H1N1 First hand account (my own, I have it right now)

First off, I am a molecular biologist, and I perform biotech research as my job, so it's quite ironic that I would come down with this crap. I'm keeping a journal with time points and symptoms, as it looks like I will be going at this alone. I called my primary care physician today and didn't even get past the receptionist. I told her I thought I might have the flu (not swine flu, just standard flu) and she said the office is not currently seeing flu patients and gave me the list of home remedys and basically told me good luck.

That being said, I am not 100% sure this is H1N1, but given the recent events, and severity of my case I would have to say theres above an 75% chance it is.

So...

It all started 7 days ago today. I was out and about all the previous weekend for my birthday, and woke up tuesday morning with a horrible dry cough. It actually woke me up a couple of times in the middle of the night. I felt a little groggy, but nothing to complain about, and the cough wasn't bad enough to keep me from work. The cough persisted for a couple of days, and was largely unproductive and dry. Friday rolls around and I start hacking up some serious mucus and judging by the looks of it (and with my knowledge of infections) I knew I had a serious respiratory infection. The cough has reverted back to dry status and has persisted for almost 8 days now. I feel a slight pressure/ irritation in the center of my chest where the bronchioles are. When taking a standard, tidal volume breath, about 3/4 through inhalation I can feel the irriatation/ tickle in this region.

Good news is it hasn't and may not make it into my lungs, as it seems to have been confined for the past seven days as a bronchitis like infection. The coughs come and go in spells, sometimes very severe to the point where sweating and nausia are induced by coughing so much alone. The spells seem to be more frequent at night, as I said often waking me up in the am to a horrible coughing streak.

Until today those were the only symptoms. This morning I awoke very, very tired, and I sweat almost profusely all day. I had no desire to drink water, nor did I, and I was beginning to overheat. This evening I forced down some tea and small dinner, and around 8pm the fever hit me. My A/C is on in my apartment and yet I was sitting on the couch watching a movie and beads of sweat were accumulating on my forehead (which was cold to the touch). All evening I have been having hot and cold flashes, and just recently, I can tell the fever is starting to make me a tad disoriented (it was hard to drive to pick up more gatorade).

I am normally a very, very healthy individual. When big rounds of the flu or colds come around, I am usually the first to contract them, and I always seem to have no problem getting over them in a few days. This has gone on now for 7 full days and seems to be intensifying. I am showing all the trademark symptoms of the flu, right down to the cough lessening and becoming productive, only to revert back to dry status and becoming worse with a fever.

Today, being day 8, is by far the worse I have felt from a flu virus in 25 years. My stomach has been turned upside down, I have a small but persistent head ache, and there is a slight pressure still in the center of my chest when I breathe.

So far though its nothing out of hand. Nothing that I would be rushing to the ER for or the such. Nothing really that would even keep me out of work (other than the fear of spreading the virus).

I do not fear for myself, as I said I am an extremely healthy individual. I do fear for anyone who might be less healthy than myself, as this is by far the most persistent infection I have ever had (including the herpes from that one wild night in vegas... im just kidding).

I'll try to keep this thread updated daily, or with major changes. As someone in the field, and someone who has done work for the WHO and CDC, I feel I can provide some real concrete information, first hand, to a lot of you who might be fretting this bug.

Wish me luck.

Good thread....great idea

Im hoping it erases some of the misconceptions about the severity of the swine flu. People are really panicking about this, and it really no worse than the normal seasonal flu (both mortality and severity wise)

BTW, I hope you feel better soon

[edit on 11/8/2009 by OzWeatherman]

Great idea for a thread.. hope you feel better soon! My only suggestion to you is to drink a lot of water even if you don't want to. Just stay hydrated, especially if you are sweating so much.

A guy I work with is out with a terrible cough right now --- I wonder if it's H1N1, and I hope he didnt infect a lot of people with it.

Will keep checking this thread for updates.. but get some rest!

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Neurobiologist. Had it earlier this summer.

It'll be fine, we survived.

Good luck, stay hydrated, watch tons of movies.

You said you hadn't had the urge to drink water and haven't had much water. Then later you said you were sweating a lot more than usual, waking up in sweats even.

You really need water. If you become further dehydrated, your symptoms will intensify and you will leave your body prone to attack from other ailments that you usually fend off without much trouble.

Dehydration/Illness is a deadly combination.

That being said, hate to come-off as a know-it-all newbie , I've just seen many cases where people neglected their hydration..

Thanks for the updates! Let us know if you have any revelations with your physician if you ever get an appointment.

Awww, hope you feel better soon. Pretty sure I had it earlier. I've had the flu before but never anything like this, either. The aching all over lasted for 4 full days when usually it's just a day or a day and a half. Highest fever I've had since I don't remember when. The coughing started later like with you, too. Scary but, doable. Try to eat something (rice, bananas, jello) and as everyone has mentioned, drink plenty of fluids--try ginger ale or flat ginger ale or tea. Water can be hard on a sensitive stomach. Turn a steamy shower on to loosen the phlegm (read an article last winter saying that humidity lessens the grip of a flu). Try to get a lot of sleep. Really hope that you're feeling better soon.

Do you have a food delivery service? You should ask a neighbor to run your grocery & pharmacy errands. The gatorade is good, but also forgot to mention about the adult re-hydration formulas that contain the proper mix of electrolytes (not quite so tasty but effective).

[edit on 11-8-2009 by elfie]

[edit on 11-8-2009 by elfie]

It's nothing too severe I guess, but it definitely has the capability to go south very quickly especially if this whole breathing/ pressure/ irritation thing moves deeper into the lungs. I fear that might require medical attention.

Still coughing regularly. Still dry. Ibuprofen doesn't seem to do much what so ever.

