Just diagnosed "probable swine flu"

[Chelley00]

DS13 had a positive H1N1 swab come back on Wednesday. DD7 got her positive today. Their doctor did not prescribe Tamiflu, but said she would if they started feeling worse or it took longer than 3 days for the fever to go down (down, not go away) Both have had high temps, sore throats, headache/muscle aches, chills and diarrhea.

 

[livie1205]

my son had H1N1 last week and the dr gave everyone in the house tamiflu,we had no side effects from it and no one else ended up getting it...we had no problem getting it from CVS who had plenty of it.My son took it 2 x a day for 5 days and we took it 1 x a day for 10 days.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

And given tamiflu, etc....but they didn't do a swab or any blood work "because the system is so backed up with cases..."

I feel crappy, but not at death's door - anyone else had there doctor NOT test them? But diagnose it anyway?

Just curious...

Mrs. Spratt

ps - it really isn't any fun. Can't sleep, no appetite, can't focus, just bleah.

My DS11 had the opposite experience at the Drs office. He had the swab, but they wouldn't say "officially" that it was swine flu because they said the CDC will not allow them to declare it as swine flu unless the test is done in a hospital. But they said it was the type A strain, and pretty much was it. He had a low grade fever on Tuesday night with a stomach ache. The next morning same thing. He took a nap and woke with a 104.1 temp. Took him in and that's what they did. He has been lethargic, headache, low temp since then. They gave a script for Tamiflu, everyone was out so we had to have it compounded. It was so horrible that he threw it up the second he took it. So he has just suffered it out. Today he has been fever free but says his head still aches.

I hope everyone is feeling better soon. I went in to the Red Cross today to donate platelets and they said I should wait til Tuesday to make sure I am symptom free.

 

[kilee]

I became sick Wednesday night too. Went to the doctors yesterday... had a rapid flu test done. Sent on my way w/ a script for Tamiflu. No further testing on the culture will be done because our area is no longer sending out the tests to determine which type of influenza it is.

No fever though....that is the ironic part. Just really bad cold symptoms. However, I went to the doctors within 12 hrs of a scratchy throat and started the meds within 14 hours....so maybe that headed of the worst of it????

As for the Tamiflu, wouldn't take it either is my advice unless you have to. It is killing my stomach. Unfortunately I have asthma and I had a cold in June that required numerous breathing treatments and shots of Kenalog to kick the inflammation in my lungs. So I'd like to kick this before it gets that bad, so the stomach aches are just going to be dealt w/.

 

[MrsSpratt]

I must have an iron tummy - no problems with the tamiflu or zpac, and I can't bear to eat. (It is recommended you take them with food.)

My temp just keeps rising though - and I can't sleep. Or read. Thank God for the DIS!

 

[MrsSpratt]

I became sick Wednesday night too. Went to the doctors yesterday... had a rapid flu test done. Sent on my way w/ a script for Tamiflu. No further testing on the culture will be done because our area is no longer sending out the tests to determine which type of influenza it is.

No fever though....that is the ironic part. Just really bad cold symptoms. However, I went to the doctors within 12 hrs of a scratchy throat and started the meds within 14 hours....so maybe that headed of the worst of it????

As for the Tamiflu, wouldn't take it either is my advice unless you have to. It is killing my stomach. Unfortunately I have asthma and I had a cold in June that required numerous breathing treatments and shots of Kenalog to kick the inflammation in my lungs. So I'd like to kick this before it gets that bad, so the stomach aches are just going to be dealt w/.

The doc did say it was VERY good I came in as soon as I had symptoms - I just want to feel better!

 

[TinkerBell22]

Just an FYI tamiflu is only effective if given within 48 hrs of the onset of symptoms.

DS13 had a positive H1N1 swab come back on Wednesday. DD7 got her positive today. Their doctor did not prescribe Tamiflu, but said she would if they started feeling worse or it took longer than 3 days for the fever to go down (down, not go away) Both have had high temps, sore throats, headache/muscle aches, chills and diarrhea.

 

[monkeybug]

Sounds about the same - if you don't mind me asking, where are you located?

