To ask if you have this horrible “cold”?!

[DelusionalBrilliance]

I can’t remember feeling this unwell in years! So blocked up I can’t breathe, sinus pain, aches all over, so weak and dizzy, could happily sleep all day! Only a slight cough on and off, but I can’t get hold of Covid tests anywhere locally to rule that out, but I’ve never knowingly had it so can’t even tell if that’s what it feels like.

Im in NI if that makes a difference, have you had this recently or know people who have? Seems rife here and worse than a basic cold, the exhaustion and lightheaded feeling are next level!

I actually wonder if it is just a basic cold but because of pandemic times my immune system has forgotten what getting sick feels like at this point

Yep - terrible snotty cold, sinus pain and earache. Day 7 now, and feel terrible first thing and evenings, not as bad when dosed up middle of the day.

Covid tests negative. Actually feel much worse than when I've had covid.

Mine morphed into bacterial cheat infection.. 2 weeks of antibiotics and I am just about feeling normal... The cough could hang about for months so I was told

I have had it for almost 3 weeks. Has turned into a chest infection now. 3 covid tests all negative but I feel worse than when I had actual covid.

I’m just past the two week point. It started with a sore throat which came and went over the course of a week and my ears were blocked. My legs ached and I couldn’t get warm. It actually felt just like when I had Covid last Autumn, especially as it followed the same pattern and the snotty nose didn’t kick in until day 5, but I did tests daily and all were negative.
Now it’s more of a cough than anything else although I feel so tired today. Ears are still a bit blocked.

I’m worrying now that I’ll get over this and then catch another at the wedding we’re at later in the month, they’re always virus central at this time of year.

I've been bad for 4 weeks weeks now - first 2 weeks really bad cough/cold symptoms; the last two I have just been a zombie and coughing constantly - I come home from work and go to bed basically. I still can't talk without getting out of breath.
Finally cracked today and went to the Drs (not in the UK - it's a lot easier where I am) due to the persistent cough/breathing issues - my lungs are all OK, chest x ray clear, but she's given me antibiotics, corticosteroids, inhaler and cough syrup in the hope that something will work and I'll be able to get a decent nights sleep at last.

My sympathies to everyone else out there suffering - this is SHIT.

Yes - I have had it. Have slept a stupid amount. Basically if not at work then I have been sleeping. Stomach and back hurts from coughing so much. Never had covid and work don’t encourage testing but I think it is just a bad cold. Not felt like this for years. Coming out of it now thank god.

This morning I was admitting to DH that my cold was draining me-that I'd forgotten how bad a cold could be. This afternoon we did the test for the survey for the Office of National Statistics and guess what? Bloody COVID 😱
Tis truly awful- cough, runny nose, sneezing and so tired.
Irony is, I've only been out of the house to go to the Drs. 🙄😩

Gosh there are so many of us!

someone said up thread about the evenings and the mornings being the worst and boy are they right! The middle of the day I was ok-ish, but I had to come to bed just after 7pm and I was floored again and feel more rotten as the night progresses. The wooziness and the headaches seem much worse morning and evening.

Has anyone any advice on what took the edge off? I feel like I’ve tried everything but to no avail.

i feel so silly complaining about a cold! But honestly i don’t recall them being this bad, maybe its middle age creeping up on me?!

Yup, had it and so many people I know also did. Took my first sick day from work in 5 years and just had to sleep. Everything ached. I dosed myself with pharmaceuticals I got off the shelf in the US and was OK after 3 days.

I’m on day 6 now and just want it to bugger off! I’m not a very good patient really. Well, maybe in my early 20s when I had no kids and could snuggle under the duvet for a few days with a box set… these days the kids need me whether I’m half dead or not so no chance to rest up!

I had a truly grim sore throat that then turned into a temperature and feeling wheezy. Its a week later. Still feel wheezy. I have looked in my throat and have these ulcer / blister looking type things on back and sides of throat. I feel so shit! Bowels a bit off too. Every day I think...I should go to doctor, but then I have a lemsip and soldier on. I feel like the colds I get these days are never just simple colds anymore, they're always some whole body virus type shit.

Sorry you’re sick! It sounds strange that you can’t get hold of Covid tests though? They’re in every supermarket and pharmacy here in England! Weird. Get well soon

Thank you!

im in a small town outside of Belfast, both pharmacy’s have little homemade signs up saying they have no tests and the nearest supermarket (big Tesco as we call it!) didn’t have any either. My lovely mum has said she will post me some on Monday, but I’m just going to act like I have it and stay indoors as much as I can, I wouldn’t want to pass this on to my worst enemy! X

Also in NI and got this about 4 weeks ago. Only able to taste again in the last 4 days, head still doesn’t feel like sinuses cleared up. Kept telling hubby it was the worst cold I’ve ever experienced. Cold seems to have gone but in last 24hrs have a horrible dry, chesty cough. Covid neg. Horrendous! Feel better soon x

Yes! I felt like I'd been run over by a truck! Sore throat, headache, blocked but then runny nose, muscle aches and SO tired!!! No sneezing or major coughing. Feels really weird? A cold but not? Tested but negative.

Same here. Myself and 2 ds’s have bad sore throats, coughs, mouth ulcers, earache, blocked ear, achy, tired etc See,s like exactly the same virus but I tested positive for covid and they didn’t. It’s been weeks now and we’re all still coughing.

I'm on week 8 of this. Had COVID (positive test) in September and I have basically not been able to get well since. Constant sneezing, coughing, earache, sore throats, headaches and it seems to have amped up my allergies too. One of my siblings is similar; chest infection version. I am very fed up.

It could well be covid - because the tests aren't as reliable for the new variants, and it's also quite common to not test positive until several days in.

There is surveillance testing that shows we are in a wave. The press doesn't report it. But there are a couple of new MN threads nearly every day started by people being floored with something (with quite a lot of posts saying they have had a positive test - sometimes that everyone in their household has the same thing but only one person has tested positive, others negative; some reporting loss of taste/smell, but most just a range of symptoms that are making them really miserable).

As it could be covid, best thing you can do is rest. And avoid passing it around.

Also in NI and yes, have got something very similar. It's been working it's way through our office and this week it's my turn apparently! It's the sinus pain that's the worst.

Our office was over 50% down this week, and those of us who did get in ended up looking like zombies by Friday, it’s really surprised me how quickly it’s taken hold and how rampant? Absolutely agree the sinus pain and heavy head is making it miserable, and making me feel all off balance.

I work in an office where the guilt is piled on if you don’t go in, even when you’re coughing up a lung but if I feel like this on Monday I don’t see how I can physically get through an 8 hour day.

Same here. Started to realise today it's probably covid as on day 5 and zero improvement, just more symptoms. Wheezing and coughing a lot. Where does the non-stop snot come from?! It's actually impressive, but very annoying.

I had a cold for about a week but 3 weeks later still have a bad cough. Like, so bad people ask me if I'm OK, and I have to wear a Tena Lady .. .
My asthma inhaler helps but my chest crackles and pops like Rice Krispies at times.

Just getting to the end. Absolutely rotten cough and terrible congestion. Only thing that helped was justbeehoney cough syrup, it really helped shift the crap out of my sinuses and off my chest.

We've had it too. Rotten heavy cold, which went on for me to be a chest infection. Had to go doctors this week and get antibiotics as I couldnt stop burning up and so wheezy. Nasty.

Aye I've had it, it's somewhere between a cold and a flu, feeling weak, dizzy, delirious, running nose, blocked and stuffy, sore head, sinus pain, pain behind eyes