This chest infection 'thing'

[DefTrap]

most that I know that are ill are jabbed so either the flu jab formulation has missed the mark this year (it wasn't like this last winter as far as I can see)

The rumour mill is that yes this year the flu jab is giving little protection. I think normally a severe flu strike would be news but after the horrors of covid it's all a bit meh.

[Slenver]

If people are testing clear for Covid, the next candidate is flu but most that I know that are ill are jabbed so either the flu jab formulation has missed the mark this year (it wasn't like this last winter as far as I can see) or it's something else.

When we were in A&E just before Christmas, one of the doctors told us that flu was out of control. He said it was a far bigger problem than covid currently and the numbers were like nothing he'd seen.

Just one anecdote in one hospital, but interesting nonetheless.

TBH, I haven't really had any fluey symptoms though. Felt a bit rough, but not wiped out by it. Just a really nasty chesty cough for weeks.

[Ant]

I've had this thing since new years eve. Aching all over, fever, sweating, I've been in bed since NYE, only recently just started moving. It's now turned into a bit of a chesty thing now with thick green gunge.

The fever, headache and all over body pain is incredible. No appetite, just living off fever tablets for now, but the shops are empty of them now. I've not been able to sleep either due to the pain, so night time bed time is just torture.

[Wossname]

About 3 weeks ago, granddaughter (6) wasn't well for several days, sore throat, cough etc. Dr >> Scarlet fever. Then her dad v unwell, headache, cough, off work for a week which is very unusual. Throat swabs taken from both, and both were +ve for strep A. Relieved that the both recovered quickly with antibiotics, and pleased that samples were taken which doesn't always happen.
The are other things out there besides Covid and flu, and some of them can be nasty.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Sounds like mother nature weeding out the weak and infirm.

[Kneerly Down]

I'm sure everyone's different, but the thing that's been unusual for me is that mine started to clear up after 2-3 weeks, then just kicked off again and got worse for the next week. Now 'clearing up' again after 4 weeks, no idea if it'll get better or worse though.

Mine was same before Xmas...thankfully have been mostly okay during the festive period.
Tested -ve for Covid.

We had some family and friends round over Xmas and one friend had the bad cough ALL THE TIME but more worryingly my SiL was not very pukka when she arrived was in very poor shape NYE/NYD not able to get out of bed.
We had a pretty big stash of Lemsip sachets (c.70 sachets) when our guests arrived but were down to our last 5 by the time they'd left.
SWMBO has a sore throat now. Hoping I'll miss it, especially given Lemsip and anything similar seems to be nowhere on any shelves currently.

[Noggin]

I've restarted the drinking the juice of a lemon in hot water with a smidge of honey. Cos, I have the 'usual' runny face cold and Berroca is a stupid price here. I usually managed to take a couple of days off with it in between transfers but this year I'm office working and transfers and this week I am doing 6 days not 5. But I am mostly alone in the office so I'm using the antibac hand gel a lot in there to give a fighting chance of the others not getting it! I'm also dosing with out of date sudofed and aspirin and my in date paracetamol!!

But, it's not like you guys. I can still do stuff. Although the cough is way worse than in previous years, so that's interesting - side benefit is that I'll lose my voice soon, so that will be nice for everyone!! LOL

I usually get this in Feb, so a bit peeved to get it in the month I might actually go skiing Although fresh air does help with keeping back the runnyness!! LOL

[gremlin]

Not rocket science is it?

Ditto the wearing of masks and frequent hand-washing if you have a lurgey and need to go out. It's considered good manners in Japan to do so, and has been for years. The rest of the world should adopt such gracious manners.

[Ant]

I'm managing to keep the fever down, but I go from feeling chilly to hot, then sweating buckets. I've moved onto the stage of coughing up thick dark green fudgy lumps. The coughing has gotten so harsh that I can feel it on my chest and this morning coughed up a load of blood which I assume means I burst something, but nothing has happened really apart from some shortness of breath which I'm managing to control.

[JamJar]

I'm managing to keep the fever down, but I go from feeling chilly to hot, then sweating buckets. I've moved onto the stage of coughing up thick dark green fudgy lumps. The coughing has gotten so harsh that I can feel it on my chest and this morning coughed up a load of blood which I assume means I burst something, but nothing has happened really apart from some shortness of breath which I'm managing to control.

If you are coughing up blood then I think you should see a doctor!

[Mr Moofo]

I'm managing to keep the fever down, but I go from feeling chilly to hot, then sweating buckets. I've moved onto the stage of coughing up thick dark green fudgy lumps. The coughing has gotten so harsh that I can feel it on my chest and this morning coughed up a load of blood which I assume means I burst something, but nothing has happened really apart from some shortness of breath which I'm managing to control.

If you are coughing up blood then I think you should see a doctor!

