Flu So what the hell is this CRUD?!?

ShadowMan

Designated Grumpy Old Fart
So what is this CRUD that's going around. We've been hearing about it for the last several months. It takes weeks and weeks to get over. Tons of coughing, URI and Lung issues seem to be the majority of the symptoms and being so dog azzed tired anything and everything is a immense major effort! And persistent beyond belief!

It's gone through our church, especially hitting the elder members hard. Our daughter's university is full of coughing and hacking sick kids. My nephew reports from SoCal that it's hitting his school (high school) where he works hard. We've had members here on TBK that have been dealing with this CRUD for 4-5-7-10 weeks?!?!

All reports I've heard of say that the doctors are saying it's a virus and unless you have developed full on pneumonia antibiotics are useless. OK, I get that, but what is this CRUD?????

My 2 cents worth: This reminds me of a similar affliction I had back in the late '70's. I was in the navy and was a Sick Call Corpsman at the time. Which meant that day in and day out I was constantly exposed to EVERYTHING all the time. One day I realized I was sicker than all the patients I had been seeing for the past week. I was a miserable puppy with Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Pharyngitis, Otitis, fever/chills, productive cough that would not stop, etc., etc., etc. My sputum was dark brown, thick, mucoid and tenacious. Our clinic Lab Tech Gram Stained it and the results were Haemophilus Influenzae. I spent a week in bed sicker than all get out and was left after that with a residual cough that seemed to last for months.

So fast forward to today. Is that what is going around now? Has anyone heard of a real diagnosis other than "it's a virus"? There seems to be an awful lot of sick people for "just a virus" going around. I haven't heard of anyone dying from this, but an awful lot of people are sick for an awful long long time for "just a virus".
 

Garryowen

Deceased
I don't feel sick, but do have this cough. Vigorous oyster production, too bad they are basically inedible. Always something hanging in the back of my throat. Occasionally when I take a pill it just sticks there and needs a big slug of water to dislodge it.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
So what is this CRUD that's going around. We've been hearing about it for the last several months. It takes weeks and weeks to get over. Tons of coughing, URI and Lung issues seem to be the majority of the symptoms and being so dog azzed tired anything and everything is a immense major effort! And persistent beyond belief!

It's gone through our church, especially hitting the elder members hard. Our daughter's university is full of coughing and hacking sick kids. My nephew reports from SoCal that it's hitting his school (high school) where he works hard. We've had members here on TBK that have been dealing with this CRUD for 4-5-7-10 weeks?!?!

All reports I've heard of say that the doctors are saying it's a virus and unless you have developed full on pneumonia antibiotics are useless. OK, I get that, but what is this CRUD?????

My 2 cents worth: This reminds me of a similar affliction I had back in the late '70's. I was in the navy and was a Sick Call Corpsman at the time. Which meant that day in and day out I was constantly exposed to EVERYTHING all the time. One day I realized I was sicker than all the patients I had been seeing for the past week. I was a miserable puppy with Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Pharyngitis, Otitis, fever/chills, productive cough that would not stop, etc., etc., etc. My sputum was dark brown, thick, mucoid and tenacious. Our clinic Lab Tech Gram Stained it and the results were Haemophilus Influenzae. I spent a week in bed sicker than all get out and was left after that with a residual cough that seemed to last for months.

So fast forward to today. Is that what is going around now? Has anyone heard of a real diagnosis other than "it's a virus"? There seems to be an awful lot of sick people for "just a virus" going around. I haven't heard of anyone dying from this, but an awful lot of people are sick for an awful long long time for "just a virus".

Its influenza, there are four strains two of which have mutated and that's probably the one you have caught. Sucks I know, but you'll get over your man cold soon enough.
 

ShadowMan

Designated Grumpy Old Fart
Yeah if it was just me I'd just go into my man cave until I healed.....but it's really kicking my wife's butt and she's a lot worse than me. She's finally agreed to she her doctor Thursday. That's the soonest they could get her in, they are so over loaded with patients with this crap.
 

L.A.B.

Goodness before greatness.
It must be about five or six years since I had a crud in my lungs. No other sites, just the chest. I had it at least 6 weeks just pestering me. It had been going around at work and a few co-workers had it.

I recall attempting to go after it with black elderberry. That didn't work. Then I thought about the 'P-73 'Oregonal' oil sold at the health food store for $20 or more for about an ounce. I put a few drops in a quarter teaspoon of warm water and considered the best way to get the solution closest to my lungs... cough-cough. The very next day it was gone.

