Virus won't go away after a month

Well, my doc says it is the flu. She said she has seen these symptoms hang on for more than 6 weeks in some patients. She did not check me for malaria, and said that if it were, I'd be shivering like crazy under the blankets in my bed. Even though I had a flu shot this year, apparently it isn't much good - of the people in the above age 50 bracket who had this year's flu shot, 40% of them got the flu anyway.

My doc gave me a prescription for Tamaflu, twice a day for 5 days, as well as an antihistamine called Singulair to take for 2 weeks. She said that antibiotics are not doing any good, and she is actually calling this thing flu-myalgia, because so many people have all these aches and chills and sweats etc. Well, I actually would have preferred the malaria - at least there is something difinitive that fixes it. I'll see how the Tamiflu goes - the pharmacist says it will help a lot.

I am having a lot of auto-immune reactions to this thing as well - I have psoriasis and it has flared tremendously, and I am getting way more cold sores than usual. And my joints are just killing me - feels like they all need to be replaced, especially my knees and shoulders.

Good luck to you in finding out what you may have. I am still skeptical the Tamiflu will fix it, but we shall see. I will write later in the week and let you know if it is working. You might just have the same virus and keep re-catching it. That is what it feels like I have been doing. This island I am on gets all kinds of germs brought in by plane passengers and cruise ship passengers, so when a bug hits, it continues around the whole island and then restarts again. I can't help but think some of these flu or whatever they are viruses are just becoming stronger. Ugh.

I hope you feel better soon....

I totally know what you mean about wishing it were Malaria as that was my thought as well. I live in the U.S but get bitten up by mosquitoes a lot because they love me. My doctors never gave me Tamiflu because you have to give it at the onset of the flu according to reports. However, maybe that isn't true. Let me know how that works for you and I hope that it does work. Can't hurt.

I don't get the flu shots because they have bad stuff in them like mercury and I have heard they aren't all that successful in working. I guess I have mixed feelings now that I got this thing. Another friend of mine had the same symptoms with the horrible shaking chills and sweats and nausea, especially when you are trying to sleep and then wake up shivering and drenched in sweat. I know during the course of this thing that I have had days where I thought that it's finally going away and then comes back and my friend had the same thing. He is finally over the hump according to his wife. We can only hope there's an end in sight.

I have had complications with this because I have diverticulosis and it turned into diverticulitis so I'm on antibiotics for that. I also had a dead and somewhat infected tooth which I had pulled yesterday to add to the trauma of this whole ordeal. When you have other stuff going on in the body, it adds to the stress on the immune system and it is harder to fight this monster off.

I also feel like this has attacked every system in my body. My legs hurt and I felt like I had polio. My arms feel like they are shaking and have bands around them and are harder to manipulate. I get pains everywhere. I have the inner shaking during the day and at night and the nausea that comes and goes. I have been to the ER 3 times and to 7 doctors and have had all kinds of tests and they have been normal. This thing is hiding.

What island do you live on?

I just wrote you a long reply which got deleted for no good reason. Very strange.

I have a friend who had this same thing with the shaking chills and the nausea and feeling like you're getting well one day and then having it come back again even stronger. This has been the case with me the whole time.

Mine started with an ear infection and then sore throat and inflamed nose and then a dry cough and then on down to the stomach and intestines where it has remained. I have secondary infections - diverticulitis and a dead tooth which just got pulled and was infected. Those things can make it harder for the body to fight. My chills and sweats have been unbearable and the nausea as well. I feel like this thing has penetrated every system in my body. I felt like I had polio because my legs feel infected and hard to walk and in pain as well as my arms and fingers. I just hurt everywhere as well.

I'm only on antibiotics for the diverticulitis infection and now for the tooth. It's harder for the body to fight when you also have so many other things going on and my body has been fighting hard. We're in a big battle here.

Let me know how the Tamiflu works. I have seen so many doctors and been to the ER three times and had so many different tests which are all normal that it's mind boggling. I too wanted it to be malaria, but the doctors said that I didn't have that. I get bitten up by mosquitoes a lot. I wanted to put a definitive name on it as well other than just the flu. How do you fight this thing? I can't work or sleep. Vitamins don't seem to be touching it. Maybe very high doses of them under a nutritionist's supervision. I don't know anymore.

I pray we all get better soon. I don't know why they didn't give me Tamiflu unless it was too late. Let us know.

i have had a virus every month for six months it all started a couple of days after having an operation i have spoke to my doctor twice but she is not interested i was sent for a chest x ray , but who wouldnt have a bad chest after all this i need to no why i am getting the virus so often so i can get something about it

Update: I'd say its roughly 9-10 weeks now with this "virus." Here is a piece of mind for all of you out there. I paid out of pocket to get a full body scan, wasn't cheap but I needed to rule out major problems. I switched doctors about 3 weeks ago and he wanted this scan done. The doc told me its better to know what you don'have e, than what you do have. He also said viruses have a mind of their own and will leave when they want. I asked if it concerned him this has lasted this long, he said no. Another note to keep in mind was the doc asked me, do your vital organs keep you alive? I answered yes,  then he said is a virus considered a major organ? ok obviously not, but virus will affect your everyday routine and make your nerves and body as if they are. I know most of us don't want to hear this but we have to " ride it out." Another good note, reason why he is not concern primarily about this lasting this long, is because when this virus appeared, it was a e sudden onset and not getting worse and worse over time. No matter what you take, it most likely will help, at least in this case. No matter where we go and the tests we can run for a virus is almost a waste of time. the doc said we can continue to test for everything and no one will know what it ever is. He said he would refer me to whoever I asked for, but he was assuring I would feel more frustrated. I hope this helps everyone out there, like I said I live in the Midwest and the weather here this year has been tough. no sunshine, and the temp has fluctuated and made it a breeding ground for these illnesses. Hang in there, you are not losing your minds, and its not nothing major. Be blessed and good luck. hope this reply helps for you guys. Im gradually getting better and it's going on 2 1/2 months but I promise this thing won't win! 

