Can you get the flu again? - Page 2

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

On 12/31/2014 namealreadytaken said:
The flu shot did nothing for you. It was a totally different bear than the one that is raging throughout the country. I did test positive for it, once in late November and again near Christmas (I think Dec 20). I don't know if there was a problem with the methodology or that I still had same flu but I should not have been contagious after 5 days, which meant I should not be carrying. Not sure what happened. I did have bronchitis the first time with the first positive nasal swabs and had bilobar pneumonia the second time with the positive nasal swabs and CXR and even on both followup CXRs, I still have some infiltrates. Both were same type flu. Who knows? CDC missed so bad on this one, it makes one wonder if it was by intent.

It takes some audacity to infer that the dedicated medical professionals who work for the government agency charged with trying to prevent disease, would deliberately do something to cause it. You should be ashamed of yourself.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

3star · ‎08-17-2012

I am suffering through one of the worst flu bouts I've ever experienced ( been to the ER twice), if you are not careful and go out I crowded areas before you are fully recovered, you c. Get a relapse and it will be worse the second time around. My local ER's waiting room is overcrowded with flue patients. The doctor's told me and my family, 10 days for it to leave your system, if you a not reinfected by a family member living in your home. Oh yes, I did get the flu shot. I WANT MY MONEY BACK,!!!!

1000Glosses · ‎09-23-2010

You can't get "reinfected by a family member" unless that family member has a different strain of flu. Once you get sick with a certain strain, you are immune to it. You definitely can relapse if you don't take care of yourself and stay in bed, which is impossible to do for some people, especially if you are trying to take care of others at the same time.

They said that if you had the flu shot and get sick, you should get a milder case. I don't think that seems to be true this year. People are really sick. The two women who live in my building both have it, and I have been running to the store for them to get juice and toilet paper, etc. One of them care barely get out of bed and has a terrible cough.

So far, I haven't gotten it. They tell me what they need through the door, and I leave the stuff outside the door when I get back. I also spray Lysol in the hall a lot--no idea if that helps, but it can't hurt.

I hope you all feel better soon. The flu is absolute misery.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

My understanding is that it's pretty much some educated guess work when preparing for the anticipated "flu" of the year. They make their educated guess and go to work making the shots. Yesterday, I heard a doctor say they just missed the mark this year. What they anticipated either didn't happen to the degree they expected or a new flu came along too late for anything to be done. She also said that if you feel any symptoms (and sometimes it difficult to distinguish from a bad cold), get to the doctor immediately and they can prescribe something (usually Tamiflu, I think), but if you wait more than 48 hrs., it's pretty much a worthless trip. It has to be nipped in the bud early.

I do think it's possible that if you aren't completely well and your resistance is low, if you don't get the right amount of rest, burn the candle at both ends, expose yourself to other sick people, you will get sick again.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/1/2015 3star said: I am suffering through one of the worst flu bouts I've ever experienced ( been to the ER twice), if you are not careful and go out I crowded areas before you are fully recovered, you c. Get a relapse and it will be worse the second time around. My local ER's waiting room is overcrowded with flue patients. The doctor's told me and my family, 10 days for it to leave your system, if you a not reinfected by a family member living in your home. Oh yes, I did get the flu shot. I WANT MY MONEY BACK,!!!!

3star, I just wanted to share this one published paper with you. If you are still suffering from influenza, there are some natural things that may dramatically help you to recover, like green tea, black tea, licorice, coconut oil or Monolaurin capsules, astragalus capsules, holy basil oil capsules, oil of oregano capsules, sambucus lozenges, and olive leaf extract capsules, in particular. Important vitamins that also help are vitamin C and vitamin D. These supplements work on all types of influenza, as well as many other types of viruses.

Here is one article that discusses the usefulness of complementary alternative medicine remedies:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957173/

I hope you feel much better soon. Oh, and as I used these supplements to fight some nasty flu or flu-like illness I had in early 2010, possibly H1N1 but I will never know for sure, and as I was sick for only 1 and 1/2 days, I considered these supplements godsends.

pattypeep · ‎06-06-2011

I once worked with a woman who called in sick with the flu every couple of months. NOT !!

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea-Robert A. Heinlein

ID2 · ‎06-25-2012

No, you can't get the same strain of the flu again. Once you have it your body develops an immunity. But there are tons of other flu strains out there to catch.

"Pure Michigan"

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/1/2015 3star said: I am suffering through one of the worst flu bouts I've ever experienced ( been to the ER twice), if you are not careful and go out I crowded areas before you are fully recovered, you c. Get a relapse and it will be worse the second time around. My local ER's waiting room is overcrowded with flue patients. The doctor's told me and my family, 10 days for it to leave your system, if you a not reinfected by a family member living in your home. Oh yes, I did get the flu shot. I WANT MY MONEY BACK,!!!!

1. Each year in developing the flu vaccine, the virologists and researchers are making an "educated guess" as to which virus(es) MAY surface and cause problems in any given year.

2. They are not always right and are the first to admit it.

3. Though you feel cheated this year, remember to get your flu shot next year, because it may very well be spot on!

4. And, next year you may not get the flu at all because you already have antibodies to that flu from having had it some years ago.

5. Hope you feel better soon! God Bless.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/1/2015 twopeas said:
I once worked with a woman who called in sick with the flu every couple of months. NOT !!

This is SO my sister. She has also suffered from Monday-itis since high school.

Jova · ‎11-26-2014

Very informative thread! I am not getting the flu shot, since I got the flu so badly two years ago even with the flu shot. I have been hospitalized a total of 4 times in past ten years with the flu.

I was so thankful that I didn't get the flu in 2014, and I am praying I don't get it this year. I was out of work for 5 weeks in 2013 the last time I got it due to complications and secondary infection in the lungs.