Illness question.

freehub

Hi.

I've posted something related to illness before, I was struck down with some flu like symptons, they only lasted around 5-6 days but it was only a week since I had a pretty bad chesty illness, now, around 4 weeks, last night in college I started feeling rough, as the night progressed and I was bacxk at my flat I developed abit of a bad throat, then I woke up this morning with aches/pains all over, headache, painful eyes, the bad throat, but no snotty nose this time, and I dare say it but it appears to be getting better already.

Now cause I've being ill 3 times in the past 4 or so weeks, and previous to that I've not being ill for 2 whole years, I thought I must have had a pretty good immune system, but this is making me question that, could it be signs of bad diet or something? I could go to the doctors but it's just similar to what I've experienced before so it'll go away and I'm taking paracetamol. I'd say I eat better than last year, but my cycling is down from last year atm, by like 100 miles a week, I go out abit more, but I don't see how that would increase my chances massivly of getting ill? Sorry for the long post but any tips or anything would be good from people who seem to suffer allot from mild illness.

finchy

May I suggest that you do go to see a doctor, rather than look for advice on a forum?

softlad

got to agree with John - this is the cake stop forum - not NHS direct. You will only get the pi55 taken on here - which is probably not the medical input you are looking for...

Jez mon

I shall preface this response with the caveat that I am an engineering student not a doctor, and thus any harm (upto and including death) which you may come to via following this advice is your own fault!!!

Where you drinking last night? If you were, then I think we've found the problem! Not to sound like a moaning mother but, drink seems to suppress the immune system and generally exacerbate any infection which you might have lying around. If not then it might just be the fact that you aren't letting your body recover from the illness. Just take a couple of days off the bike at the weekend, don't do too much work and enjoy a duvet day...

Or go and see a doctor and probably get fobbed off with antibiotics.

volvicspar

its winter = more colds / flu / illness.

Go and eat some garlic, this is supposed to stop colds and it keeps people away from you because it smells so bad, which means less chance of catching anything

Or see your doctor/gp/ etc.

pdstsp

I often get a couple of cold type bugs one after another at this time of year - good idea to lay off serious training while you've got it. If its worrying you then go see the doc, otherwise rest and then build up the training gradually seems to work for me.

simplesimoncardiff

Sounds like me when i was at uni - I burnt the candle at both ends and a bit in the middle when i was at uni, developed into Chronic Fatigue and took 5 years from me where i could just about hold down a 9-5 so have experience here and at least know what i did wrong!

If you're trianing, particularily hard stuff, you're going to comprimise your immune system.

Everyones body works better with a varied diet that takes in all your essential vitamins, amino acids mineral, carb and FAT.

Sleep = recovery and you're gona need good sleep, dont think you can keep up with your buddies who do little or no exercise and stay up til 4am most nights 'cause it's just not going to happen. You're gona need to tuck yourself in to bed early and stay off the bike until all your symptoms have gone and then give yourself up to a week more until you can start to ride.

fast as fupp

youve got the BAD AIDS, lid! :shock:

DavidBelcher

fast as fupp wrote:

youve got the BAD AIDS, lid! :shock:

You are Chris Morris, and I claim my £5.

On a more serious note, the OP really ought to pay a visit to the doctor rather than ending up with well-meant-but-incorrect and/or comedy advice from the forum. I'm sure some of us will offer pointers with good intentions, but best to leave it to the professionals (not the sort with a silver Ford Capri and a bubble perm, either).

David

freehub

People can take the p155 if they want I'm not botherd atm, I went to the doctor when I last had suspected flu/swine flu, I know you're not supposed to go in, but he told me to come in and I'd be seen straight away, he said take paracetamol regular as this can relive the aching, so that's what I've being doing, he also gave me a tamiflu form, but I can't go and get it, I have to get a "flu friend" and the only person I know who is willing to do it, or was, was my flatmate, but he's done it twice, as once it was closed when it should have being open, other time he found out he needed my ID, like passport on him, anyway I got better and felt I did not need it, the doctor also said I don't need to take it.

I was not drinking at all last night, and I know winter = more cold/flu, but last year, as with the year before, I never got ill through winter, and last year I did as much cycling through winter as I did in summer, if not more.

I have plenty of sleep, usually around 8-9.5 hours, anything under this/ above this and it's a struggle for a while, sometimes I'm fine, I go to college, I'm wide awake, 2 mins later I feel uber tired and fighting sleep for 30 minutes, then I'm wide awake again, doctors can't tell what it is.

fast as fupp

take echinacea

freehub

I might just do that.

Would 1000mg be fine? 3200 I know is super strength but I can't afford that.

http://www.simplysupplements.net/search ... .y=0&go=Go

fast as fupp

its cheaper in tescos

spanielsson

You don't eat particularly well going by the food posts you made a while ago Will.

Multi vitamin supplements and echinacea are a good start.

Also as mentioned here, call NHS direct!!!

Anonymous

I think you just need a hug, Will.

Bhima

Fruit: Are you getting your 5 a day?

A cycling coach I met at the MCR Velodrome last weekend told me cyclists really need to up it to 10 a day at least, probably 15 in winter. I was telling him about my fruit smoothie addiction and he told me my addiction was "nothing" compared to some pro-cyclists. And, trust me, I have a serious problem. Someone needs to confiskate my blender.

jp1985

How much are you training riding and how hard?