 

Thanks for the update! It sounds like this new doctor is the best of the lot. I too have had a full body scan and this scan and that scan and this test and that test. This damned new virus strain is vicious and it does exactly have a mind of its own and I think had infiltrated my thoughts because every time I start to feel better and voice it, it smacks me back down and I feel worse. I can't even sustain a positive attitude with this even though I try. Now, one thing about this is that because it weakens your body, you can have a secondary infection with it or you could have had an infection or illness first which predisposed you to this virus. I finally bit the bullet and had to go outside of my insurance to a great medical doctor who also uses alternative medicine. They test for parasites and other things that regular medicine doesn't even want to consider. He found a bad parasite in me and I have been treating for that and that has been hell as well. I have had shaking chills with this for 2 months and sweats and constant nausea. The chills have gotten a little better, but they come and go along with the sweats. My symptoms have been really hard to deal with and prevent me from working or doing very much at all. The doctor is also giving me high doses of Vitamin C thru an IV to boost me up as much as possible. Most medical doctors refuse to do this or acknowledge that you could have parasites which is ridiculous. Many of them don't want to dig very far anymore. I had to beg for a full body CT scan and they found that my diverticulosis pockets were thickened and put me on 2 antibiotics for infection which may have helped some, but not for the virus. So there may be underlying issues that are keeping us all from getting well faster than we usually do. Thyroid is another issue that helps fight infection and regulates so many systems in the body. Anything that weakens the immune system and lets this virus thrive may be complicating things for us. My dear husband also shared his cold with me recently so now I have that to contend with and he did his best to prevent me from getting it. But any cold is better than this thing. I'll tell you this. I will never eat off of certain buffets again!!! I may have picked up all of this from some buffets. The sanitary conditions just don't exist at this point! Keep us posted on anything helpful and thanks again for the update!

Get another doctor! She needs to handle you, especially after a surgery like that. It might be a bacteria called c diff and it needs to be checked out! You need to demand service. What do you mean your doctor isn't interested? That's nuts! She's your doctor!!! Look up doctors in a site called Health Grades for your city and state. Patients rate these different doctors and you can check the ratings to see who got the best ratings for the type of doctor you want to see. You can pick up bacteria from the hospital and one called c diff is typical or other staff bacterial.

I have had the same symptoms as well for about 3 weeks accompanied by severe headaches and much dizziness. Had a dotors appointment today which was canceled because my doctor is also sick! They tested me for C-dif [clostridium difficile] because I was put on an antibiotic earlier in the year. C-dif test was negative. The on and off nature of this virus is maddening because you don't know how you will feel hour by hour. I found that a strong dose of probiotic ultimate care flora with 50 billion live culture pill has helped with the gut trouble. Also eating more bland, drinking green tea and lots of water is also helping, but by no means is this a cure.

It sounds like you must have go e to a naturopath with the supplements you are taking. Many of your symptoms sound like candida die off symptoms which supposedly can last for months depending on how long you have had candida

I have had similar symptoms, chills, body aches and pains but no fever. I have had 16 blood cultures, from Valley Fever, Mono, Lyme disease. all negative.  Also coupled with urine analysis, nthing, white blood countall ok.  it is very debiliating I agree it is also very disheartening.  I feel very week and fatigued but try to muscle thorugh it.  55yr male

I have been sick with the very same thing, including starting out with sore gums .I have missed the last tow weeks of work. I am so weak. I called the Dr. today she wants me to have a chest x ray, I think it is a waste of time and money, but fear I have a serious illness. Feel better.

Be strong

I and my husband have dealt with this for years on and off, very often it is triggered off by a virol infection or overload of stress so many different symptoms, chest joint pains, stomach pains and oh God the tiredness, and depression

:-|

now you mentioned something else hat affects me and that is the nerve pain..apart from all those other symptoms of fever ,sorethroat chills and stomach rolling ..I also was told that whatever infection that was travelled through my nose all the way to my eyes via the tear duct.Now for two months I am sensitive to light and I struggle to read white tet on black background,as if letters blurr into each other.

i have been battling what appears to be a stomach virus for 6 months now. every symptom points to a stomach virus. off and on bouts with cramps, nausea, fatigue, leg pain, indigestion, blurry vision, headaches, chills, never a fever, frequent urination and stools. it comes and goes. it can last for days or weeks off and on. i am vegan/vegetarian and silly healthy.  blood, urine, and stool tests have shown nothing is wrong

I have been the e exact same way but only for about a week now.I've never felt like this.if I am not having a very small bowel movement then I'm passing lots of gas that smells rotten when will this end I have a newborn.