Flu Season 2014-15 is here!

[dogrange]

Got the flu (influenza, not "stomach flu" or other non-influenza "flu") last Wednesday night, just now coming back to life after days of 101-103 temps. Now that the fever has broken, a hacking cough has come on which seems like it will further delay my bike riding return. Anyone have words of wisdom/experience/funny stories that they can share re: the flu and how to get back to riding ASAP?

[dgaddis]

Get a flu shot before getting the flu.

Fevers SUCK, and when I get a cough like that they hang around for a while. Good luck...just remember, it will stop, eventually...

[davids]

Get a flu shot. There's a couple good reasons:

1. It sucks to have the flu.
2. The flu kills people, right here in 'murica.

[classtimesailer]

Eat lots of veggies. Cut back on animal protein. Eat/snack all day on nuts, seeds, carrots, peppers, dried fruit. Keep your hands clean and out of your face. And most importantly, do not hesitate to be rude right back to people who insist on being anywhere near you when they are sick. But what do I know? I'm just a public school teacher who has been very lucky for the last bunch of years. If you are going for a flu shot, you might as well get the other 10 or 15 shots that they offer for what might ail ya. My shots go in a glass.

[ron l edmiston]

--- hey, if this ole man can take the mega over 65 dose, you can handle the regular dose..
had a few years back, thought i was tough enough without the shot.. not so!!
felt like i had been shot at & missed & shit at & hit, then run over by a mack truck test fleet..

get your flu shoot so you can smile with ronnie

[sk_tle]

Garlic. Lots of garlic (like a full spoon in the morning and/or evening). Before and after the flu. You can get used to the smell. Good luck to get the approval from your relatives.

[davids]

Eat lots of veggies. Cut back on animal protein. Eat/snack all day on nuts, seeds, carrots, peppers, dried fruit. Keep your hands clean and out of your face. And most importantly, do not hesitate to be rude right back to people who insist on being anywhere near you when they are sick. But what do I know? I'm just a public school teacher who has been very lucky for the last bunch of years. If you are going for a flu shot, you might as well get the other 10 or 15 shots that they offer for what might ail ya. My shots go in a glass.

A better diet is good for you, and will help mitigate for a whole bunch of those other things that'll kill you. But the flu is caused by a virus, and veggies don't kill viruses.

Get a flu shot.

[Saab2000]

Getting sick is your body telling you to take a break. Sleep. TV. Repeat.

And I like Nyquil PM for a couple days as it allows me to get actual sleep.

[Jonathan]

One of the best reasons to get a flu shot is to protect those around you.

[NealH]

Get a Flu shot and eat healthy meals. Red meat is not your enemy as it contains quality protein. Vegetables have nutrients also and should be on all diets. Eggs, whey protein, bagels,etc., its all good. I don't believe in vices other than moderation. Eat anything you want, but maintain a good healthy weight. On long rides junk food is not your enemy either.

[prcrstn8]

...the mega over 65 dose...

That's a trivalent vaccine. The asthma/allergy doc recommended the quad-valent vaccine. Neither has proven superiority over the other. A coin toss, fyi.

[bcm119]

They were giving free flu shots at work today and I gladly accepted. The word ‘flu’ is used too loosely, and has the effect of spreading misinformation. I think a good rule of thumb is if you’re not sure if you have the flu, you don’t. If you really have the flu, you will know it. Another good indicator is that it hits you fast and hard. Like within an hour. If you have to drive home or take a flight or something, it will be a memorable bad experience. Most people I talk to who refuse the flu shot either have read misinformation about it or don’t remember how bad the flu is.

[Nierman]

I just rub oil of oregano all over my body.

La vita è un tiro di merda.

Ciao.

[Jonathan]

They were giving free flu shots at work today and I gladly accepted. The word ‘flu’ is used too loosely, and has the effect of spreading misinformation. I think a good rule of thumb is if you’re not sure if you have the flu, you don’t. If you really have the flu, you will know it. Another good indicator is that it hits you fast and hard. Like within an hour. If you have to drive home or take a flight or something, it will be a memorable bad experience. Most people I talk to who refuse the flu shot either have read misinformation about it or don’t remember how bad the flu is.