I drank about 2L of tea today after I got home, so I should be close to caught up on my water schedule. As I check in for the night, I feel tomorrow is NOT going to be a good day.

Better to get it now, than in the fall I guess.

I do wish you luck....in the mean time swallow cipro and quifenisin. Both are easy enough to get. Great for lung congestion. If you do have HINI perhaps you will build up an immunity for what comes later. Love and best wishes.

reply to post by retroviralsounds

I am a molecular biologist

Do you think there is any way you could show us proof that you are a molecular biologist? If you really are, and you truly do have swine flu, that would help relieve a lot of stress for me.

Especially if you survive the flu.

Originally posted by retroviralsounds
I called my primary care physician today and didn't even get past the receptionist. I told her I thought I might have the flu (not swine flu, just standard flu) and she said the office is not currently seeing flu patients and gave me the list of home remedys and basically told me good luck.

Good post, but who the hell is your doc? The hell with the receptionist, I would demand to see the doc right away if I had any flu symptoms. Sounds like you are insured also, take advantage of what insurance you have before Obamacare kicks in!

reply to post by Guzzeppi


Yeah, seriously. I'd have a stern talking-to with that doctor of yours, after the receptionist of course.

Tell your doctor that you're going to alert the WHO that he refused to see you after you felt you had Swine Flu. Tell him that he is in violation of the Level 6 Pandemic emergency guidelines in that he is guilty of "Harboring an infectious disease." (Real btw, look it up) and he will be subject to legal enforcement.

But don't get the vaccine though... I'd advise against that.

Why can't we just give the old/young/weak/otherwise susceptible a shot of good old tried-and-true interferon? It has similar side effects (when experienced) to influenza infection so it might even give a homeopathic benefit as well. Sorry, all you allopaths out there! Please open your minds just a bit for this idea.

I dont understand why you would post that this is a first hand account with H1N1 when you have not had any blood work to officially show that it is indeed H1N1. Why even post this crap, untill you have any proven test results to back your claim up. It probably is the other way around 75% it is the regular flu. Unless you were handeling H1N1 samples or something i see no reason to jump to the whole swine flu conclusuion.

Also if you have worked with the WHO and such, you should know first hand not to jump to conclusions on what you could possibly have until test results can be determined. Im sorry that you are sick but I feel you may be rushing to conclusions to quickly.

reply to post by vip867


The OP is a molecular biologist. I think that might mean he's au fait with this stuff. Do you suppose the receptionist over the phone of the OP's GP was better equipped to make that judgment? Sheesh.

I must say that I'm getting a little more than a little fed up with all the knee-jerk attempts to discredit anyone and everyone who posts anything about anything here. It has become something of a thorn. Wouldn't it be nicer to listen to what people think, feel, believe, and experience without feeling the compulsion to drive a stake into their heart?

If you don't like what's written in some thread, feel free to find something to which you can contribute without tearing people apart. The sort of behavior you're exhibiting here is a prime example of what is to be avoided in posting.

Of course, now I've just given acknowledgement of your existence. I label myself "FAIL". lol

I had h1n1 earlier this summer. Keep fighting the fight man, but I still have a cough and phlegm about a month after I got through it so I wouldn't be surprised if you met the same fate. Also, I found that towards the end of my flu, a cigar really cleared out my nose and throat, might try that. I think the tobacco smoke irritates your throat and nose enough to flush both a bit.

reply to post by SyphonX


Yes, you should drink lots of water, and also take lots of vitamin C. I barely ever get the flu, and when i do it just passes in a couple of days or so. Take chewable vitamin C. I normally take 5 or so if I feel that I am starting to get sick and most of the time I don't get the flu, it just passes.

Also you know that you need lots of rest.

BTW swine flu seems to attack the most people with healthy immune systems.

Swine Flu hysteria is in full swing and adding fuel to the fire is the fact, announced today, that Swine Flu appears to kill healthy people. As was the case in the last flu pandemic, the 1918 Spanish Flu Outbreak, the new Swine Flu outbreak appears to target people who normally would not die from the flu.

www.nowpublic.com...

Do not just think that your immune system alone can take care of it, do take lots of vitamin C and lots of water, also if you have fever at night cover yourself more so you sweat more.

Sweating is good because as your body heats up it attacks the virus, so do not uncover yourself at night if you are too hot, keep yourself covered in blankets and induce sweating.

Good luck, hope you get better soon.

[edit on 12-8-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

reply to post by retroviralsounds


S & F

Thank you for posting this.

Firstly, I wish you well from the bottom of my heart.

Secondly, several people in my extended family have had H1N1 and lived to tell the tale.

It sounds horrible.

I am unable to get away from the belief that this was spread deliberately.

I'm one of the people who showed barely any symptoms and was over it in about two days. However I was on a major concoction of natural anti-viral compounds.. to name a few raw juiced Apples, garlic extract, cranberry extract, green tea, colostrum, vitaminD, Tumeric. And I avoided any foods/substances that virus feed on. I've been taking this concoction, eating well and working out 5 days a week.. so far flu free and cold free all winter season here

Originally posted by contemplator
I'm one of the people who showed barely any symptoms and was over it in about two days. However I was on a major concoction of natural anti-viral compounds.. to name a few raw juiced Apples, garlic extract, cranberry extract, green tea, colostrum, vitaminD ....

Vitamin D might just be one of the most important weapons in the arsenal against flu and other 'bugs'. Watch this vid a few times:

www.youtube.com...

Best of luck. It was possible my friend had it as well but it was never confirmed, but her husband described many of the same symptoms you have, primarily the cold/hot flashes and the cold beads of sweat although he didn't require hospitalization like she did. Get well soon.