Readers Respond: Your Flu Symptom Experiences

Flu symptoms are not the same for everyone. The same virus can affect different people in different ways. If you have ever had the flu, I want to hear from you. Share your experiences with the flu and tell us what your flu symptoms were. Tell your story and let others know that the flu is definitely not just a bad cold.

When I was 17, I got the flu on a band trip. I had a fever of 103, I was exhausted and had a bad cough. But I was determined to march in the Fiesta Bowl parade. I did, but when I got home I discovered that my flu had turned into pneumonia! It can happen to anyone. Share your flu symptom stories. Tell Your Story

this sucks

I have gird, acid reflux, ibs, and ulcerticulitis that is flared up atm so I thought it was just that but after having cold and hot sweats for three days a fever that comes and goes, a horrible wheeze almost to where I can't breathe, a runny nose but clogged, the most horrible migraines of my life, eyes watering, and horrible weakness and dizziness when I try to walk, I feel like I wanna die, and I can't stay awake I'm like sleeping 15 hrs a day, no more then a hr and a half at a time do to br visits. and coughing, I've been sucking down cough syrup, flu syrup, malox, migraine pills and cough drops to no avail, this is like a week in now, I just want it to end.

—Guest t.h.

possibly recovering now.

Day 1 I started with a sore throat and feeling slightly dizzy. Day 2 didn't sleep very well through the night. Felt very weak. Exstremely dizzy. Nothing tasted right felt like NY head was going to explode. And also had constant sneezing with a very runny nose. At the end of the day I had slight aches and still felt horrible. Day 3 nose still running. Feel that some of my energy has returned. Things are starting to taste right again. Still have chest/lung congestion and a runny nose. Hope this gets better from here.

—Guest James

feeling Aweful

I probably cannot remember having a fever this high or lasting this long since maybe I was a child. Fever is persistant, headache all the time, coughing and a throat that hurts sooo bad that I dread the next cough. Dr.'s today and hopefully have and answer to what strian. And the sweating, its so icky.

—Guest kathy

is this flu or death?

Day-1:I woke up and felt quit dizzy and my bones ached along with my throat hurting I continued to go to school as normal when it had become so bad I refused to do any work in lessons and would lay down my head on the table and close my eyes to help the nausia.it then became so bad I went to the nurse were I told her I needed to be sick she then responded with go be sick in the toilete and go away I was sick in the toilete 5 mins later I went back and told her she told me to sit and wait as she called my mom.about ten minuts later she came and got me.I was awake for about 30 mins in bed feeling dizzyer and my bones ached more.I fell asleep luckily for 10 hours-ish and then woke up 3 times during the middle of the night from my swollen throat stopping me to breath properaly I then drank water from my bathroom sink and with every sip I felt like a knife was scrapping my throat.day2.I have been coughing up blood has gatherd at the back of my throat my bones still ache and I have a fever:

—Guest faith

feel like death

Day 4 for me. Throwing up, nausea, body aches, exhaustion, fever, chills, and simply can't eat. Worse flu EVER! Started with my 2 year old and now I have it :-( I swear I feel like I'm dying

—Guest megan

flu

8 days of flu so far. Started Monday with diarrhea. Fever n vertigo feeling quickly followed and built up momentum by Wednesday. A cough for hacking up nasty stuff began around wednesday as well. Thursday through Saturday were the worst. Could barely move. Had the shakes, no appetite and lost a lot of weight. Sunday I thought I felt better but once in bed, the fever came back. Monday, still hacking up some nasty. Still have vertigo, still got diarrhea but has been green n black. I'm starting to think its going to kill me lol. I just cant shake it off. No flu shot. No prescription. Tried chicken noodle soup, fruits, advils, cold n flu pills, Echinacea, I googled everything over n over.... Good luck to anyone who gets this 2013 flu.

—Guest Charles

Janet

Bad year! what a surprise! No one has a name for it, except "that thing''.

—Guest Janet

i feel terrible!

On tuesday i felt fine untill around 4:00. My nose started getting runny and my throat began to hurt.That night my throat hurt to the point where i couldn't swallow. On wednesday i felt a tiny bit better untill the evening again. i felt really dizzy and i had no appetite. my whole body was sore and i was extremely congested. I fell asleep for a few hours, then woke up feeling chills and my whole body was stiff. on thursday i woke up and felt ten times worse. WHY ME!!

—Guest bob

Flu ?

