Flu Advice

[YT2095]

I`de like a little Advice with regards to Fever

 

I have a temp of 104 nearly 39c with a chest and kidney infection, I`m on ANOTHER course of antibiotics

 

now then, at this temp, is it best to maintain it, or is it best to try cool down?

 

I know the temp is the bodies way of fighting the infection, so I`m currenty still wrapped up warm with a wooley hat on (no jokes please!).

[5614]

well you dont sound like a healthy little bunny at the moment do you?!

sorry to hear it....

 

it cant be too good for you body to be at that temperature, at the same time i wouldnt advise cooling yourself as it would only make you feel worst.

 

when you are ill you must remember to drinks lots, esp. now you have a high temperature... DRINK LOADS!

 

one of the most annoying things about being ill is that you cant do much about it, just live it off and try to stay comfortable while its there! so drink, keep warm and sit it out and thats probably the best advice (and of course keep having your antibiotics as they should speed up the YT-getting-better process!).

 

... hope ya get better soon

[YT2095]

yeah, I was told that at the hospital last night "drink plenty of fluids" like what else am I gunna drink! Duuugh.

 

the heat is the bit I`m concerned with, do I maintain the temp or try lower it?

 

I`m soaking wet here, also the reverse applies, when I`m freezing cold (so it feels) do I try keep warm or do I let the "cold" do it`s job?

[Glider]

By 'drink plenty of fluids' they mean drink more than you would normally. You get dehydrated very quckly whan you are as ill as you sound.

 

With a temp of 104, it's best to cool down, or at least, not allow your fever to get any higher. That's too high to maintain safely for any protracted period. The problem is, it's unpleasant. With a temperature that high, you feel very cold anyway, so the last thing you want to do is to cool down.

 

If you don't want to do the wrapping yourself in wet towels thing (which is what they would do if you were an in patient and your temp. got much higher) a couple of Paracetomol can reduce the fever. Take a couple and after about 20 minutes, you should start feeling hot and start to sweat (that shows your temperature is dropping) and then you can unwrap, which will also help keep your temp. down. Don't let yourself become chilled though. Your aim is to control your temperature around normal levels.

 

Elevated temperature is a by-product of infection, or more accurately, of a speeded up metabolism which helps increases white-cell production. The temperature increase is not an end in itself, and in itself, does not really help you fight infection. So, you can try to keep your temperature controlled without impeding your immune function. It's a good idea to do so in fact, because elevated temperature over a period of time brings its own problems.

[YT2095]

Glider THANK YOU! SO MUCH!

 

I`ve kept the temp up for a good 6 hours now, and my head aches so much it feels like it wants to explode, my eyes hurt to move and so on.

I`ll take some layers off now and that should do the trick.

 

I take Lemsip at night and that has paracetamol in it and 1 Aspirin and 1 paracetamol in the morning with coffee.

 

so that part I have right at least

[badchad]

There was a thread on fevers a while back.

 

Glider, I thought the info on white cell production was interesting. Anywho, doesn't fever also impede the growth of bacteria?

[Glider]

In some cases yes, but some bacteria are pyrogenic themselves; they prefer elevated temperatures. Either way, flu is caused by a virus, so YT's pyrexia won't help in this case. It's the secondary infections he has to fight (chest etc.), and he has ABs for those. The benefits of increased metabolic rate with respect to increased white cell production outweight the benefits of pyrexia alone. Temps of 104 can be harmful if maintained, and higher than that can be fatal, so controlling the fever becomes an issue.

[slickinfinit]

I drink alot of orange juice and keep lots of hot chicken soup on hand the flu has no direct cure but making the unpleasant symptoms less intense, there are a few flu medecines and when I have a realy bad flu that dosent require a doctor I drink nyQuill to pass out lol.

[YT2095]

well my temp`s down to 37.9c (a lot better than yesterday!).

still feel like hell tho, but a little less aches, maybe I`ll go out and get some fresh air a bit later, that`s suposed to be good (I think?).

[Glider]

Yes, have a wander about in the fresh air if you feel up to it. Normally makes me feel better.

[YT2095]

I went out for a few seconds, the cold hit my chest and I nearly passed out with a coughing fit

I think I`ll wait another day before I try that again!

 

a few more questions though, is VitC any use? I have a bottle of 1000mg types here (nice orange flave too!) will they help at all?

 

also, after being on several types of ABs for the last few weeks, will Actimel be good at replacing GI bacteria or do I need specific probiotics to get back to normal when the ABs are finished?

[Glider]

Perhaps a good idea to wait a few days then.

 

Beyond tasting nice, Vit C tablets won't make any noticable difference to your illness. Whilst Vit C levels are associated with immune function, this is (as far as I know) only in the direction that Vit C depletion impairs immune function. If your levels are ok, then taking more won't do any good. It won't prevent illness and it certainly won't cure it. Vit C suppliments are fairly harmless, but as far as I remember, you shouldn't take more than around 500mg per day unless you really need to.

 

Really high bolus doses of ABs can knock out gut bacteria and cause diarrhoea, which can be quite severe if the doses are high enough, but it's unusual to be on that high a dose for a course of treatment. Doses like that are usually used to combat things like acute post-op infections. How high a dose are you on?

 

If you are on a level that's causing gut problems, the effects only should be temporary and your gut should settle down and re-establish its own balance once you've finished the course. I doubt you'd need probiotics, but I can't see Actimel or its equivalent doing any harm. If you are suffering from the effects of high dose ABs, it's probably as well to consider that you will not be digesting stuff as well as usual and stick to a simple (easily digestible) diet for a while.