Are you letting yourself recover between illnesses before picking up on your training again?

holmeboy

Yeah, must admit I thought it was swine flu, when you described the symptons. I had it too, and have had a slight chesty feeling twice since with feeling fully recovered in between.

freehub

Yea I need a hug, that'll cure it :P

I don't think I'd want to eat 15 pieces of fruit a day. When I train, sometimes I take it steady, sometimes I push quite hard, but tbh I don't think this would be any cause for illness, as I said, last winter I was fine, since october this year I've not being ill for 2 years since october 2007.

I remember calling the NHS Direct once, it cost me £5! My dad reckons I probs got 24 hour flu or something, I might have caught something from heaton park though I guess, when we got the tram back it was a massive pile up getting into the tram, everyone was fighting to get in, so I was on this tram for 15 mins super cramped.

Limburger

Your at college, theres lots of people about so theres more chance of getting a cold. you can't be immune to cold so you get as many as there are.

You feel rough for a few days, you cough up some gunk etc. You survive.

If its real actual bona fide genunie 100% full strength influenza virus I'll buy a hat and eat it.

I have had flu twice in my life to my recollection. It is utterly indescribable to anyone who hasn't had it. They just think a bad cold is flu.
If you can type its not flu.
Last time I had flu I lost about 1 stone in a week, had some mad crazy hallucinations and the sort of unrelenting pain that makes you want to die.

My only advice is to MTFU and don't let anymore people cough on you.

Slow Downcp

As already said, multivitamins and echinacea to try to boost your immune system - I have similar problems, with my immune system being shot since I had menigitis years ago. I've found supplements help. Don;t fall into the trap of thinking you need to buy from a specialist website, they are expensive. I've founf Zipvit reasonable for multivitamins (and they seem to work better than the fizzy orange ones my wife used to buy!)

If you're feeling low, rest - you often say that you feel rough, so only done a fifty miler. If you feel rough do a zero miler, and repeat until you feel better - it's your bodies way of telling you to take it easy.

freehub

Well I'm not cycling tomorrow, but I do want to do a ride on either monday or tuesday, if I get better, I'm only talking about an 18-24 miler, I feel much better now, I can stand up and walk about now and my joints seem to have freed up

It's really demotivating loosing fitness though, I'm just annoyed and eager to get back on the bike cause I got to the point where all my rides I was managing 20mph average, over rolling/hilly up to 70miles, now I know 20mph aint the amazing considering some people do 25mph average and I know people say it does not matter about avg speed but It certainly was good managing it and felt great after when I got home, my hill performance is totally awfull at the moment too and I'd be lucky to manage 19mph now.

Bhima

I'll take that as a no then...? :roll: I didn't say you HAD to have 15 pieces of fruit, but it helps if you get at least 5.

How do you know you're losing fitness? Do you do regular VO2 Max/FTP tests? I just took 10 days off and equalled my best time on the Blaze Hill climb, even though there were terrible crosswinds and that time was set with a tailwind.

If you're THAT bothered, get some rollers and cycle for a bit while you're watching TV instead of going out in the cold.

freehub

I don't need VO2 Max/FTP w/e tests to determin I am loosing fitness, the lack of riding with illness on top has reduced my fitness, and when I came out with you I'm surprised you I clearly was not at my normal fitness then, I was quite abit slower than I'd have being a couple of months previous. I know my body and I know when my performance is not up to my norm, I'm not going to save I've had a bad day because someone beat me up a hill, but I know when I'm not feeling right.

Since when did I say I don't want to go out in the cold? I've said that I cycled last winter, probably cycled more than in summer, and was fine. I'm not bothered if it's cold I'll just wrap up.

pottssteve

Hi Will,

Maybe it's a computer virus - you're on here enough...

I hadn't been ill for months and then recently got at least 3 different colds/chest infections, one after another. Had 4 weeks off the bike and my mighty thighs of steel atrophied.

Rest, drink water, take vitamins etc. Don't be tempted back on the bike too soon. All this will pass.

And stay off the booze and late nights disco dancing.

Steve

freehub

I want to be back on the bike soon, I feel like a lazy bum not being able to do exercise

spanielsson

freehub wrote:

I want to be back on the bike soon, I feel like a lazy bum not being able to do exercise

So it's another thread moaning about what you perceive to be the end of the world, asking for advice and doing your own thing anyway!

I'd say it a case of normal Will on form

freehub

Where did I say I was going to go on my bike?

spanielsson

freehub wrote:

People can take the p155 if they want I'm not botherd atm,

:roll:

freehub

Well if you where taking the p155 you could of at least made it look like it.

mask of sanity

freehub wrote:

I have plenty of sleep, usually around 8-9.5 hours, anything under this/ above this and it's a struggle for a while, sometimes I'm fine, I go to college, I'm wide awake, 2 mins later I feel uber tired and fighting sleep for 30 minutes, then I'm wide awake again, doctors can't tell what it is.

It's called being a student! I always feel tired in my lectures, but as soon as I leave them I'm fine. I think you're getting to much sleep!