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5 weeks on flu

Posted , 5 users are following.

charles94798
charles94798

Hi,I've been on flu for roughly 5 weeks,depression has eased but still feeling a bit anxious and chest feels tight.Are these feelings normal and has the flu still to kick in?Thanks for any help received

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • VaJaJa
    VaJaJa charles94798

    Posted

    Hi Charles....I'm also on week 5 & I have the same symptoms as you but when I went to docs on Monday she said it was perfectly normal at this stage & will get better as the flu builds up in your system. I find that when I go for a walk for 30 to 40 minutes it improves & that's because it's the a adrenalin that's makes you feel like this, it's hard I know to motivate yourself to do it but it's worth it. I find my worst time is in the morning when I wake up feeling tight chested & a bit flat so takes a while to get going - stick with it as I was really bad for the 1st 3 weeks or so but I can defo see an improvement - still will be a while before I get there but I'm positive I will xx
    • charles94798
      charles94798 VaJaJa

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply,my chest feels ok in the morning but gradually by the end of the day when its bedtime it feels tight and I'm breathing in slightly shorter breaths
    • VaJaJa
      VaJaJa charles94798

      Posted

      Hi Charles I get the same but at different parts of the day. It looks like we are both on the same timeline with the flu so it will be good for us to swap results. I love this site because it's very positive & makes me feel that I'm not alone as it's very hard to describe to people who have not got this to understand how hard it is.
    • charles94798
      charles94798 VaJaJa

      Posted

      Yeah would be glad to keep in touch so we could go through it together so to speak.It is great to know someone else is on the same timeline
    • katie77777
      katie77777 charles94798

      Posted

      Hi Charles, im just starting my 9th week on flu ( 4 weeks on 20mg & 5 weeks on 40mg) & have had a variety of awful side effects including a heavy feeling in my chest. I didn't feel any real improvement until last week but feel so much better this week & am really glad i stuck with it. I feel better than I have done in years!! I just hope it continues! I found reading other people's comments on here really useful you don't feel your om your own. I wish you all the best for the future xx
    • charles94798
      charles94798 katie77777

      Posted

      Thanks for replying.I'm going into my 5th week on 20mg and just wondering if I should stick with 20mg for another couple of weeks or try 40mg?

      My mindset is better but it's just the tight chest and feeling slightly breathless

      Is that why you changed to 40mg cos you thought 20mg weren't working?

    • VaJaJa
      VaJaJa charles94798

      Posted

      Hi Charles I'm on 40mg now was on 20mg for 3 weeks so this is coming up to 6 weeks now. When the dose was upped after 4/5 days I felt worse then I did with 20mg but it got better about 10 days in. Go back to your docs & tell them how you feel
    • charles94798
      charles94798 VaJaJa

      Posted

      Think I'll give it another couple of weeks,then if chest tightness doesn't disappear I'll raise to 40mg.

      I've read on here it can take up to 2/3 months for full effects to settle in,but thanks for feedback anyway,I'll keep you posted VaJaJa.

    • katie77777
      katie77777 charles94798

      Posted

      It's worth speaking to your GP, I think increasing my dose helped me, I was the same as you my mood felt slightly better but physically I didn't feel great until 6-8 weeks. Its definitely worth sticking with it through because when they do start to work they work!! I read on here so many times its a long journey & it is but for me its been worth sticking with it. Im sure you feel better in a few weeks x
    • katie77777
      katie77777 charles94798

      Posted

      After 4 weeks. As I didn't feel any improvement my GP increased my dose to 40mg.
    • alex10154
      alex10154 katie77777

      Posted

      Hi Katie did you have any increased side effects after upping dose?
    • katie77777
      katie77777 alex10154

      Posted

      Hi Alex, I had some increase in anxiety symptoms & tiredness but no where near as bad as when I first started fluoxetine. They wore off after 2 weeks.
  • vix167
    vix167 charles94798

    Posted

    Hi charles

    Unfortunately yes this seems fairly normal based on my experience. You have at least felt an improvement in your mood so that would suggest its starting to work which is great.

    I felt improvement physically wk 6-8 tho I took a while longer to shift the low mood but I did have lots of medical stuff going on which I think held my recovery back. I was on 20mg til about wk12 then upped to 30mg. I am now in wk17 and feel fantastic, back to being me n being enthusiastic about life in general, everyone has noticed.

    I wouldn't rush to up dose, it does take time tho everyone ia different. Exercise is a major help, esp in fresh air n natural surroundings if possible. Im not a fan but tried to make sure I did min 20 brisk walk a day and always felt better for it tho I seriously had to drag myself sometimes. Breathing techniques (4-7-8) really help too.

    Hope it eases for you soon n you start to feel brighter. You can and will get there :-)

    Good luck

    Vix

    • charles94798
      charles94798 vix167

      Posted

      Thanks vix,thanks for your time and information.Could you please explain the (4-7-8) breathing technique?
    • vix167
      vix167 charles94798

      Posted

      Its very simple way of maximising oxygen intake apparently, helps relax the muscles? Does make me feel calmer however it works :-)

      Look up on internet but basically deep breath in for 4, hold for 7 then breathe out for 8. Expels more carbon dioxide or something. Good for helping with getting to sleep.

      Give it a go its worth a try!

      Vix

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