Why Did I Feel as if I Had the Flu for Years?
Prevention US|March 2024
Some days she just couldn’t get out of bed. It took some 10 doctors to figure out why.
Why Did I Feel as if I Had the Flu for Years?

When I was in my second semester of law school, I came down with what I thought was the worst flu ever except my nose wasn't running. I was hit by a wave of fatigue along with aches and pains and brain fog. I also had a sinus infection.

I assumed that whatever I had would go away in a few days, but it didn't, and it started to feel as if W something was really wrong with me. After about a month, I went to my doctor and said, "It's so weird-I feel like I'm sick without being sick." Because of the sinus issues, my doctor referred me to an ENT, who said it was probably allergies. Next, I saw an allergist, who discovered that I was suddenly allergic to everything.

I started taking allergy meds and using steroid nasal sprays.

They helped a little but didn't do anything for my profound fatigue. I also noticed that my eyes were often dryI couldn't even wear contacts because the lenses would sometimes pop out.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

As my symptoms continued, I worried that I was going to lose my friends because I had to cancel plans so often.

My grades started to drop-some mornings I couldn't even get out of bed. When I had finals, I would drink a crazy amount of coffee and jump around trying to wake my brain up.

This story is from the March 2024 edition of Prevention US.

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This story is from the March 2024 edition of Prevention US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

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