Is this a flu?

November 17, 2017 11:12 AM

This may seem a bit silly but I've never had the flu before that I know of. Two nights ago around 8pm I felt a sudden very sore throat with some swelling and closed-throat feeling, plus significant muscle/joint pain. I took a sleeping pill and slept all night and most of the next day, by last night I felt 90% better and am back at work today. The weird part is the exact same thing happened three weeks ago. Is this what a flu is? Something else? I do tend to be a worrier.
posted by Cosine to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

It’s probably a virus of some kind but not the flu, which typically lasts longer. Credentials: person who has had the flu.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 11:16 AM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

It really does not sound like influenza, but people use "flu" to refer to all sorts of viruses. It sounds like some kind of virus.

Flu really, REALLY knocks you out. Like, it can be deadly. You'd be out of commission for a week likely.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 11:22 AM on November 17, 2017 [3 favorites]

Flu really, REALLY knocks you out. Like, it can be deadly. You'd be out of commission for a week likely.


Nope. I mean - it can be deadly - but it isn't always severe. There are different types of flu viruses with different levels of symptoms. More here.
posted by FencingGal at 11:30 AM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think you had a virus. I feel like when you have the flu, you know it. If you get it, you'll say "ooh, THAT'S the flu".
I unknowingly had mononucleosis and didn't miss a day's work. I had the flu and didn't leave my bedroom for 5 days.
posted by ReluctantViking at 11:33 AM on November 17, 2017

This doesn't sound flu-like to me -- I've never had one go away that quickly. That said, if you're having a recurring problem there's no harm in checking with a doctor just to make sure what might be going on
posted by rainbowbrite at 11:33 AM on November 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

“Flu-like symptoms” typically means high fever and vomiting. No vomiting, likely no flu.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 11:35 AM on November 17, 2017

No, flu doesn't normally involve vomiting. It's an upper respiratory illness. Please check out the CDC page.
posted by FencingGal at 12:20 PM on November 17, 2017 [18 favorites]

“Flu-like symptoms” typically means high fever and vomiting. No vomiting, likely no flu.

This is not true - vomiting is pretty uncommon in flu in adults. FencingGal's link above has a pretty good rundown of flu symptoms.

The sudden onset and the specific symptoms sound like flu but the quick bounce-back does not... but maybe you're just really strong and/or lucky!
posted by mskyle at 12:21 PM on November 17, 2017

Response by poster: mskyle: Perhaps, maybe my apparent natural shield against the flu means this is the furthest the bug has ever gotten, hoping.

Thanks all.
posted by Cosine at 1:51 PM on November 17, 2017

There's a possibility that you caught a flu which your body has a lot of immunity to, and you were able to mostly (but not completely) fight it off.

There's also the possibility that it is another virus. We hear about the more common cold and flu viruses, but there are actually a number of other less common viruses that go around, such as non-polio enteroviruses (don't let the word polio scare you here).
posted by eye of newt at 11:23 AM on November 18, 2017