flu?

I have never had a fever in my adult life or the flu. My 2 kids have been sick with 102-104 fever, sore throat, headache, little cough for the last 2 days. I just took my 3rd child's temp and he is at 100.6 so its coming on for him also. Today I woke up with the most horrible pain all over my body - my tailbone, back and hips are even killing me. I had to work today because no one could cover me, and when I got home I felt hot and took my temp and it is 101. I also have a scratchy throat and slight cough. Could the flu cause such horrible aches in my body? The reason I ask is because I am also on my period and get all paranoid about toxic shock syndrome, esp since it says fever and muscle aches are 2 of the symptoms. Ive never felt pain like this or had muscle aches from being sick etc. but like I said I have never had the flu or fever either. Could it really make me feel this miserable?

Yes, it really can make you that miserable. And don't go into work again until you feel better, you'll just end up spreading it around. Hope you feel better soon :)

Sounds about right especially with the high fever in the kids.

There is a severe cold going around this season. I thought I had the flu, too. I have only had the flu one other time in my life, and with the symptoms I had, I was convinced it was the flu. So, I went to see my doctor to get tested. Both my kids have had this illness, but not to the extent that I have. Dry, hacking cough, fever, severe aches, chills, extreme exhaustion, and headache. Ironically, no stuffy nose. I was tested and it wasn't the flu. Just when I thought I was turning the corner, it's developed into laryngitis and have not been able to speak in two days. I say if you suspect the flu, see your doctor to be tested. This way, you'll know what you are dealing with and take precautions not to spread it. If it is the flu, the doc can write you a prescription for Tamiflu to shorten the symptoms of the illness. Hope you feel better soon!

The flu definitely gives you the aching body.
I had toxic shock, trust me when you get that you cant move at all. My husband had to carry me to the car. Your joints hurt so much you cannot move them.

I just took my 7 yr old in this afternoon to his peds.office he has been down since Thursday with fever,sore throat,slight cough,belly hurts,head aches no school no appetite just sleeping drinking water & eating popsicles.He has a virus that lasts 5-7 days not the flu no ear infection or strep what he recommended for my child is Tylelnol as needed for fever & pain rest fluids & he will eat when ready possibly no school on Monday but by Tuesday back to normal.So whatever it is around here is lasting a while it wipes you out & the only thing to do is rest & keep up on fluids no miracle drug lol

You sound like the flu. Your kids could have the flu, cold, or possibly strep. Watch them, they may need meds.

The flu comes on quickly and makes you feel like you've been hit by a train.
I recommend that you call the doctor and get some Tami Flu for those of you that have had symptoms less than 48 hours or get some Oscillococcinum by Boiron. You can get the Oscillococcinum at a drugstore or Walmart, really helps and it's safe. http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Homeopathic-Medicine-Oscillococcinum-04-Ounce/dp/B001GCU092/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1296439094&sr=1-1
Take care, there is nothing worse that taking care of a sick house when you yourself are sick!
Caroline

Yup, the flu can cause pretty much everything in your body to hurt: muscles, skin, bones, eyeballs, hair. I started getting yearly flu vaccines after a couple of really bad bouts. Sorry, I hope all of you feel better soon.

Yup. Technically it's your immune system working on overdrive. Our body gets the major components for white blood cells and antibodies from 2 places:

T-cells : Thymus
B-cells : Bones

Your bone marrow starts cranking out b-cells, and they ache/hurt like crazy. The places with the most bone marrow tend to be large bones (hips, femurs, etc.).

A lot of the other aching is from your lymphatic system. You lymph system is the "command center" for your immune system. Where blueprints of antibodies are stored, and where all of the gazillions of antibodies are flushed throughout your body (hence part of why your lymph nodes get swollen when you're sick). Everyone knows about the ones in your throat, but they actually exist throughout your body with bunches of them in your throat/collar bone area, armpits, one side of your body/abdomen, and in your groin. As these places swell from the extra work/ movement of lymph fluid & immune cells (bcells, tcells, natural born killer cells, macrophages, etc) that also creates aching.

But wait there's more...

The immune system needs a TON of energy in order to go on the offensive. In order to have enough energy the body SHUTS OFF digestion and the somatic nervous systems. Over 80% of our daily caloric expenditure is the energy it takes for us to be able to sit/stand. The majority of the rest is used up in the digestion process. So our body halts digestion and makes us "tired"... because it's shunting the energy INSTEAD to our immune system.

Aches, pains, and lethargy are NOT actually symptoms of any particular illness... they're all signs that the immune system has just shifted into 3rd-5th gear. ((It's actuall something of a dimmer switch. The immune system and somatic systems cannot be runing at the same time. Our adrenal system -adrenaline- whenever IT kicks on, it shuts off our immune system. Hence why if we feel like we're coming down with something the sure fire way to "catch it" full force is to go exercise, or to get really stressed out about something. Stress in and of itself makes us more "prone" to illness because when we're running on adrenaline, our immune system doesn't get the energy IT needs in order to fight off an infection. It makes sense. No point in beating the measles if you get eaten by a bear. It's ALSO why adults tend to stay sick longer, and keep having "relapses". Kids actually get to rest, so their immune system gets ALL the engery it needs... Adults have to "keep going" so the immune system keeps turning on and off. Every time it turns off the infection gets a leg up. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.))

