The Hades Virus

[Hound dog]

That's what I'm calling it. It's an appropriate name I think.

I've been sick as a dog since I think either late Jan or early Feb......I know early Feb as it prevented me from going to Brandon's birthday and I'd already been sick a couple of wks at that point. It's now what? Mid march.

I am not getting better. In fact in some ways getting worse as now I'm very weak. medications don't help much at all. None. Cough suppressant does help me stop coughing long enough to catch my breath when the coughing gets bad. But doesn't really help me stop coughing either.......just makes it longer between fits.

The weakness doesn't go away no matter how much sleep I get.

My furnace stays below 60 degrees even on the coldest days unless the grands are here because of the fever........any higher and I feel like I'm on fire.

I was thinking the kidney issues were drawing it out and complicating things. I am having issues that way too which is not helping matters.

Travis is still sick showing no signs of getting better. husband is still sick although not near as sick as Travis and I....but he does have the cough that won't let go.

Then I started talking to other people. I have family all over and friends all over the country.

The dentists receptionist, who is otherwise healthy 20 something, has had it for 4 months despite 2 rounds of strong antibiotics/steriods and has given up on those as they didn't do a thing. Several of her extended family also have it and cant' get rid of it.

My mom has had it for 6 wks. Has also done steriods/antibiotics, has also given up on them as they did little to nothing to help. She's finding more relief in old fashion home remedies.....vicks ect.

My sis in texas has been battling it since before xmas. Also did steriods/antibiotics. Is showing no sign of getting better. Each of her 3 grown kids have it too and her eldest granddaughter.

There are several people in town here that tell me the same story. Seems all you have to do is have a coughing fit in the store and people recognize it.......come over and at least let you know you're not alone.

Many more around the country. Same senerios.

This is not your average flu bug. Not by any means. I had the swine flu last year, and if it hadn't gone into pneumonia it wouldn't have lasted so long.

Maybe this is a evolved version of swine. I dunno. Maybe a new one all together.

I've tried all OTC medications available. I haven't done the steriods/antibiotic method because it's a virus and antibiotics do nothing for a virus and I've no secondary infection. (thankfully) I drink several glasses of the V8 fusion to make sure I'm getting vitamins as eating......I do try hard to eat well......but it's iffy, some times I'm just too exhausted to bother. Right now I do tylenol (fever), cough suppressant (to breathe). That's it. Vaporizer makes it worse not better. Mucinex no longer works. Expectorants, which should be a good thing, make it worse because with this darn bug it's already almost impossible to stop coughing.......the expectorant just seems to keep that going. I had to quit taking it. But thankfully my lungs aren't symptomatic of pneumonia.

The cough will drive you crazy. The weakness is horrible and can be downright scary at times. Getting across the room is a major feat that can be exhausting. Activity can cause me to sleep for hours on end. Too bad you don't wake up feeling stronger. ugh

I am so fed up with this. I want it to go away. And I want to feel human again.

Docs don't call it anything except a virus. But I have to wonder after talking to so many people in so many areas. And it is possible the CDC either hasn't gotten wind of this one......or isn't screaming an alert after the swine flu, which was bad, didn't go nearly as bad as they said it would. (one never knows with gvt agencies lol )

 

[HaoZi]

Reminds me of something we deal with. Every time it rains/snows/precipitation of any type we have major sinus issues. Every. time. I've talked to a number of other people across the U.S. and even Canada with the same issue. The one thing in common we all have since it started? A nearby ethanol plant that started up before the symptoms. I don't know who owns the one here so I can't do the EPA report to check into their air scrubbers for violations.
I have to wonder if you're also looking at some common environmental cause rather than a virus.

 

[DammitJanet]

Ya know, I happen to be the only one in my house that hasnt gotten the creeping crud as I call it and I also happen to be the only one in the house that got the flu shot! Everyone else here has been coughing and hacking up a lung for months, though they dont sound as sick as you do. The other night Tony was really bad but I managed to get him started on allegra OTC and that has really helped him. He wont listen to me that he has got to start taking allergy pills before allergy season starts to ward off this junk and every year they hit him....he claims he doesnt have allergies...yeah right!

His started about 6 years or so ago with an El nino change.

Now Mikey has had this junk for about 6 or 7 weeks and is on his 4th round of antibiotics and they say if they cant get rid of his strep throat this time, they are doing surgery. I always thought they removed tonsils for tonsillitis but maybe things have changed. Or maybe he has tonsillitis and Billie just got the name wrong. I hope for his sake he doesnt have to have the surgery but if he does, he is young enough it wont be a major deal.

Lisa, I have seen something on tv that is some kind of super immune booster that starts with an E. Its not the echinacea stuff but something like elderberry but not even that. I will have to write it down but maybe you could call a GNC store or something and ask them if they had the stuff sold on TV for super immune booster. I know it is a purple capsule. Run the name by me and I know I would recognize it.

