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Covid

How selfish would this be?

486 replies

Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 01:15

I just need a sounding board because I don't trust my own judgement any more and don't want to freak out my family and friends, many of whom are already struggling at this difficult time...

So as not to drip-feed: I'm not very health-anxious and have been coping okay with the Covid-19 situation up till now. We had a case at work very early in proceesinfa and got locked down. Husband is a PS teacher and working this week. We have been reasonably sensible and socially isolated, but of course we're all getting exposure through him!

My dilemma is this: for the last about 4 weeks, I've been really wiped out. Really exhausted, achey, weak. I've also been getting lots of nosebleeds (unusual) and people have been commenting that I look really pale and asking if I lost weight. I've actually lost about a stone, but it may be lack of appetite.

Of course, I looked up my symptoms and got worried Confused ... so made an appointment with the GP, telephone (natch) and spoke to a GP who I've never seen before, who said this is classic anxiety, everyone is anxious, to practise breathing techniques and mindfulness, etc. He may well be right, but my issue is... I haven't been feeling that anxious. I'm generally quite a day-by-day person and haven't felt this as hard as many others.

I tried the relaxation.. but basically, I'm just concerned it might be more. And I'm now scared that if I wait till I can get a face-to-face, some time in the long and far distant future (!!!) it might be "too late". Blah blah blah. You get what I'm saying.

My GP surgery are saying absolute no face-to-face and they can refer me for IAPTs but it will be a long wait. If I think I need something quicker, I should go to the local hospital Urgent Treatment. And I'm almost at the point where I will go....... but it seems so bloody selfish to go at a time like this?

I just don't know. So please, any thoughts will help!

Yes - Go. The worst that can happen is I'll waste little bit of NHS time and piss off some overworked staff.

No - Don't go. I'm being selfish and ridiculous to contemplate it!

Thx v much à l'avance.

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VanGoghsDog · 24/03/2020 01:19

The thing is - sometimes you don't feel anxious because your body is doing the anxious for you.

I would give the breathing techniques a good go for at least a week. I'd also take iron and vit C and D supplements. Look at your sleep habits too.

If you feel you need to see someone it's not selfish. But you should at least try to take the doctors advice first and not just dismiss it.

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 01:21

Oh, I did give it a go - and I will keep going! I should have said, but I was trying to keep the post short. Or at least not took long!

I know it could kinda be my body doing the anxiety thing instead of my mind.

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RUSU92 · 24/03/2020 01:21

Could you ask for an appointment with another GP, that one sounds a bit negligent with those symptoms. The unexplained weight loss and nosebleeds for no reason sound like they should be checked out.

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defthand · 24/03/2020 01:24

I’m not sure re: the anxiety, plenty of doctors fob patients off with that at first instance, but I’d be very tentative about going hear a hospital unnecessarily at the moment just for your own sake. They’ll likely be hotbeds for infection.

In your shoes I’d probably take a wait and see approach. Some of your symptoms (paleness, fatigue) sound like anaemia, so it might be worth trying some iron supplements.

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 01:28

I’d be very tentative about going hear a hospital unnecessarily at the moment just for your own sake. They’ll likely be hotbeds for infection.
I wondered that, but then I imagine they are getting cleaned more than anywhere and the Corona-symptom people will be whisked off before they can so much as breathe on anyone. I'm more worried about me infecting the hospital!

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 01:52

@RUSU92 I did wonder about asking for another GP tel appointment, but because of the new system you apparently cannot book a specific doctor, time, etc.

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DressingGownofDoom · 24/03/2020 01:55

You could look at having some kind of private tests done?

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 01:58

It's a thought - thanks!
Getting to sleep at a decent time is also a thought. But it's like the only time I get to myself now!!! Wink

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WyfOfBathe · 24/03/2020 02:11

If you've been losing weight, can you count your calories for a couple of weeks? Assuming you don't have any EDs or anxiety about that. That way you can see whether you're losing weight because you're not eating enough, or if you're losing weight despite eating, which could be a sign of something more worrying.

A stone in 4 weeks is quite a lot to lose. Not eating and losing weight too quickly can also make you feel ill, so if you're not getting enough food this could be causing your other problems.

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 03:02

No ED or eating anxiety. I have been paying attention the last week or so and I reckon I'm eating like normal. But then it's hard to tell because I wasn't really paying attention beforehand! My stomach feels kind of uncomfortable, like it is full all the time - it definitely could be a weird manifestation of anxiety thing Confused

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Gingerkittykat · 24/03/2020 03:30

I've struggled with anxiety for years and have never heard of nosebleeds being a symptom.

I would definitely be trying to pursue some kind of investigations for this but might be impossible in the current climate.

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FlowerArranger · 24/03/2020 03:53

If this has been going on for 4 weeks, it is unlikely to be Coronavirus. It could be just anxiety, or it may be due to an underlying, yet to be diagnosed condition. I think the best things you can do right now, given the virtual impossibility of seeing a doctor in person, are:

  1. Look after yourself as best you can. Eat a sensible amount of a healthy diet. Take supplements: multi-vitamins, extra Vitamin D, iron, maybe try St. John's Wort. Make sure you get 7-8 hours sleep.
  2. Gentle exercise - lots of stuff on YouTube, e.g. Lucy Wyndham Read, Rebecca Louise, Popsugar Fitness, Yoga with Adrienne...
  3. Try to relax - mindfulness, yoga, kitten videos on YouTube, reading trashy novels, binge-watching Come Dine With Me, knitting... whatever floats your boat.
  4. Go for a walk every day (assuming this is still allowed...).


