eyes again like u do when u get flu, and just generally rubbish and not well. My joints are sore and hip keeps giving way and just feel like I do when I get a flare.

I thought I'd be ok to go back to work Monday and now I just do not know!! I'm so frustrated as 7 days of fever!!

Do any of u usually find u take a lot longer to get over a viral illness or go into a flare from it?

I dont usually tend to catch these things but the kids have had it really bad really high fevers.

Its gone be a bad winter for viruses so stay well away from them I'd say! My mim has had it 2 wks now and still no better, it's not a nice one. We need some cold cold weather to kill it!

[Summerrain14]

Hi Sara, so sorry to hear you are unwell. I too have had a cold, sore throat and now sinus infection and chesty cough and am also a week into this virus, I do find it takes me longer to recover from any virus now and often will make my Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis flare a bit. I have only recently recovered for laryngitis and came down with a cold. Hoping you feel better really soon. The temperatures are due to drop again so hopefully it will sort out all these germs doing the rounds. Take really good care.

[Sara_A in reply to Summerrain14]

Because I'm immunosuppressed I saw the gp with the high fevers to check my chest and like I thought it was just viral, but she said if I was still getting fevers by the Friday I needed to go back, got a fever thurs morning but not the evening and not Friday morning so didnt bother going back obviously but lo and behold this morning got a fever again!! Saturday morning! Just typical.

I really do not want to go and sit for 4 hrs in our out of hours dept which is basically the a&e waiting room! Just to probably catch something more.

I've been on higher dose steroids too for several wks as my disease is just never under control at the mo but just reduced them back down in prep for a scan this wk to try induce a bit of swelling or symptoms, not great timing as could have done with some extra steroids today really but had to take extra zomorph instead.

Just need to feel better, now my 6 yr old has started with high temps so it just goes round again! Someone is always sick at the mo!

[Paloma25]

I'm so sorry you have to cope with this, Sara. Having lupus and raising children is really hard in itself. Yes, I often find it takes me much longer than expected to recover from colds, surgery, and anything else that comes along. It is not unusual that these also produce lupus flares. I am 67, so that no doubt figures in. I hope you don't have to force yourself to return to work before you truly feel better. It feels virtuous to do that and is sometimes necessary, but what I have learned is that many things that used to make me feel like a good and effective person do not have a good outcome any longer. With lupus "going the extra mile" is a bad idea. I do hope you feel better soon.

[Spotty-ewe]

Hi Sara,

Please don’t push yourself to go back to work if you still aren’t recovered. It would be counter-productive. 🤤🤧🤒

Yes, it takes longer to recover from viruses when you have Lupus and if you push yourself you can cause more damage including inflammation of the membrane around your heart (forget the term for it) so do be careful.

I would see your GP tomorrow and get a sick line. I agree with Paloma - going the extra mile isn’t worth it when you have a virus and certainly isn’t appreciated.😞 So take your time to fully recover. 💐

Look after yourself 🤗🥰 Spotty 💕

[Sara_A in reply to Spotty-ewe]

I had another fever last night of 38.6 and I think it's gone into my sinuses too now and I'm in a right mess with it! It hurts so much to cough I have to hold my head really tight and I've got a constant horrendous headache.

So I'm gonna make a gp app as soon as they open and need a sick note anyway as not going back to work today like this, only managed to drag myself downstairs once yesterday and I'm only planning doing it for gp app today!

So I've had high fever for 8 days now, my poor little immune system must be crying inside!!

Nothing seems to shift this headache took 2 lots of paracetamol and then some syndol which I usually find a lot better btw and this did take the edge off, despite these 3 lots I still had a temp of 38.6 tho! Who knows what it would have been otherwise??!

I did have my flu vaccine about 10 days b4 this started, I dont like having it cos I always react quite badly, get a red hot golf ball swelling on my arm and usually feel unwell for 2-3 days but I still have it, so no to having another, it wont stop me getting colds or viruses anyway.

Thanks everyone for ur replys

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Sara_A]

So sorry to hear of your fever and excruciating headache. The sooner you see a GP the better. The best of luck!! Take care. Hugs 🤗🤗🙏🏻😘

[miccika1]

I always get a flare seven days after a cold starts. I pretty much order extra steroids as i know I'll have to go through a round of increased ateroids for 10 days...I don't get a flu thou (i take multiple flu shots a year, to increase my chances of not getting the flu, so you might consider taking two shots, a month apart. Specially considering you have kids).