 

[HaoZi]

I don't know Janet, you nailed the only two "E" ones I've heard of or can find.
http://www.raysahelian.com/immune.html

 

[DammitJanet]

Maybe its on one of the Sold on TV websites. I see the commercial probably every other day...lol.

 

[HaoZi]

Essiac Tea Complex? Hope not, that one looks like a load of hooey.
Slippery Elm is used orally for coughs and colds, could that be it?

 

[KTMom91]

Wish I had some great insight into this, but after two weeks of coughing so hard I had to change my clothes several times a day (I know you know what I mean), the coughing is finally letting up, and I'm beginning to feel human again. The two weeks of coughing came after the three weeks of a constant pounding in my head, and two rounds of different antibiotics for sinus infection.

The only thing that calmed my cough was the codeine cough syrup. I'm on my third bottle.

 

[JJJ]

I've been sick since Thanksgiving. Going back to the doctor tomorrow. Nice to know this is a nationwide virus

 

[Star*]

- well how many times does someone say THAT to us? roflm thermometer off,

Feel better.

Ohhhhhhh I see - you got that makeover and now it's all the time huh? Well then -

 

[crazymama30]

echinacea. It is an herb that is used to help the immune system, usually best took before you have serious symptoms. It is most helpful with respiratory stuff. Could not hurt to try it. I would be cautious with it though hound, as I do not know if it will harm the kidneys. I would tell you to push fluids and take vitamin C, but I bet if you pushed fluids you would blow up like a balloon, and not sure about vitamin C.

 

[Steely]

I had this in June and the Dr actually diagnosis it as Whooping Cough. It is a new epidemic in the US - 20K were diagnosis with it in 2010. I was coughing so hard I also had to change my clothes - it was horrible. Ask your Dr about doing a test for that.

 

[HaoZi]

I forgot that I'd heard that was going around again. I finally see a regular doctor for me for the first time in years later this week, hopefully I'll remember to ask if they have any shots available.

 

[Hound dog]

Shouldn't be whooping cough in my case. Due to nursing school I had to make certain all my vaccines were up to date.........including that one. I didn't have to get it because the titer came back that the last one I had was still working.

Hmmm I have heard that it's making a come back though.

echinacea you have to be very very careful with if your taking prescription medications as there are a lot it doesn't mix with and can cause some nasty reactions.

I'm pushing vit C and getting the others with the V8 jc. Have to be careful with fluids. Drink too little and I can get dehydrated. Drink too much and I look like an umpalumpa girl. Hoovers, but can't do much about that one.

I've slept the vast majority of the past 2 days away........once I got home from the lunch and very short shopping trip with Nichole. The weak as a newborn kitten deal is worse then the coughing jags.........for me at least.

Somehow tomorrow I have to manage to go grocery shopping. husband has been doing it.........which means we end up with a bunch of basically junk and nothing, and it's expensive. If I want real food in the house I have to go. ugh But I have to have food here........I've got the boys tues and thurs and they have to eat something. At least it's only 2 days this week.

 

[DammitJanet]

I am going to go get the adult whooping cough vaccine since we will have a new baby here. The last coughs I have had have sounded just like a barking seal and yes, I have needed the depends...lol.

 

[busywend]

Did you get the flu shot?

 

[GoingNorth]

Turns out the child pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine does not last a lifetime. There is an adult vaccine called the DTAP, that covers it.

If you haven't gotten it, ask your doctor for it. I got mine a couple of years ago.

 

[Steely]

Yes, because I had the child vaccine. My cough was like a barking seal as well, and I coughed so hard that I would have to remove myself from my workspace and go into the bathroom until I could finish coughing, then I would throw up, and my face was so red and teared it would take about 20 minutes to recompose. The Dr said that because at the time I was working at the resort and I was exposed to people from all over the world I was more at risk.

 

[Star*]

When I got tetanus last Spring (what else did I get with that again - I had tetanus, meningitis, that kissing disease and something else too I just know I was really really sick - like flat on my back for 14 days - couldn't hardly move)

Anyway they gave me a tetanus shot with whooping cough booster - and my doctor told me that due to the influx of non-innoculated illegal immigrants it is best to be innoculated every 5 years for these. I checked with the CDC - and of course they are still citing 10 years - but I checked an article written in a trade magazine my doctor showed me and they state every five. I'm going every five.

Oddly enough - I am allergic to the suspension that the flu virus is kept in - lol - Nice. (makes cross sign with fingers and sprays lysol)

Hope you are feeling better everyone .

 

[HaoZi]

Star, are you allergic to eggs? If you can't get the flu shot, ask for the mist. It takes longer to be effective but it's what they use for people allergic to the shots and also for kids.

 

[tawnya]

Hound Dog, I had the same thing you are talking about, and it lasted almost six weeks. No barking cough, but non-stop coughing. I also lost my voice because of this for almost two weeks. Everyone in the house liked it at first, but then even they got annoyed.

It is awful, and I hope you are on the mend.