Having coffee one night I happened to hear an individual clear his throat in the atypical manner of those stuck on the crud circuit. Oh boy, was I in for it. He was a doctor. He wasn't happy with my technique of application. Ant water in the lung and all lecture.

We were in a beach city so I asked him if any of his patients come in with swimmers ear. Sure he answered. Then I asked if he thought those patients might get a little more that a snort of H2O in the lungs. He was miffed. He barged out of the coffee shop for being challenged in theory vs actual experience.

I don't recommend what I did, but nasal washes using a diluted amount of the same properties vigorously inhaled 'may' approximate what I did. I actually use the same product now as a nasal wash, it's just way weaker than the three to five drops of pure oil in a minuscule 1/2 teaspoon base.

I used it topically once on a bacterial infection, possible ring worm...? And again... GONE The next day.

I don't use this seller. This is just for info purposes.

http://www.taoofherbs.com/categories/449/OreganolP73.htm?source=bing&keyword=ad-oreganol
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Unfortunately, we tend to see viral illnesses as "mild"... but as anyone who was around during the 1918 influenza virus pandemic can assure you, that's NOT always the case. (check out also, Lassa virus, Ebola virus, smallpox virus....)

The thing is, we *have* managed to develop effective vaccines for many viral illnesses (another one to add to the list- Rabies virus!). But that doesn't mean we can't end up with a relatively novel virus hitting folks who have no immunity to that particular strain... and that's when it gets ugly.

Our basic rule of thumb in terms of when to go to the doctor, and how to tell whether you're dealing with a virus or a secondary bacterial infection:

For healthy adults, we don't go to the doctor... pretty much at all. If the preps wouldn't prove adequate to treating vomiting and diarrhea, we'd heat to the urgent care or ER if we developed signs of 10% dehydration... eyes look dull and a bit sunken, lips are dry and sometimes flaking, tongue is sticky unless constantly moistened, and if you pinch the skin up on your hand or forearm, it stays pinched up for over 3 seconds.

For children, elderly (especially "frail" elderly who are already underweight and have lost much of their muscle), 12 hours is about as long as you want them to go without keeping ANY fluids down, especially if they are also suffering from diarrhea. And they MUST go to the ER immediately if ANY signs of dehydration start... they just don't have any reserves, and the electrolyte imbalance often will stop their heart.

For upper respiratory stuff: If the mucous is mostly clear, or yellowish, whether it's from your sinuses or lungs, it's almost certainly viral. Viral pneumonia isn't fun, but antibiotics won't do a blessed thing for it, either. I believe they do use stuff like steroid inhalers, etc, these days, so if your "bug" has moved into your lower lungs (your chest aches, you're running a fever, you've got a painful chest cough and you are feeling very weak and shaky, it's likely pneumonia) a doctor's visit migh actually do some good.

IF... you started feeling better for a day or three, and then suddenly it 'came back'... but now the stuff you're coughing up is greenish, brownish or has a foul taste.... you're probably in the "secondary bacterial infection" phase, and this is when a doctor's visit and antibiotics are appropriate. If you spiked a fever (again) with this "secondary" phase, it's even more likely you have a secondary bacterial infection going on.

Aside from those, though...

Treat viruses with plenty of fluids... preferably warm, and things like well peppered chicken soup... adding some cayenne to that soup will help liquify the mucous and help you clear your sinuses and lungs. Use Mucinex or one of it's clones to keep the mucous flowing. Avoid using antihistamines like Benadryl (this is why we don't use "Cold and Flu" combination products, choosing to use the individual medications that are appropriate to our symptoms). Antihistamines "dry you out", but don't really "decongest" that well (Sudafed, however, is useful if your nose is so clogged that you can't breathe, and breathing with your mouth open makes you cough)

Vitamin C (in doses "to bowel tolerance"... essentially, you take as much as you can daily until you start getting mild diarrhea... then cut back. It takes a LOT to really be very effective... as much as 10 grams a day. Ester-C is likely a better, more bioavailable form.

There are many herbs with some reputation for helping with "flu", etc. Not all work on all viruses... elderberry, for example, is a near-miracle when used early and often for influenza, but really doesn't help the common cold (the cold virus is designed differently than the influenza virus, and the elderberry just doesn't work on cold viruses- in the lab or people). Chamomile tea might be useful. Lomatium root is excellent and valuable... olive leaf extract is worthwhile.