And I went in convinced it WASN'T swine flu - just a sinus infection - but my fever is hovering at 101.1 and that is why they said it was swine flu.

Bleck.

We are in Maryland. There are a lot of people sick around here. I am guessing that they tested some of them before we went in and they tested negative and that's why the Dr. thinks ours is just a cold virus? I don't know, that's just my guess.

 

[disney1990]

I think everyone including the medical community is confused. I just returned from urgent care with DS who is a college sophomore. He lives on campus and has been fighting a cold, sore throat, cough and mild fever all week. He called me this morning he was not feeling well enough to drive himself, and asked me to take him to the Dr. so I went and got him and off we went.

The Dr. looked in his ears and his throat and stated: "Influenza and we are not even bothering to test CDC says tests only for extreme cases or the endangered population.... pregnant woman, small kids"

He gave him an RX for a cough syrup to help him sleep, a note for the classes he is missing and told him to stay away from fellow students although "half the Univ. is sick"...........

He told me to keep an eye out for a spiking fever and other than that the usual, rest fluids etc.

My DD is in college in New York. These are the same symptoms she has, plus she is achy all over. She went to medical and they didn't test for flu. They gave her RX for cough syrup with codeine (sp) and mucinex.

 

[monkeybug]

Well, I got really sick towards the end of April, right before the big media circus about it. I had a temp of 102 consistently for 7 days, and then dealt on top of that a horrendous cough with nasal congestion for 2 more weeks. It was AWFUL.

Well, a friend of mine got sick a day or 2 after h1n1 was announced, and she got tested and was postivie. What it interesting is that her course of illness was completely identical to mine. So, I'd say that I had it.

I was never given TamiFlu.

FWIW, I don't want to scare you monkeybug, but the high risk category for h1n1 is anyone < 25 years of age. So, I am surprised your DS didnt get a perscription for Tamiflu.

Oops. I think I used the wrong lingo. I meant that we don't have any underlying issues that put us at high risk. As far as I know our Dr.s office is only prescribing tamiflu to people with underlying health concerns. Besides he didn't diagnose us with the flu, just a cold virus. I was just surprised by that because of the fact that we had fever and sore throat, but I didn't go to Medical school like he did, so I guess I should trust his diagnosis more than my own.

 

[golfgal]

There are a lot of virus' going around and I think that everyone that gets sick assumes flu. In the past the body aches were the tip off for influenza-as well as a high fever. It sounds like not all H1N1 cases have a high fever though. I haven't heard anything about body aches vs no body aches but I would guess that without the body aches it isn't H1N1. I had a bad cold a couple weeks ago and I have had influenza-they are NOTHING alike.

 

[Christine]

There are a lot of virus' going around and I think that everyone that gets sick assumes flu. In the past the body aches were the tip off for influenza-as well as a high fever. It sounds like not all H1N1 cases have a high fever though. I haven't heard anything about body aches vs no body aches but I would guess that without the body aches it isn't H1N1. I had a bad cold a couple weeks ago and I have had influenza-they are NOTHING alike.

It's still so hard to tell. I mean, if I get a really bad cold, I will often have a low-grade fever and body aches for a day or two. It's been that way all my life. I thought that *any* time you have a fever, you pretty much get body aches. That's the case for me, flu or no flu.

I *think* have have the flu twice in my life. Once when I was 13 and I hardly remember it, just that I was out of school for a week and then it turned into pneumonia (I actually probably just had pneumonia the whole time). Then about 8 years ago, I remember coming down with something so rapidly. I remember being at the store and one minute I was fine and the next minute, I had a cough. It was a weird cough. Not like you needed to clear your throat or your throat tickled. It came from way deep down. Came on REAL fast and continue. A few hours later, I had a fever. The fever went on for 3 days before I went to the doctor. Back then, they weren't swabbing and diagnosed me with a virus. The next day, I got a raging sore throat with it. The ended up putting me on a Z-Pack which got rid of the sore throat. I don't know if it was the flu with a secondary infection but it was the strangest thing I ever had and it lasted a FULL week or more.