I got the flu

Friday afternoon I am fine. There was a gathering of just under 40 people in our community room. In the middle of the night I awakened with chills really bad and a feeling of utter sickness. I put on another comforter and awoke again this time up temp and super hot all over.

I took the flu shot a few months back. I really am upset that someone who was sick came to the community room.

I started taking ibuprofen 2 tabs and Tylenol for fever. It brought down my temp. Every six hrs or so the fever comes back so I have been taking the tabs. This combo never worked on PMR or GCA. I took these pills and it eased the right sided headache.

What I need to know. I finally made it back to 15 mgs of prednisone down from 16. I have some break thru arms and head pains.

Do I stay where I am at 15 mgs while being sick?

I definitely can tell flu and PMR apart. I sure want this to go away. My kids were to come over to celebrate my birthday today which is on Monday. I don't think it will be over by tomorrow. At least with the Tylenol cocktail my r eye doesn't feel like it will explode. So I know that is not GCA. Going back to bed.

[olive2709]

Big soft hug, people don't think to them it's only a cold

[Patricia157]

A very happy birthday but you probably don't feel very happy and I don't blame you. We have the same problem here in our retirement village. People come back from holiday and you ask them if they enjoyed it. Yes but I got a cold and cough! Well what are you doing coming in here to share the experience with us?

My husband and I have had to hibernate this last few days to avoid any possible infection as he has a knee replacement operation tomorrow. He has waited long enough without the possibility of having it cancelled! So Mother's Day for me was phone calls but I did receive flowers and cards earlier. Lovely. I sat on the patio in the sunshine, read the papers and pulled out weeds!

I do hope you get over this soon. PMR is enough to cope with.

Thinking of you and wishing you well.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

To be fair Lin - it usually takes 3 days to develop a cold or flu virus in the body to develop symptoms so I think you may have been hatching it anyway. Norovirus is the exception - more like 3 hours!

Don't be too keen to keep the temperature down - it is your body trying to kill off the bugs by toasting them to help your immune system.

I wouldn't be too hasty in going back up if you have such a hard time coming down. See how you are afterwards - the putting it up is to help the adrenal glands and tha tis more important at lower doses.

Oooops - nearly forgot - hope you have a lovely birthday celebration even if you have to delay it a day or two xxxx

[Patience47]

Happy Birthday Lin,

You're in my thoughts and prayers.

[Ronswife]

I have had PMR twice. The first time I had a flu fever hit me so hard I fell asleep sitting upright, no back support, for two hours asleep. I had a super high fever that had reached the deadly get to the hospital stage. Keep taking your temperature and remember on Prednisone or Methotrexate your fever may not be able to drop naturally. It is serious.