 

It sounds like you're not having a good time at the moment. I hope you feel better soon.

 

PS. I just had a look at some notes online, and I found that high doses of Vitamin C can also cause stomach ache and diarrhoea in some people, so it may not be a good idea to take 1000 mg tablets if you are already suffering from those problems.

[YT2095]

Thanks

 

I was on 500mg of Flucloxacilin 4 times a day for 10 days, now I`m on 500mg Amoxycilin 3 times a day for 5 days (3 days left).

 

this latest AB doesn`t seem to be upsetting my stomach anywhere near as bad as the 1`st lot (they really did make me feel ill).

 

today I feel alot better, near normal temp, alot less aches, though I feel quite dizzy today for some reason? but basicly now, I`m a snot monster with a bad cough

 

edit: this was the thread that started the whole thing off, the "History" if you like: http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7082&highlight=half+cold

[coquina]

For the cough you can make a syrup of whiskey and honey - you don't drink it down - you take it a teaspoon at the time.

 

Also hot tea with cinnamon, lemon juice, and a shot of dark rum. You don't drink that by the gallon either - I keep a thermos by the bed and drink just a little at the time.

[YT2095]

- you don't drink it down - you take it a teaspoon at the time.

 

You don't drink that by the gallon either -

awww' date=' where`s the fun in that!? ))

 

here`s what I have been taking and it seems to work reasonably well: http://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/medicines/medicines/b/buttercup/buttercup_syrup.htm

 

I like the taste too, WHEN I remember to take it

[Glider]

Sounds like you're on your way now. You should feel fine in a few more days.

[YT2095]

aye

 

it`s the worst I`ve ever had yet to date, hopefully it`ll stay that way too! (like forever!) it`s not a record I wish to break again

 

I recon everything`s more or less ok now, I have lost the hearing in one ear, but I had sharp pains in it during the night, so it`s probably just another annoyance from this stupid flu thing.

 

that`s what gets me down the most actualy, the Wanting to do things, but having this garbage stopping me! (or limiting my endurance to do it).

I really hate that!

 

having said that, I smile inside knowing that it`s dying and it didn`t stop me doing too much (so it gets a mental 2 finger jobby from me!)

 

I must admit tho, it was a bad run for a bit, I`ve never known so many things go wrong all at once in such a short space of time! funny how stuff turns out that way sometimes

I`m normaly the one looking after everyone else.

[coquina]

Many years ago, every body in the house got the Hong Kong flu - except my husband's grandmother who was 93 and had a flu shot. Butch and I, his mother and my daughter were all sick as dogs and poor grandma was trying to take care of the lot of us.

 

We all had the extremely high fever for several days. Grandma didn't drive and we ran out of essential groceries. Butch and I had to practically hold each other up to walk into the store.

 

Yuck - I never want to be that sick again either. First you're afraid you might die, and then you think that would be an improvement in your condition.

[YT2095]

Aaaahhh the luxury of being able to stand and possibly walk without passing out

 

incidently that what ended up getting me sent to hospital (I hate those places, it`s for Sick people!), I`de stand to walk then wake up ua few seconds/mins later, usualy with cuts and grazes from the fall .

but yeah, I can partly understand the idea of being away from everyone for a while (not actualy DEAD though), I guess I`m just too stuborn in the way that I never once considered that I might even get a little worse, nevermind Die!

 

I did get a little concerned as to the extent of the illness, after day 2 (I`ve always made an improvement after that) and then day 3 and 4 and 5... it did sort of play on my mind as to what is ACTUALY happening here, being something entirely NEW to to me.

Death no... If I know death as well as I think I do, he wouldn`t bother with me, I`m far too much trouble ))

[slickinfinit]

I am gona agree I never go to a hospital unless I have to and man that sounds like a nasty flu u had, I never had a bad one so the thought a of the flu making me that sick scares me. The only good part is when it goes away lol.

[Auk]

I always take Yin Chiao. For those who don't like herbs ignore. But I've taken it every day and I haven't had the flu for a few years now. This is incredible here in canada because we had a flu record breaker last year. Even when I do get the flu it only lasts a day or two no more.

[YT2095]

I take nothing, just good healthy food.

 

the last time I had Flu was 7 years ago, and the time beforer that was about the same time and so on

 

I don`t get Colds either, maybe a 24 hour thing every 2 to 3 years only, and it`s little more than a mild irritation and very short lived

 

no drugs ever, and the herbs are only those that I grow and use in the foods I cook

[Aardvark]

Beyond tasting nice' date=' Vit C tablets won't make any noticable difference to your illness. Whilst Vit C levels are associated with immune function, this is (as far as I know) only in the direction that Vit C depletion impairs immune function. [/quote']

 

Purely subjectively, i've found that high doses of Vitamin C has helped reduce the duration of chest infections i am prone to. I don't think it is the placebo effect.

 

I've read that high levels of vitamin C acts as an inhibitor to viral infections. I don't know if that is true, or the reason it helps me, but there does seem to be a fair degree of medical opinion favouring large doses to aid recovery.

 

At the very least it is pretty much impossible to overdose on it, being a water soluble vitamin, so no harm done.

[Sayonara]

Iirc, Vitamin C is required for the matrix of the cell membrane - so it helps in the recovery of tissues (and therefore reinforcing existing defences, as it were) rather than fighting disease directly.

[YT2095]

yeah, I hear also to that effect to.

 

eitherway, I`m taking the 1000mg dose once every 2 days anyway, in the the form of snapping them in half and having 500mg a day at bed time.

 

Interesting side effect, the 1`st Cig of a morning don`t half give you a good hit!