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Flu virus or Heavy head cold

(57 Posts)
Bea65 Thu 06-Nov-25 13:59:31

I had the Covid jab in late September and had inflamed red skin next day and was itchy for few days

At same time I had the over65s flu in vaccine in other arm and no inflammation or redness-

Now I’m day 8 of flu
 still fully congested and jelly legs 
 despite having dosed up on beechamps/sudafed/olbas oil drops on tissue/vicks vapour steam facial

Has anyone else had same symptoms with flu after being vaccinated - almost feel I’ve had placebos .. am weak like newborn kitten and very tired 🙁

Flippin2 Sun 09-Nov-25 16:41:45

Bea65
I was prescribed antibiotics,do seem to helping,the coughs nowhere as bad which means I can sleep. Hope you feel better soon

Maz1960 Sun 09-Nov-25 16:41:09

Sorry you are suffering in the evenings but that does sound like allergies.

Flick1 Sun 09-Nov-25 16:12:53

They’d probably all be well.

missdeke Sun 09-Nov-25 16:04:22

Apparently when the vaccination was decided upon earlier this year the latest virus mutations hadn't happens. It seems that they have to decide earlier in the year which vaccination to process to ensure thay can produce enough.

The variants this yea rare particularly virulant so the vaccination will not be as effective as it has been. They think this year will be the worst flu Winter in 10 years.

Moonwatcher1904 Sun 09-Nov-25 16:01:42

The last flu vaccination I had left me really ill and I had to go to our local walk in centre. I ended up having to go on a nebuliser my breathing was that bad. Haven't had one since. It's been years since I had a chest infection and cold until the other week when I caught one off my daughter. I have been notified by my GP for a flu virus vaccination but I've declined. I will take the risk. I don't want to go through another cold/chest infection again.

ChelseaJay29 Sun 09-Nov-25 15:51:00

I have had a head cold which is just better after a week, I had my flu jab 2 days ago, 5 days after I got the cold. I took paracetamol and managed to rest, happily that worked.

4allweknow Sun 09-Nov-25 15:16:29

Have so many friends, acquaintances with the cough, cold/flu like symptoms. Most have had the flu and covid vaccinations recently. Goodness know what they would be like if hadn't had the vaccinations. The cough seems to be the most complained of.

undines Sun 09-Nov-25 14:51:34

I'm just puzzled as to why people continue to believe that bombarding the human immune system with all these 'vaccinations' is going to make for good health! Even the purveyors of the flu vaccine admit that it's hit-and-miss as to whether they get it right about which virus is going to be a threat in the coming winter. My personal choice is to look after my basic immune system with loads of Vitamin C and vitamin D. I believe you can go above the RDA, especially with C, with impunity. If I feel a cold coming on I take masses of Vit C, a bit of extra D and have a very early night. Worked so far...

Bea65 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:40:17

Day 11
 still no energy.., taste buds have vanished
 can’t be bothered eating
 throat pain gone but phlegmy and chesty cough - worse when trying to have a conversation 


Hope everyone on here is recovering đŸ€ž - definitely one of the strongest flu viruses I’ve had ..

Whitewavemark2 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:22:01

You will never develop flu from the flu jab, and neither does it ever give 100% protection.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:20:29

Does sound like a nasty cold/virus and not flu.

When you get a bad dose of the flu, you will never mistake it for a heavy cold.

Hope you are beginning to recover.

We all need our flu jabs as this year, flu seems to be virulent.

sazz1 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:17:56

Marg75 this sounds like allergy symptoms. Do you have a dog, cat, bird in the living room but not in the bedroom? Or plug in, scented candles air freshener etc?
I'm worse with coughing in room with my dogs so I take antihistamines each day. Wake up with clear chest no cough until I go downstairs
Just a thought HTH

sazz1 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:06:50

All flu vaccines are only 40% - 60% effective as they take a guess on which strains of flu virus will be prevalent each year. Told to me by a nurse who was vaccinating me a few years ago. Apparently there are many, many strains of flu virus and the same with the pneumonia virus. My GP also confirmed this when I asked why my sister and father died of pneumonia when both were vaccinated. TBH I haven't bothered with the flu vaccine since.

pably15 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:01:40

I was reading about this years flu jag...it seems that the vacines are made around the beginning of the year, and they've now found that this flu is a worse strain that what was expcted and so the vacine wont give as much protection as first thought, it will give some protection but not 100%.

