oh boy...this is not good. what do u think?

[Nancy-S]

2 weeks ago my youngest had a stomach bug that lasted 2 days. I was well enough to care for him. My 13 year old contracted it a few days later. No one else did.

The following week my 13 year old got a bright red sore throat and fever for a few days. During this time I began to feel extreme fatigue. Three days ago I woke up with a clogged eustachian tube. Sinus and ear pain. My lower back and large muscle groups in my lower half ache badly. 101 temp for 2 days and I can't break the fever. No matter what I try, the fever won't quit. ENT says Afrin will help. I talked someone into starting me on bactrim. I'm so weak, hot/cold, awful sinus and ear pain. I can't stand up for more than a few moments. I'm also nauseas (think meds with no food or equalibrium is off?)

I fly to utah Sunday. I don't know if I can do it, but I know I must. I'm afraid the flight will kill my ears. Anyway...someone pls tell me its not wgs and I just caught my kids virus. Or is it virus that aggrivated wg?

[Psyborg]

It's hard to say, the viral effects can be really similar to Wegs effects. I'd say better safe than sorry and take it easy.

[me2]

Nancy-S, It sounds to me like you have all classic symptoms of a bug.
Last time I had one it hit me harder than usual and of course brought up all my fears of WG flare. Overlapping symptoms and a 'sick fog' mind can cause worry.
I rode out the bug and went back to the way I was. It took awhile, it was miserable, but it is what 'normal' people go through too.

I took a flight once and thought my right eardrum was going to burst on landing . This was just a first stop on my full journey. I took the advice of a flight attendant and got off the plane.
She told me to take sudafed and grab a later flight. Worked like a charm. I have now taken several flights over these years and I ALWAYS load up on sudafed before the flight- no problems. The stuff does work to shrink up tissues in the head. It will make your brain feel loose in your scull. Ok, just kidding about that , but it really has worked for me. I have zero fear of flying now.

Try ginger tea or some other form of taking ginger for the nausea. Maybe motion sickness tablets if you get desperate. I don't have any experience with them.

[Nancy-S]

Thanks Bob, I've been in bed for days now. Lots and lots of pain.

Me2 omgoodness...thank you! I think you hit the nail. Your reassurance has lifted my dark cloud of worry. I needed to hear that, badly.

[Nancy-S]

This is by far one of the worst bugs I've ever had. I can't get up. I have my cell phone in bed and can type on it. So much awful pain. Ugh. And the fever....its miserable. Sorry to be so whiney! It seems like we all could use a break from these types of things.

[Al]

I hope you you get break soon, Nancy!

It is true that viral and bacterial infections can wake up the wegs dog, but that takes a bit of time. In this case, it is much more likely that, as Kirk says, just "a bug". Which is not to say that it is a friendly bug, of course. But it is not necessarily going to lead to anything worse.

Ordinarily, I am not a fan of decongestants, like Sudafed, but in this case I heartily second Kirk's suggestion. Flying with blocked Eustachian tubes is really hard on eardrums. Fortunately, you do not have multiple legs (it's not the length of the flight that is the problem, but the number of hops). Still. I would do anything I could to relieve the back pressure.

Al

[Nancy-S]

I must have the flu (why did I not get the vaccine?). The timing could not be worse...or....I suppose if I don't get any better and need to be admitted while in Utah my insurance would pay. Maybe its supposed to all work out just like it is.

Awful awful day.

My smarty pants ENT (that said wgs doesn't affect eustahian tubes) suggested Afrin spray for the flight. Sudafed makes me feel off. Do you think id get the same results with Afrin?

[Al]

Dunno about Afrin, Nancy--no personal experience. Only conjecturing here: Since in is a spray, it probably works just in the nasal areas to reduce congestion. This will probably help some; anything that keeps sinus congestion down will reduce the back pressure on the eutashian tubes. But I doubt that it will do much to mitigate the pressure within the tubes themselves. But you'll have to ask someone with more experience than I.

I thought about you (and a lot of us) at the coffee shop today. There was a cartoon on display: At the bottom was a rumpled guy sitting on the edge of his bed, apparently trying to rise and, more or less, shine. At the top, God was in the clouds, holding a lightning bolt and eying a cosmic dartboard. God says, "Which part of Jerry is going to hurt today?"

Hope you hurt less real soon....

Al

[annekat]

I must have the flu (why did I not get the vaccine?). The timing could not be worse...or....I suppose if I don't get any better and need to be admitted while in Utah my insurance would pay. Maybe its supposed to all work out just like it is.

Awful awful day.

My smarty pants ENT (that said wgs doesn't affect eustahian tubes) suggested Afrin spray for the flight. Sudafed makes me feel off. Do you think id get the same results with Afrin?

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. I know from past experience that Sudafed opens up the Eustachian tubes, though mine are now perpetually blocked and I just don't usually go there, as it would take days if it worked at all. But for a temporary situation where you have to fly, I'd give it a shot, if it might prevent very painful ears. As for Afrin, I know that you can't use much of it without it having a rebound effect and not working at all. It could just make you more congested in the long run. Perhaps just a little of it, once, along with a moderate amount of Sudafed, would help. I have never liked Sudafed but did get used to it for opening my E. tubes so I could hear, before I ever knew I had WG.

As for your smarty pants ENT, he'd be a lot smarter if he read this forum.

Anne

[Sangye]

Nancy, I suggest you let the fever ripen and burn up the bug. Fever suppressants interfere with your body's natural means of fighting infection. Also, taking an antibiotic when you have a virus is only going to kill off the competition (bacteria) and allow the virus to run amok.

I'm not a fan of vaccines in general and certainly not the flu vaccine, so I wouldn't say this could have been prevented by taking it.

I sure hope you feel better soon. It's miserable to be in pain and with a fever.