Plus keep a log of what you eat, what you do and how you feel. A kind of (un-)wellness diary. Once you see a clearer pattern emerging, and assuming you still feel unwell, ask for another phone consult with a GP.
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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 07:26

@FlowerArranger Oh, sorry if I wasn't so clear - I definitely don't think it's coronavirus! I haven't had the cough or anything. But the exercise - I don't really feel a bit tired, it's like really weirdly exhausted. Getting out of breath going upstairs, feeling so tired that I am dizzy and have to lie down.

It just seems a bit weird. But then I hear the NHS emergency care doctor on the radio just now (Today) and I'm like, how could I even think about going to hospital when the NHS is suffering so badly? Or even booking another tel appointment, when this first doctor is likely right and it may just be stress.

I am definitely doing my best to sleep and eat well, to stay relaxed.

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 07:42

Sorry! Don't know how this happened, but somehow my sentences got in the wrong order and my post didn't really make sense.

This bit should have gone:

I am definitely doing my best to sleep and eat well, to stay relaxed. But the exercise - I don't really feel a bit tired, it's like really weirdly exhausted. Getting out of breath going upstairs, feeling so tired that I am dizzy and have to lie down.

Of course I might just already be getting monumentally unfit...!

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Evalina · 24/03/2020 07:58

I think you need to speak to a GP again, book an appointment and reiterate that you are worried. Hopefully you will get a more sympathetic GP.

If not then there are some private GP practices around, which might be an option worth considering. People are still going to get ill with other illnesses so don't be fobbed off if you are not normally an anxious person.

Hope you feel better soon.

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NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 24/03/2020 08:08

I don't' wish to he alarmist but:

If you think you are eating as much as you usually do (can someone else in your household confirm this?) and you have lost a stone in weight in 4 weeks, suffering an unusual fatigue and tummy feels full all the time, you need to contact your doctor for an urgent f-2-f appointment. You may need an urgent referral to rule out cancer.

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 08:28

@Evalina Thanks for the idea about private. I'm a bit cautious about going down that route, we could afford a one-off private appt, but I'm conscious that if they want to do anything additional it is going to be +£££. And, like everyone, I don't want us to go broke. (I am working a fixed-term contract up to July, would have expected it to be renewed but with the current situation, it may not be. I work in research consultancy, so I'm currently looking and applying for at online consultancy posts too, which are already popping up...)

@NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite husband doesn't think I eat less than usual. I guess I may be unintentionally missing out the extras - fruit after dinner, bar of choc here and there, etc. - because of the uncomfy full tummy feeling. The C word is obviously what I am worrying about Sad

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Guttersnipe · 24/03/2020 08:40

If it helps at all, I had a private consultation last summer. It cost £200 and the doctor I saw asked FBI had private health care. When I said no, she arranged that the onward procedure I needed was done on the NHS. Most doctors are not exclusively private practitioners. They work for the NHS too and can access the NHS. That private consultation was invaluable to me and I wouldn't hesitate to pay for another one if I found myself in the same situation again. Your symptoms do sound a but like stress and also anemia but also could be something more serious. I think you should be seen by someone.

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Guttersnipe · 24/03/2020 08:41

Asked if I had ..... that should say.

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ShellsAndSunrises · 24/03/2020 08:45

I wouldn’t go anywhere near a hospital - they’re doing their best but they aren’t miracle workers. But I would investigate a private GP appointment.

I had a lot of the same symptoms when I was suffering from quite severe anxiety. I didn’t even really feel the anxiety that much mentally; but my body did - although I can’t say that is what you’ve got, of course. It took a few months of self care, breathing exercises etc before anything started to change.

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NemophilistRebel · 24/03/2020 08:50

Severe anxiety can trigger an immune response and affect thyroid .

If you now have hyperthyroidism (which can be temporary) it will mean you use weight, but you’d also have other symptoms - feeling hot all the time, agitated and unable to sit peacefully, hungry a lot

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iVampire · 24/03/2020 08:56

I’m sorry to do terrible things to your anxiety, but with that collection of symptoms, you really should get back to your GP and ask for a Full Blood Count to exclude (I hope) the possibility of leukaemia

The symptoms are non-specific, so the odds are overwhelmingly that it will be something else, but when you have unusual bleeding, weight loss, aches and pains, and fatigue all together, blood cancers need to be considered.

That’s urgent, even in a pandemic. Ring again today

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YakkityYakYakYak · 24/03/2020 09:00

I think I would give it a week or two first, have a look at your lifestyle and whether you are looking after yourself as well as you can (getting good sleep, eating well, some fresh air and exercise once a day) and see if you feel any better.

If you still feel the same, and if you can afford it, I would then probably look into a private GP consultation. They will likely have more time to properly assess your symptoms. I think you are looking at £30-£40 and they can often do a videocall. Check if you have access to this through anything already. I just found out I can get this through my life insurance plan for free, have had it for 5 years and never realised!

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6000choccybiccies · 24/03/2020 09:08

You don't need urgent care, you need a blood test to look into a few things. Don't go near a hospital, re-discuss with GP

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Jourdain11 · 24/03/2020 09:25

@ShellsAndSunrises Will certainly give the breathing exercises a go and if you have any recommendations for good online guides etc. I'd be very happy to hear! Smile

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