How long do influenza symptoms last?

by Symptom Advice on January 24, 2011

I had what I'm almost positive was the flu about a week and a half ago. I had a high fever (103), super tired and dizzy, and not very hungry. just pretty much miserable for about 3 or 4 days. no soar throat or cough, though.

Then, I felt better, but I still had a week appetite and my joints ached all over. Bending my fingers was hard.

That went away and I got sinus headaches for the past 2 or 3 days, then they pretty much stopped. my nose runs just a little on and off.

Now, I don't have much of an appetite, but I still feel hungry some times of the day. But, I feel sick when I think about or look at food. I manage to eat pretty normal meals even so. I feel a little sick after eating them though. and, I'm always tired, not horribly, but I notice it. also, in the mornings the lower half of my body feels odd and sometimes my legs ache.

I had the flu shot in october.

Is this normal symptoms? how long are these symptoms supposed to last?

Thanks :)

Flu usually last 24 to 48 hours in most healthy people sometimes 72 hours. in sicker and older folks, it may last longer like for 1 to 2 weeks total before they are recovered. in some instances, flu is fatal. in fact flu kills more people every year than all other diseases combined, and the spanish flu of 1918 was a pandemic (worldwide killer).

what you have is not normal however. you may be developing Guillian-Barre' syndrome (GBS) which is characterized by dysesthesias and later by "ascending paralysis" which starts in the feet, works up the legs to the waist. sometimes it comes to involve the arms, which also become paralyzed, and the diaphragm which stops working. it is at this time you have an emergency and would have to go on a respirator. prompt recognition of the problem and treatment with either plasmaphoresis, or iv immunoglobulins, may prevent incapacitation by this disease. GBS usually starts 3 to 6 weeks post resolution of flu symptoms. once on a ventilator, you may be there for 3 to 6 months before the disease "burns" itself out. at this point there is no treatment other than the ventilator. after that you have about 6 months more of rehabilitation. you start with gentle therapy. recovery is about to 90% of normal in most cases. only about 10% of GBS cases recur in the same individual. you may not get full-blown GBS but you have symptoms suggesting you might get it/suspicious for it. you are probably twice as likely as the general population to get GBS following another bout of the flu given your current state and symptoms. GBS is more likely to occur in men than women. best of luck with this.

to paraphrase the second reference in wikipedia, these symptoms are prevalent (and are the same ones you have):

GBS is a form of autoimmune disease with a delayed hypersensitivity reaction, or a rare manifestation of serum sickness, or transient syndrome resembling serum sickness with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain accompanied by weakness (tired feeling), chills, low grade fever and possible evidence of brain involvement, indicated by lethargy.

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