THE best "alternative" med we've found for stopping the common cold in its tracks (taken early enough) is zinc. Zicam apparently has reformulated and are back on the market- they had to discontinue the gel (which worked AMAZINGLY well) because too many people misread the directions and "snorted" the stuff- and ended up losing their sense of smell!). Zinc tablets... in doses of 100 mgs 2-3 times a day, for no more than a week... have often "aborted" a cold for me. Zinc lozenges work as well. However, the biggest drawback of zinc is it seems to give quite a few people nausea. I've found that if I just lay down for 10 minutes or so after taking the tablets, any nausea is transient and quickly over.

One trick that many people swear by- we never really had the time to indulge in trying it, because come hell or high water, we HAD TO milk the cows every morning and night- is the "artificial fever" trick... Take a hot bath, just as warm as you can comfortably handle... you want to feel your skin starting to prickle with sweat. When you get out, dry off quickly and wrap up in warm blankets. Crawl in bed, preferably with a cup of hot herb tea, and cover up warmly. This raises your body temperature (much like a fever does, and for the same reasons) and can "burn out" a virus, which has very narrow temperature tolerances

If anyone has heart issues or is otherwise infirm, DO NOT USE the above heat technique!!

Above all, REST as much as you can, especially in the first few days. Your body needs to use it's energy and reserves to fight the virus, and that means lots of sleep! That's probably the hardest thing for most hard working, "go-getter" Americans... I can tell you from experience that being forced into bedrest, when you're normally working 14 hours a day or more. SUCKS.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Summerthyme
 

ShadowMan

Designated Grumpy Old Fart
Absolutely Summer, virus' are nothing to ignore and can be deadly in their own right. Especially since they can set you up for a secondary bacterial infection and other complications they are also nothing to be ignored. The older we get the more we have to get and stay as healthy as we can and pay attention when our health comes under attack.

The reality is that diseases have killed more humans and animals on this planet than all the bombs and bullets and swords, etc. ever used in anger or violence.

The real battle on this planet is in the MICRO-WORLD!! And we're barely just holding our own.....barely.
 
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L.A.B.

Goodness before greatness.
Great info as usual summerthyme. It was your informational post in 2007 that inspired me to purchase an herb press to produce my own organic black elderberry tincture prior to the fall of 2008. I made just under 12 quarts and gave as flu season fall gifts to friends. None of us had the usual fall-winter problems other co-workers were enduring.

summerthyme, before I forget. Have you ever tried Oreganol oil in an atomizer or diffuser for chest crud? As you described above, mine was a darker color indicating secondary infection, yet gone within less than 24 hours in felt effect upon the lungs after applying in my unconventional fashion.
 

Displaced hillbilly

Veteran Member
Whatever "this" is, I ended up with it. Went to the Dr, pretty sure it was viral. Got an inhaler for bronchitis and "just in case" antibiotics. Fast forward 3 weeks. Coughing occasionally, still getting bouts of what feels like asthma, so still using the inhaler about once a day. Is asthma going to be the parting gift of this crap? Never had it before, but I'm imagining this is what it feels like. Tight chest, wheezy.. just lovely.
 

Buick Electra

TB2K Girls with Guns
Sounds like me. At first my doc thought I had bronchitis AND the flu, my temps were 101-102 (thought I was at the tail end). I also had laryngitis and completely lost my voice. I was put on Doxycycline, a codeine cough syrup, and 2 inhalers. Following week I was worse. Got x-rays showed it had developed into pneumonia. The non-stop coughing is/was the worst (coughing up bright green phlegm). Couldn't get or stay asleep because of the coughing so the exhaustion is unbelievable. Was put on 2 inhalers, prednisone, breathing treatments off nebulizer 3x's/day AND THIS COUGH SYRUP...Hydrocodone/Chlorphen ER Suspension

This cough syrup won't knock me out, but it WILL lay me flat on my butt in bed. 1/2 hour after taking 1 teaspoon, my head starts to lob like Raggedy Ann and the room starts to spin so I HAVE To make it to my bed for fear of falling over if I try to walk-move anywhere. It won't make me sleep, but it keeps my butt put in bed as I just lie there, resting. Best of all, IT COMPLETELY STOPS MY COUGHING!

My friend who was raised on the 'other side of the tracks' said this cough syrup is the "Good stuff" and would go for big $$ on the street.
 

Displaced hillbilly

Veteran Member
Buick, sounds like you got a good dose of whatever this crap is! Glad they gave you something to stop the coughing. My poor 3 yr old grandson had pneumonia from whatever this was, and the coughing sounded like he was ripping his lungs apart. Thank God he's better.

Hoping you are on the mend and feeling better soon.
 
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