It may be easier just to go out and die on the back lawn.
The queues at A&E are immense

In seriousness - if you are coughing up stuff that looks like lumps of liver - then get to a hospital . If it is just a tad of pinkness here and there - it is the physical hacking that in break capillaries

[weeksy]

I'm managing to keep the fever down, but I go from feeling chilly to hot, then sweating buckets. I've moved onto the stage of coughing up thick dark green fudgy lumps. The coughing has gotten so harsh that I can feel it on my chest and this morning coughed up a load of blood which I assume means I burst something, but nothing has happened really apart from some shortness of breath which I'm managing to control.

If you are coughing up blood then I think you should see a doctor!

It may be easier just to go out and die on the back lawn.
The queues at A&E are immense

In seriousness - if you are coughing up stuff that looks like lumps of liver - then get to a hospital . If it is just a tad of pinkness here and there - it is the physical hacking that in break capillaries

It's OK, he's never even paid any Subs....

[gremlin]

I'm managing to keep the fever down, but I go from feeling chilly to hot, then sweating buckets. I've moved onto the stage of coughing up thick dark green fudgy lumps. The coughing has gotten so harsh that I can feel it on my chest and this morning coughed up a load of blood which I assume means I burst something, but nothing has happened really apart from some shortness of breath which I'm managing to control.

If you are coughing up blood then I think you should see a doctor!

Pfft. Tablespoon of cod liver oil, hot water bottle and an early night and he'll be right as rain.


Copyright - My nan.

[Dodgy69]

I heard last night a mate I used to work with had breathing difficulties on Xmas eve. Xmas day he could hardly breath, got his mrs to take him to hospital. Later that day his lungs collapsed and is now in an induced coma. It's a nasty bugger.

[Count Steer]

If the blood is bright and not frothy and is mainly a morning thing it's collecting overnight probably as suggested, from burst capillaries. When I had something like it they listened v carefully with the trusty old stethoscope and suspected an infection but stuck a letter in my top pocket and packed me off to A&E*. Got X-rayed (nothing) and CAT scanned (results would come later) and sent home. (Can't remember if I got antibiotics prescribed then but did at some point).

Called in for review - had a 'shadow'. Got booked into the Macmillan cancer centre for another scan. Got scanned. Didn't hear anything so phoned and was told, 'Well, your results are here, we'd better get you in to see the consultant'. All clear.

If you don't get the infection under control the scarring can be permanent. Get some antibiotics. Try 111 as minimum. Might be a problem sourcing the antibiotics but the pharmacy network should know where to go - if the hospital pharmacy don't provide.

* I pitched up at the surgery. Reception went a bit pale, said 'Oh my, we always take blood seriously' and got me in front of a trainee doctor pronto - she was as thorough as a thorough thing - and then she got a regular doc to review. I was in A&E all day and that was pre-Covid.

[ZRX61]

Roomie has been laid up since the weekend with sore throat & lungs full of snot. I'm fine. Doesn't appear to be flu. She didn't get the 2nd (updated) Covid booster...

[Ant]

It's not been a constant bleed, so probably is just from the coughing, a few spots since but nothing further. I'll see what happens tomorrow if any more comes up.

[Slenver]

My missus was coughing up blood and was struggling to breathe so I ended up calling 111. After a long discussion they said they were calling for an ambulance but also said it would be 48 hours to I said I'd just drive her to A&E.

They did bloods and chest x-ray and all was fine so we went home again.

More literally, we went home before the results because 6 hours in a overflowing A&E in the middle of the night was too much for her to bear, but her logic was that they'd call if they found anything too nasty. She then just booked in to see the GP next day who went over the results. Probably the best approach tbh, anything that keeps people out of A&E has got to be good for everyone atm.

[Taipan]

I've given in and started taking a course of antibiotics. Cant stand the tight chest and rattling phlegm that i cant shift?

[Count Steer]

Having been hit with the 'thing' too* I got to pondering/Googling. In the past I'd have sworn by Mu-cron decongestant tablets but they're no longer available in the UK. It turns out that they and other products used to contain pseudoephedrine which works a treat but is also handy precursor for making methamphetamine. In order to keep products available over the counter the manufacturers have reformulated to use phenylephrine. There are currently learned papers saying it doesn't work although generally it just seems it works but not nearly as well as pseudoephedrine.

Cheeses comment about paracetamol poisoning also warrants a look at the common side effects of phenylephrine - 'Common side effects when taken by mouth or injected include nausea, vomiting, headache, and anxiety. Maybe paracetamol wasn't the problem or was only part of it?

So, just because you can buy stuff in a supermarket doesn't mean it's without risk (no more than it means things on the pharma shelf actually work very well) or that you don't need to worry about over-medicating.

On the one hand, access to stuff without prescription or a 3rd degree from a pharmacist is On the other, if it means things don't work very well but can still make you ill it's a


*Not too serious, just as doctors are fond of noting cryptically - TATT (tired all the time) and able to survive on 2 Lemsip/Sudafed/whatever I can get my hands on per day).