Ktsmum Sun 09-Nov-25 14:01:36

Going into my 3rd week with a stinking cold. It was almost hone before I had my flu jab then it came back with a vengeance. I blame myself for not waiting until I was fully recovered before have flu vacc🙄

Gogo84 Sun 09-Nov-25 14:00:45

The reason for my coughing, which is mostly at night is post nasal drip. It's the most annoying thing, mostly fine during the day but as soon as I lie down, especially on my back the "drip" irritates my throat. Absolute pain.

Sheba Sun 09-Nov-25 13:54:01

Had a really bad flu type virus for 6 weeks and only just starting to feel better now.
Runny nose, earache, cough and extreme tiredness, don’t know if it was connected but it started a week after having my flu jab.
I wondered if I’d got long covid.

rowyn Sun 09-Nov-25 13:45:19

I had both Covid and flu jabs about a month ago and have had no symptoms until about a week ago. It's nothing much - just a very persistent cough. Doesn't really fit in with the most common symptoms.
And ironically, I rarely socialise, have shopping delivered, and mostly live on my own in seclusion. So goodness knows where this came from!

IOMGran Fri 07-Nov-25 08:03:17

Babs03

If you get a very sore throat, productive cough and aching chest, or ear ache do try to see a GP, sometimes a virus can appear to hang on but in actual fact it can be a secondary infection that needs antibiotics.

This is exactly right. You can sometimes tell by the taste change of the phlegm.

In the last 6 weeks I have had a flu jab and a covid jab and part 2 of the shingles jab course. The effects have only been tiredness and a sore arm, the shingles is the worst for the soreness. Needle the size of a knitting needle!

I will get every vaccination I can because I want to improve my odds. I augment this with actively avoiding places and people who could infect me. Life is too short to spend it being ill.

Marg75 Thu 06-Nov-25 21:28:01

I had an awful dry cough for over a week, I hacked away all day and night. Had antibiotics that got rid of it. Then DH and I had our flu vaccinations a week or so later and he's had a chesty cough for almost two weeks. I now have strange symptoms, I'm alright during the day but in the evenings it feels as though I have a cold, sneezing and blowing my nose continually. When I wake up in the mornings it's gone!

Maremia Thu 06-Nov-25 18:27:32

The cough was quite severe and long lasting, so try to get plenty of honey, cough mixture and whatever suits you best.
Yes, best to avoid visitors, as you can't control the coughing.
But do ask your friends and family to keep you going with supplies, which they can leave at the door for you.
It does pass, but if it gets worse, temperature etc, get straight onto your Doctor.

Babs03 Thu 06-Nov-25 18:23:30

If you get a very sore throat, productive cough and aching chest, or ear ache do try to see a GP, sometimes a virus can appear to hang on but in actual fact it can be a secondary infection that needs antibiotics.

Bea65 Thu 06-Nov-25 18:01:40

Grammaretto

I had a cold in September. My family were staying and I felt so rotten.

Then last week I started feeling feverish, sore throat, blocked nose, painful to swallow etc
It's much better now but I don't know why I am rundown.
I had a flu vaccine about 9 months ago.
Is there much point in having the vaccine?

Poor you Bea get better soon

That’s my query
 why after taking up the vaccinations to protect/prevent more lasting effects of flu/viruses why I feel ‘rundown’ and what exactly is in the vaccines??

Maremia ok so it’s a waiting period of 3-4wks
 hard to function when u live alone altho I wouldn’t want visitors to spread virus onto 


Maremia Thu 06-Nov-25 17:29:57

We both had a head cold, not flu or Covid, that lasted 4 weeks.
Went to the Docs at the 3 week stage to be told that this was the current virus and come back if not better in 4 weeks.
Hang on in there. Hope it passes soon.

Bea65 Thu 06-Nov-25 16:55:21

🙏TwiceAsNice yes I keep going up to bed earlier then only able to sleep a few hours.. and
Flippin2 I’ve got a bit of chesty cough but it’s the facial congestion and wanting to ‘rip’ the nose off my face as it stings/tingles so much .
What has GP/Pharmacist prescribed?

đŸ€ž hope you both feel better soonđŸ€ž

Just wish we knew what we’re dealing with