Ugh...have the Flu in the house for the first time in 12+ years

(Bob M) #1

My oldest daughter (12) has the flu. This is the first time any of us has had a documented (she got tested) case of the flu in at least 12 years. I don’t know if I’ve ever had the flu, though I’m sure I have. I am not sick now, nor is anyone else in the household. Not sure how long that will last, though.

Well, I might be going off low carb/keto for a bit, to take elderberry syrup:

Compare with the controversy surrounding Tamiflu:

https://www.bmj.com/tamiflu

I’m not a fan of Vitamin C as a supplement under most circumstances (always makes me feel “strange”); however, there is some evidence large doses also help with the flu. So, I’ve started a Vitamin C regimen, too. I don’t know of any negatives for taking Vitamin C in the short term.

We’ll also take our normal “someone is sick” steps, such as paper towels in the bathrooms, washing hands even more than before, washing door handles, switching to paper cups in the bathroom, isolating the person to the extent we can, gargling with various nasty stuff (salt and/or cayenne pepper), etc.

Anyway, I’ll report back what happens.

Anyone else have tips for flu (or other things, such as colds)?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Raw ginger root both as a preventative and treatment. I’ve been prone to getting cold/flu/whatever all my life. Since I started working at Walmart, where I am exposed continually to sick people, one of my colleagues suggested ginger root. Tried it and discovered it helps me not get sick and when I do it ameliorates the symptoms. 18 grams of carbs per 100 grams of root. So factor that in. Doesn’t take all that much of the stuff. I’m eating about 10-15 grams per day.

(Bob M) #3

So, you just cut and eat? That’s hardcore! :smiley:

I’m willing to try anything.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #4

Yep. Thin slices, though. I may be hardcore but I’m not a masochist. :sunglasses:

(Bob M) #5

I’ll give it a try.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #6

On days when I have a work shift, I carry slices in a small plastic container. I eat one or two slices at a time, before starting my shift, during my breaks and then again at the end of my shift before boarding the bus home. Lots of sick folks on the bus and trapped in a sealed box with them. Hope it helps!

#7

@ctviggen How about oil of oregano? I have no particular sources for this but I thought I’d pop on to mention it. I think it’s a pretty powerful anti bacterial and maybe antiviral as well. @x-Dena-x has mentioned it in recent posts and might have something to add, and adding Dena to a thread makes everything better anyway :slight_smile:
A few more thoughts FWIW: when I use Vitamin C if I feel something coming on, I use A LOT - until I start feeling stomach issues. There seems to be something about high-dose (or at least ridiculously frequent small doses) of vitamin c that actually makes the most difference.
Also - chaga mushroom is a good general immune support, maybe reishi as well?
Good luck, Bob!

(Susan) #8

We have it going through our house (I get the flu shot yearly and have the least sickness from it -which I attribute to a combination of me having the shot and Keto -our doctor yesterday said it was totally from me having the shot of course --doctors, eh? what are you going to do with them --haha!).

He told us to take a Tylenol cold and flu tablet and Advil at the same time, so I have been giving them all that. I was giving my 3 year old grand daughter Advil and he told me to switch to Tylenol or even give her both! The Tylenol seems to be working better for her then the Advil did (she was still running a temp of 101-102 with the Advil, which is why I took her in).

(Bob M) #9

You know, I have a bottle of oil of oregano at home. I forget why I took it for a while. I’ll have to look into it.

Yes, the studies I saw about Vitamin C indicate a “megadose” is better. It might be tough to convince our 12 year old to take that much (apparently defined as taking enough that you have bowel issues).

The mushrooms might be tough, as I’d have to order those online. My kid might be over this before we get some (crossing my fingers now that this is true).

(Bob M) #10

That’s interesting about Tylenol. As an adult, I gave that up some time ago, as it didn’t seem to do much and there were concerns about taking it long-term. I’ll see what my wife thinks, as I know we have Tylenol.

Come to think of it, not only have I experienced way fewer “colds” now while on low carb than before, I can’t remember the last time I used a NSAID for a headache or for sickness or pain. Other than when I had shoulder surgery, but that was the good stuff. :smiley:

(Susan) #11

I have been actually sick a lot less often on Keto as well. If I do get a bug, it only lasts a few days: pre-Keto I got sick regularly, and for weeks at a time. I definitely see a big difference in my health since Keto =).