So if these aren't actually symptoms of the flu, why are they called symptoms of the flu? Because the worse an infection is (speed of reproduction, mostly) the HARDER your immune system has to work to fight it. Everyday it's at about a 1. Fighting off random things we come in contact with so quickly that we don't even know that we're carrying around pathogens. A cold is about a 2. We feel a little crummy but it doesn't wipe us out. Flu is much "stronger/faster" than the cold virus, so it gets a heavier immune system response. BIG BAD infections (like measles, mumps, pneumonia) get a 4 or 5. Our immune systems working so hard that we can barely swallow, much less sit up... and patients are often SCREAMING in pain from their bones... until they get to tired to even scream. Flu is pretty "minor" as far as immune system pain goes... but it's the first real "bump up" that we really "feel" (colds we can usually just soldier on, flus kick our butts). I don't mean to negate how serious the flu is (an average of 50,000 people die of the flu in the USA every year), it's soooo much less than the illnesses that used to take millions; but most non-health professionals don't SEE how much worse more serious illnesses effect people that the flu is usually the 'worst' one they come across.

What can you do to HELP your immune system?

NUMBER 1 : Rest (see above). Stay laying down as much as possible. Even just sitting/standing uses up energy your body could be using to fight infection.

NUMBER 2 : High Fat Diet. Antibodies and most white blood cells are made of about 95% fat with a little protein thrown in for good measure/ structure. REMEMBER... your digestive system has been shut off to shunt energy to your immune system. So those fats/ proteins need to be broken down as much as possible so they can just absorb through the walls of your stomach and intestines with as little work as possible. 2 best options: Chicken broth & McDonalds burgers (the buns actually start digesting in your mouth - because they are super simple starches from "worthless white bread" which your brain needs, and the super high fat content already pulverized meat absorbes with almost no effort from your body. When you're SICK "healthy" foods mean an entirely different thing.

NUMBER 3 : Push fluids. The 2 organ systems I didn't talk about were the kidneys and liver. Your immune system is killing millions, and even billions of bacteria or virus. All those dead things have to get flushed out, and they also give off some toxic acids. Your kidneys and liver are responsible for getting rid of the corpses. The more hydrated you are the better those 2 organs work, and the less damage they take while doing it. The one immune response I ALSO haven't talked about is fever... fever is designed to HELP kill off invaders, but it also messes with your homeostasis as far as hydration goes. In order to help keep from "frying" the more liquid in your system the better. ((JUICE -like apple- is extraordinarily helpful when you're ill... because your brain only uses sugars to function. Sugars start entering the bloodstreem from the mucosal tissues in your MOUTH, and just absorb super easy throughout the rest of your system. It's AMAZING how much more lucid you will feel when drinking juice when you're ill than you will drinking just water (you also want to drink water). In addition to the lucidity (always nice, not being sluggish in your mind, even when you feel awful), your brain is also bossing around your immune system. The better your brain is functioning, the better it can command the troops. SODA OR GATORADE is super useful ONCE YOUR FEVER BREAKS (or if you have ANY diarrhea or vomiting) because it replaces the salts that you're losing through sweating or the electrolyte imbalance that happens when you're throwing up/ have diarrhea.

NUMBER 4 : Treat the symptoms. It's a proven (again and again) scientific FACT that bodies heal better and faster when they're not in pain. 2x and even 3x as fast. Keep fevers midgrade at most, reduce congestion (helps with o2), relive coughs that use up energy your body needs. BUT... the most important part is to KEEP RESTING. The biggest mistake adults make is to cover up their symptoms and then go rushing about their lives. They get sicker and sicker, because their immune systems aren't being given the energy they need to fight off the infection. Yes, it's boring. Stay on the couch and read a book or watch a movie with your kids. TOSS NORMAL RULES OUT THE WINDOW. Marathon the pink panther, listen to books on tape, have hubby mix up some campbels chicken noodle or pick up McDonalds. You'll get well days and even weeks faster if you med the symptoms and REST and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF than if you medicate the symptoms and "keep trucking".

It sounds like your kids had flu b, fever and headache. If you are having aches and a fever it could be flu. The ER doc told me last week that only about 10% of people with flu get nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Otherwise it's body aches, fever, and other symptoms. You need to get swabbed to see what strain it is. Tamiflu is a good med that they give people to help control the symptoms and it causes them to get over it sooner.

Lucky people you interacted with today who were exposed. I hope no one was very young, elderly, or had a weak immune system. My MIL could not do chemo after being exposed to a stomach virus, she was just too weak and never was able to rebuild her strength, and she passed away a few weeks later. A friend of mine died with pneumonia a few weeks after being exposed to the flu.

Please stay home, exposing others to this is just wrong, no matter what your job is.

Thanks everyone, and for the person knocking me for going to work, it was either come in and get fired, I had no choice. Thanks for trying to give me guilt on top of feeling like crap, I didn’t have a fever when I left for work and didn’t know I was sick because, like I said, I have never experienced this before.