When I got home from school Thursday afternoon I was feeling fine, went to eat something and I layed down and fell asleep. As soon as I woke up I felt HORRIBLE! Stomach was aching, headache, dizziness. I went to the bathroom a couple of times throughout the night but nothing came up. I went to sleep that night and woke up the next morning feeling the same way only I had a sore throat also. I never had a fever and I never threw up. My stomach would start hurting like I couldn't sit up, my throat was killing me, I had no appetite at all. I woke up this morning feeling like I had to throw up and I also have a slight headache and a sore throat still. I just want this to go away if it is the flu!

—Guest Guest

Will never mistake cold for a Flu again

So Monday I had the usual signs of a head cold, blocked nose, headache etc. went home straight to bed as I started to feel a bit achy. Even woke up to eat something ( it's just a cold) in my head. I was even able to have a cigarette. Tuesday morning 4am, the vomiting starts and man it didnt stop. Counted 8 times up until 5:30am. Went to the urgent care centre, told me I had a fever and flu like symptoms but needed to go A&E. went and was put on a drip as I was so dehydrated. They ran tests for meningitis all came back clear. You just have the flu the doctor told me. Here's some anti-sickness tablets and rest up. Day 4 (today) still vomiting, can hardly keep water down. Feel like I'm gonna pass out when I try to walk to the bathroom. People text me "I hear your not well" my response "yeah I got flu". The most annoying response " oh flu, you'll be up and about in no time". No...no...no.... This is FLU! Not a cold!

—Guest Miss L

Day 15 flu

Australia. Went to Easter Sunday lunch with family. Brother and his daughters (23) had been sick but they said they were ok. Noticed bro was coughing on and off. Who I was sitting next to and touched my nieces phone as she was showing me some pics. Monday night bang! Sore throat during the night hard to breath. That was the start. I did take antibiotics first thing lucky I had some in draw. They say they don't help flu but I am an bad asthmatic and I am sure they helped not to make my chest worst as not first time I've had this kind of thing. I found through he days one day you feel you are getting better the next your down again. The no sleeping coughing nights and all the phlegm is the worst. Of course no energy, aches etc. Today day 16 mucus is clear just starting to sleep a bit more still coughing at night but taking cough meds with codeine helps me to sleep give a bit of a break. Still feeling generally tired. And hoping it wont be to much longer until I'm well again.

—Guest Carmen

my horrible flu

So yesterday i had a scratchy sore-ish throat and thought nothng of it. Later my friend invited me to see a movie so we watched it and it was all fine and dandy until near the end where i was constantly sneezing which didnt feel too good. so when i arrived home i started crying from an excruciatingly bad headache. i had a fever so i thought i would have a bath, which helped but only a little bit then the pain got worse and i decided to get a panadol and then go straight to bed. So i fell asleep but then awoke at about 1am and felt so horrible my joints were all hurting and my nose was running and my throat felt absolutely horrible so once again i started crying and had a tantrum right there in my bed. Then i had two more panadols and some water and propped my head up on two pillows. Then i started feeling hot and lay on my floor. later i fell asleep but then woke up again with a sore stomach and didnt ge to bed for a while after that. i woke this morning and had shower and nearlyfainte

—Guest meowitykitten

Comfortably numb

A hacking cough took down some of the toughest co workers 2 weeks ago. I swept from shipping to sales before creeping into the accounting area. It broke my boss down, the CFO (6'2 290) to a glassy eyed weeping little shell by lunch last Thursday. He could barely get in his car to leave. By this Wednesday I had a slight cough and sneezing. I thought it was pollen. Thursday , I was wearing a coat and had a portable heater on my desk , shivering as I was finishing up a project. I was ejected from the office by a group of secretaries and my boss. Friday, I was a shivering, sweaty mass of goo. Im pretty sure I cried. I'm a 37 year old man. Kick box, weights, baseball . My girlfriend made me soup n catered to me. I told her to wear a mask. The cough.... I felt like a caldron of liquid fire and tar were brewing in my chest. My muscles hurt so badly I cursed having them. I soaked thru to the mattress .... Until yesterday .... I resurrected. I can barely walk or eat. But , I survived!

—Guest Lem

flu for 3 weeks

I took ill 3 weeks ago with what I thought was the flu, aches and pains and a cough. I was ill coughing for about a week and then the cough started to get better, but the back pain and headaches stayed another week. I'm into the 3rd week and still feel weak and totally washed out. If I walk around for too long I feel as if the high temperature is coming back. Don't know when I'm going to feel normal again. Everything takes it out of me!

—acting222

Mrs

Have had diarrhea,sickness,muzzy head,cold/flu & ribs ache when l cough l am 61years old.

—Guest Bet