All true. Unfortunately with a primary immunodeficincy I've had to become some what acquainted with this stuff.
Some folks complain of getting the flu after getting the shot. Not true. It's all dead virus. The part about feeling like shit is your body sending signals to all the different parts of your immune system to fight whatever it is that needs to be fought. In this case, dead flu virus cells. Flumist is another story. It's a live vaccine. It's very problematic for people like me who can't fight those off. I can't even be around someone who's taken a live vaccine. There are some serious questions being asked about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine by real researchers, with real credentials, but that's a discussion that's hard to have because few people can deal in nuance. I think most folks, myself included, see it as good public policy vs Jenny McCarthy and the other nutters. Apologies to any nutters. But the reality is that the flu shot can't kill you, but the flu can.

[davids]

They were giving free flu shots at work today and I gladly accepted. The word ‘flu’ is used too loosely, and has the effect of spreading misinformation. I think a good rule of thumb is if you’re not sure if you have the flu, you don’t. If you really have the flu, you will know it. Another good indicator is that it hits you fast and hard. Like within an hour. If you have to drive home or take a flight or something, it will be a memorable bad experience. Most people I talk to who refuse the flu shot either have read misinformation about it or don’t remember how bad the flu is.

I vividly remember the last couple times I had the flu. Once when I had the chills so badly I couldn't stop shaking, wrapped head to toe in a blanket.

And then there was the time I was sitting on my couch, so sore and tired that my consciousness was completely enveloped in misery. My baby girl was playing at my feet and I couldn't summon the energy to move a finger. Probably 19 years ago and I keep that miserable memory fresh.

[Tom]

Aw, luxury luxury. Try getting the flu three months into chemo when you don't have any white blood cells. Right after you get the chemo treatment where 24 hours later you start taking leucoverin calcium every 4 hours to counter the chemo (they won't treat you unless you show them the antidote pills in your possession). Then you puke up the pill in the middle of the night right after taking it and you call your oncologist in a panic asking what to do and he says "Try again and don't vomit the next one. If you do we'll just do it as a suppository, I guess." Powerful motivation - didn't puke any more. They did say if the fever went over 104 it was time to be admitted so if the thermometer looked close I took it out of my mouth. Never saw it over 104, I could truthfully say.

Then five days and 15 pounds later you're feeling good, there's no food in the house and you order a thick crust pizza and because you're so hungry you eat the whole thing in about seven minutes. Seven minutes later it bounced - all at once. That actually hurt.

Good times, good times.

I got the flu shot the first time this year after 25 or so since then only because I'm more afraid of High Command than some silly virus.

[dogrange]

I hear all of you, I was supposed to get the shot the next day at work but the virus came on all of a sudden the night before! After I fully recover I plan to still get the shot in an attempt to ward off other strains.

[Saab2000]

Can someone who knows more about this than I do speak to the science of the flu shots? I've never had one and have always been sort of leery as I've always thought it was just another pharmaceutical company pushing something and profiting from it. I don't remember people getting flu shots when I lived overseas.

This said, I'm not a fanatic or a fringe lunatic believing in conspiracies or anything like that so don't put me in with the anti-vaccination crowd. But I've always been a bit suspicious of the concept of the benefits of the flu shot.

Any scientists here who know about this stuff?

[Jonathan]

Obviously not a scientist here. Part of the problem Jim is that big pharma has been tight fisted with the clinical trial data. Even a scientist will be short of data to give a full answer. Here is my short answer. There's been very little drop in the death rate of healthy people who get the flu. Healthy people don't die of flu. It may save you a bad day or three. There is some evidence that children have benefitted. It's not conclusive if old folks really have seen a benefit wrt to death. Old people die anyway in predictable numbers. It should be mentioned that death is only one possible side effect and the least likely for you. Flu can kill you, but the shot won't. As far as big pharma goes, vaccines make up 1% of worldwide revenue. A flu pandemic probably puts more money in their pocket than the 135 million flu shots delivered in the US every year. Some people have a very strong inate and adaptive immune system. That may be you if you've never gotten a shot and don't get the flu. The flu shot makes 100% sense if we are talking about broad public policy. Vaccines have changed the course of humanity, that's not an over exaggeration.

[classtimesailer]

A better diet is good for you, and will help mitigate for a whole bunch of those other things that'll kill you. But the flu is caused by a virus, and veggies don't kill viruses.

Get a flu shot.

A healthy body with an immune system in tip top shape can beat a virus and a superior diet and outdoor exercise builds a strong immune system. But get the shot if you want. It "probably" won't do any harm.