I’m tying to recover from a really nasty virus , GP not sure if flu or a virus that raised its head and started affecting people in December , I keep thinking I’m feeling better, only to have all the symptoms return , the headache, the nausea, the weakness , the awful cough. I stayed in bed all of last week but don’t seem to be improving , any suggestions ?
Also , on another note , is it wise to increase pred dosage when we are ill?
To some extent it depends on the dose.
You are SURE it is due to a virus?
Yes, that’s what GP said yesterday
Mmmmm, yes! In my experience "it's a virus" is a cover-all for "Really haven't a clue..."
No - it is just a thought, but my concern is that the symptoms you describe can also occur when someone is developing GCA, not so much affecting the head and vision but when the chest/abdominal arteries are involved.
My Dr said I had a nasty bout of flu when I didn't get better and ended up in hospital and diagnosed with PMR and GCA! Bloods showed CRP of 258.
This virus has been doing the rounds at work since December , it was inevitable that I caught it , GP said the symptoms are very similar to Australian flu
I think if things don’t improve soon, go back to the doc. Even if it isn’t what PMRpro is concerned about, secondary bacterial infections can occur after a viral infection of the airways. If you are getting fevers coming back and forth it may well be the case. However, if you are taking regular Paracetamol it may well be suppressing any fever so you may not know. Also the Pred doesn’t help you fight infection and also suppresses the normal signs. So, 10 days and no improvement I would make a nuisance of myself.
Here on this side of the pond we’ve had a hideous cold and flu season. I was in the hospital for five days over Christmas and a week after I got home I developed what I call the crud, a severe head cold that turned into acute bronchitis within a week. 20 days later I’m finally turning the corner. But we’ve literally had over 100 people die from the flu, many of them in good health prior to getting the flu. The flu shot this year was a complete bust. I was given Tamiflu and a week later doxycycline for ten days. I was so weak I couldn’t get off the couch. I’ve never been this ill with cold like symptoms.
Take care and feel better soon!
Best~
Yes. Just watched a news report that it's the worst flu season in US in decades and is still spreading and can spread via breathing near someone else and not only via touch, or sneezing, etc. 😷 So sorry you both are going through this!
It really is scary when all you have to do is breathe near an infected person. I’ve never heard the experts say that prior to this flu season. When I was in the ER there were incredibly sick people everywhere. I had a fever of 103.9 that did not want to break and I became tachycardic and hypotensive and I have never had cardiac issues. It came on so quickly, 24 hours earlier I was feeling great. It was the cardiologist not the GI doc who admitted me and he told me the next day had I waited another three hours I wouldn’t have made it. An experience I do not wish to repeat forever. I’m staying home with my dog until spring! 😊
Thank you , glad you’re on the mend
The dry cough is almost worse than the flu It took 3 weeks to get rid of mine with very little sleep during the first week. I also had flu on two consecutive weekends, feeling lousy during the intervening week. There is nothing effective to speed up recovery, except rest. It just has to work its vile way through your system.
You have my sympathies.
My wife, who has had PMR for 2 years and is currently on 12.5mg, got hit with that awful flu, the fever, chills, cold, runny nose, hacking cough. The GP put her on Tamiflu and promethazine with codeine. She was practically bedridden for 2 weeks, and is finally getting better. The one good thing out of all this for her is because she was basically resting for 2 weeks, the aches and pains of PMR were not felt. Only when she walked up the stairs did the back of her thighs remind her that she had PMR, but her shoulders and arms felt great.
Allymac88, I wish you a full recovery from your virus.
Joe
Thank you, I am feeling a little better, it’s very deceiving when I wake up in morning feeling not too bad, then after walking around for a bit , the exhaustion sets in. Cough is improving a bit too .
Glad you are improving. All the symptoms of the flu seem to be gone for my wife, but no sooner does she do a little bit of housework, she feels exhausted too, and has to rest for a prolonged period of time.
Another cold type virus
Chicken pox virus
Cause of GCA chicken pox and shingles virus??
PMR followed virus (not The Virus)
virus? or flare?
