To ask what is wrong with me? (Health related!)

[snapdragongirl]

For about the past 10 days I've just felt rubbish. Main symptoms are blocked nose (as in, one side completely blocked, even if I blow my nose it's blocked, so it's more like it's inflamed than blocked with mucous), raised temp every day, vary between feeling cold and shivery, then hot and feverish - temp typically around 37.5 though so not an actual fever. Also just feeling completely rotten and wiped out, low energy and lethargic (I'm usually pretty energetic and active, run/exercise regularly). I've also had really painful mouth ulcers (initially one on the roof of my mouth, now two on my tongue that have been really sore).

Haven't had a sore throat. Have tested negative (twice) for Covid.

I wondered if a sinus problem due to feeling constantly blocked up, but haven't really had sinus pain except perhaps in the morning sometimes when I wake up feeling a bit like I've been punched in the face.

I keep thinking it's just a cold, I'll feel better tomorrow, but it's dragging on and I feel as poorly today as I did a week ago. So fed up now and not sleeping well at night (breathing through mouth and waking up with mouth like the Sahara desert, waking DH with snoring etc! Which then wakes me....)

Do I just need to soldier on and deal with it?

Sinus infection would be my thought - with the mouth ulcers caused by the infection / mouth breathing at night / being run down.

Has there been any mucous from your nose? Or post nasal drip?

There is mucus yes. As a default I feel nasally congested but if I blew my nose it wouldn't be very productive, but at various points during the day I'll have a bit of a sneezing fit and then need to blow my nose, feel really snotty. Not really had post nasal drip but have had the crackling in the ears.

Might be worth a chat with a pharmacist, there might be a decongestant you could try to see if it helps. I wonder if a saline rinse would be worth a try to see if it dislodges anything?

Sounds like the sinus infection I had a few months back - felt like I’d been knocked sideways.

Will try and see a pharmacist tomorrow. I've tried the regular over the counter decongestant which has made no difference. Olbas oil helps a little. Reluctant to use decongestant nasal sprays having used them before and they've just exacerbated the issue and you become dependent on them as they just make it more inflamed/blocked.

But will get a saline nasal spray as this might help.

Sorry to be boring. But likely just a virus. Rest, lots of fluids, decongestant nasal spray.

You're right I'm sure. It's just such a long winded bloody virus though! 10 days and counting of feeling rotten! And given I'm pretty healthy it seems crazy to feel so rough for so long. I drink min 2l a day and am resting when I can but I literally can't rest for 10 days +, who can?

Also avoiding decongestant nasal sprays as they are designed to be addictive. I've used them before and they are like the wonder drug, suddenly you can breathe! But they have ingredients that aggravate the nasal passages, so you need to keep taking them. They are literally addictive! And it's so hard to break the cycle and stop using them. I know the instant hit I could get but it's so not worth it for the long term pain...

It'll be a virus of some kind. They can linger on.

I recently had this (well, a couple of months ago) and it was an infection that needed antibiotics. I had had it for 12 days (and was utterly fed up) by the time I phoned the doc but they said because it had gone on that long, it was indicative of bacterial infection.

I’d tried saline spray, sinus rinse and Vicks vaporub and the like and it helped ever so slightly but not so much as an actual relief. I started taking the penicillin on the Saturday morning and by the Sunday morning I could breathe through my nose! Oh the relief!😂

@snapdragongirl I know what you mean about decongestant sprays, years ago I had to go to the doctor to be weaned off one (think possibly Sudafed but not sure) I became dependent and had to use another spray to wean me off that one! I now use Otrivine nasal spray when I have a cold and I don’t need weaning off that one, it’s been a game changer for me as I cannot bear mouth breathing - might be worth giving that a go? I you feel better soon though

I think oral decongestants aren’t so addictive but also not so effective…

If you’ve got sinus pain, ice packs on the face are my go to. But it doesn’t sound like it’s pain really just pressure?

Yes!! Definitely more pressure than pain. I've had sinusitis before and had the real tenderness in my face. This time it's more pressure like my face is in a vice/grip but not painful as such

Mouth ulcers ? Sounds like Hand, foot and mouth. Do you have young children?

Either way, if it doesn’t resolve in a week then it is worth getting a GP consult.

I tend to get mouth ulcers when I'm rundown. I have 3 DC but only one is primary age (other two older). I don't think it could be hand foot and mouth as have nothing elsewhere. Suspect it's just part of the virus/being run down