Snowpaul, sounds like you have classic maladaptive stress response.

The flu like symptoms you are getting are not colds/viruses, but your own bodies reaction to stress, be that due to work, relationships, exercise, food intolerances etc. It’s normally a combination of factors that cause it, rather than just one thing.

Basically your body is in a heightened state of alert and does not return to a calm state after a trigger has abated. Thus whilst you might start to feel better if you rest for a while and/or remove some of the stresses, it does not take much to overload your nervous system and bring the symptoms back.

Being in a constant state of elevated stress is very tiring, hence the fatigue.

I had the exact same problem for about 10 years. Constant sore throats, aching joints, headaches, fatigue etc etc. It would rarely be “well” for more than a month. The worse I felt the harder I tried to carry on as normal. I thought riding my bike might help and it did at the time, but afterwards I would be wiped out for days.

All GP tests were negative. Was finally diagnosed with ME.

Went to a specilaist ME/CFS clinic in London and have never looked back. They took a much more holistic whole body/mind view and quickly found out what was stressing my body. They also made me realise that worrying about being ill was causing me more stress/anxiety and just feeding the cycle.

I have now only had one cold in the last two years, even though those I work with and my family have had them.