(Rebecca ) #12

Yikes…sorry to hear she is sick and I hope no one else in your family gets it!
Elderberry is good, as is oil of oregano . There is also a homeopathic called occillocosinum (spelling?) that is very effective for influenza. It’s best to start it ASAP.

#13

I don’t really understand this. Somewhere there’s a study about how interfering with a fever tends to lengthen illnesses (which makes sense, since a fever is an integral part of the immune response). I’m not sure why as a society we are so paranoid about fevers and are desperately trying to keep them down (thus working directly against our own immune response). It’s as if we think that if we disable the immune response we are curing the illness :thinking:
Caveats that I personally use: if discomfort severe enough to preventing sleep, then I might consider Advil, and I monitor fevers enough to make sure they don’t go crazy high. But otherwise - why mess with a beautiful system?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #14

Fever response for me is a night sweating profusely. I have always considered that to be my natural response to illness and not something to be treated or suppressed. In fact, I have tried to induce fever by taking hot showers or saunas. The only times I consider OTC cold remedies is to suppress coughing. The best thing I’ve found for that is Tylenol 3 (with codeine). More recently raw ginger root, although I’ve found it more effective preventing the illness in the first place.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #15

I fully agree with you Mike unless it gets dangerously high. A fever is part of the body’s defenses to fight off a virus usually. They do not do well at higher body temperatures. Taking drugs to lower a minor fever prolongs sickness. It’s a natural thing. When I was a musician in my 20’s a few times I had a flu coming on in the afternoon before a show. The hot lights, vigorous energy expenditure and sweating more than once killed the virus while I played a two hour set. I believe in letting a fever go if it’s under 102 or so. People freak out about fevers because it’s misunderstood as being really bad for you. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Susan) #16

I wasn’t worried about my kids or hubby having a high temperature, but when Gabriella (my 3 year old grand daughter did for a few days and it was 102 consistently, even after having Advil, I wanted to get her checked to make sure that she didn’t get convulsions, because both my 2 eldest children had issues with febrile convulsions when they were little, and Michael had to stay in the hospital for 11 days when he was about 2 because of it once, (I rented a cot and stayed in the room with him, private room, we had great coverage back then when my hubby was in the the Canadian Armed Forces). He was our first kid, so I didn’t have any at home to take of at that time, so it was easy for me to do that.

I just was fearful that she might have a seizure too, she was really lethargic, wasn’t eating much, loose BM’s, very very whiny, (which is not her usual behaviour), just wanting to sleep and didn’t even want to walk, etc. I was worried about her, and wanted to be sure that she was okay was all.

#17

Ah, sorry, Susan, I should have been clear: your concern for Gabriella is totally understandable (especially in light of your experience with febrile convulsions!). I just didn’t understand the doctor’s blanket suggestion. I think kids’ fevers need monitoring for sure, but if the dr always recommends medications that stop the immune reaction… it just doesn’t make sense.

(Susan) #18

I know! We have gone to the walk-in clinic various times, leaving with similar advice. Sometimes the pharmacist is a good source for what will be good too. I have had some at our local Shopper’s Drug Mart recommend things like gargling with salt water, etc at times =).

(Little Miss Scare-All) #19

Same!

(Bob M) #20

An update. I came home after getting more black elderberry syrup, and my wife was making chicken soup with ginger root in it. Of course, I totally forgot to cut some off the massive root sitting next to the pot with the soup. Had some with the soup, though.

Reminder to self: get the kids to eat/drink more soup. It was like pulling teeth to get them to eat/drink small amounts of chicken soup (no carbs other than veggies in the soup). We had to bribe them with being able to eat pasta with butter to get that to happen. (By contrast, I love soup. I guess I stopped making it because it seems carbs like rice and noodles just go with soup. Have to find some low carb varieties to make.)

Anyway, even though my oldest got a positive test for the flu, she doesn’t have the classic symptoms of the flu. For instance, it came on over time; she’s really not that sick, and did her homework yesterday (she’s sick enough to keep home, though); she seemed good last night, but had laryngitis. In short, she doesn’t have a lot of flu symptoms. She has some, though.

Anyway, my wife wants me to start taking Sambucol black elderberry. It’s 8g carbs per 10ml, and you’re supposed to take 4 shots per day, so 32g carbs. While I don’t feel sick, since a happy wife = a happy life, I’m off to start my first dose. I was in ketosis as of this morning (Keto Mojo of 0.3 mmol/l, my “normal” for the morning). I’ll see what happens after 2-3 days of Sambucol.