My lungs feel like they are on fire. Anyone else? - Part 2

[longshot]

Hi all, new thread as we'd neared the end of the other.

I thought it might be useful to list symptoms we are having / have had:

Day 1 - Diarrhea (mild), slight aches and pains
Day 2 - Flu like symptons, achey joints, fatigue, chills, slight cough, slight chest discomfort, upper back ache
Day 3 - Flu like symptons, achey joings, fatigue, chills, slight cough but felt better than Day 3
Day 4 - Perked up, still a slight cough but more energetic, chest 'ache'
Day 5 - Back to flu like symptoms, burning lungs sensation and ache around bra line began, upper back ache
Day 6 - Pains in chest area (intermittent), cough, fever, very heavy achey chest, trouble sleeping, bit breathless, can't lie on my back as painful
Day 7 - Increase of Day 7 symptoms, pains got sharper in chest
Day 8 - Same as day 7, fever, breathless, can't lie on my back
Day 9 - Feverish, exhausted, achey limbs, chest easing
Day 10 - Feverish, exhausted, achey limbs, chest easing, sore boobs
Day 11 - No fever, felt a bit better, mild chest ache, slight cough
Day 12 - today, exhausted, no fever, chest easing

BoJo said they are ramping up testing to 25,000 a day. Does that mean 25,000 a day are rocking up to the hospital and are fitting the criteria for testing?

@avocadoowl @starmer We don't know for sure if we've had CV, and we may never know. In fact that is my biggest concern - that people will be lulled into a false sense of security about immunity & spread it around some more. But I think people supporting each other at this time is valuable & important. I'm on my own & don't have anyone to 'sanity check' my symptoms with, meaning that I tend to soldier on & overdo things rather than seek medical advice. This board has been reassuring, and I think it is unfair to characterise posters like me as 'scaremongering'. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Day 12 for me. Felt considerably better yesterday but woke up today feeling like I have a temperature and alternately hot and shivery. Very wobbly when finally dragged myself out of bed. Prickly feelings in lungs. Peak flow slightly down (but still well within 'good' zone for my height and age). Sipping lem-sip and hoping it all goes away.

Most worried about DH (71) (whose medical issues I have posted about up-thread): he felt tired yesterday and still does today so has gone back to bed. He has none of the obvious symptoms, but then he never tends to get chest or nasal symptoms when he has a virus - always seems to have 'silent' flu. Not that anyone can predict with this thing.

DS (20) seems to have started a dry cough.

I REALLY hope the people coming to the thread to say we are imagining it, or hysterical are right. I wonder this many times a day myself. But it is useful rather than otherwise to have a place to talk to people in the same position. Probably not a good idea to read it if you don't have any symptoms of anything.

List of symptoms in case useful, though I don't think I can assign them all to days:

Proviso: Beginning in late Feb I had a hacking, spasmodic cough which was setting off my asthma. Saw doctor in early March and she thought it was viral but since she heard crackles in lungs gave me antibiotics for secondary bacterial infection. I was just beginning to feel better and cough reducing but not completely gone when new symptoms started. So have never been able to determine if I have 'new' cough or not. the cough has continued throughout but has never got worse. Day 1 was a couple of days after I finished the antibiotics.

I have asthma which is only really a problem when I have a chest infection. It seems to be under control still.

Day 1. Odd swollen scratchy throat with a feeling like something was stuck in it.
Day 2. Same throat thing. Repeated episodes of diarrhoea much of the night.
Day 3. Sore throat plus a flash of temperature and very hot red face lasting for about an hour.
Day 4-7. I self-isolated on day 4 as the NHS advice said to isolate with cold or flu symptoms (that now seems to have changed.) Additional symptoms of chest tightness - round the bra-band area, with some back pain. I first posted on the thread on day 7 as I was showing signs of breathlessness when climbing stairs. My peak flow rate was fine and has continued to be. A few more hot-face flushes.

Day 8-10. Tighter chest and more aching and prickling in lungs mainly on left. Intermittent - some days feeling better then worse again. Chills, particularly in legs. Muscle aches and weakness.

Day 11. Sinus symptoms - very stuffy blocked nose. Otherwise feeling notably better.
Day 12. Slept less well than usual (have been sleeping very heavily). Woke feeling hot and shivery. Peak flow slightly reduced. Coughing a bit more. More wobbly and 'fluey' feeling than at any point up to now.

Day 6 for me, and dare I say it, I feel just a tad better.

My initial symptoms were chest pain, constriction, tightness above the bra line and out between shoulder blades. Also swollen glands in neck, lack of energy and feeling wobbly, lumpy throat and a very occasional lone dry cough. No temp though.

Today my chest feels marginally better and I feel a bit more energetic.

Hopefully everyone on this thread will start to turn the corner soon. x

@schrodingerskitty I feel very similar to you today and am also day 12. Breathing pretty ok here but I’m not asthmatic. I am also feeling wobbly and flu-ey again after feeling I was starting to recover. Worried.

@Bringringbring12 based on current government guidelines absolutely not.

But... I have CFS, RA and very mild Asthma and symptoms I've not experienced in 50 years so personally I'm very anxious. Dd is also vulnerable plus I have to make a decision today to bring a frail neighbour in her 80's who I see daily here to isolate (separate accommodation, joys of holiday let crashing)
So for me this thread has been a lifeline to help make different judgements.

On balance with so many having such similar symptoms with no temperature or cough, plus I'm seeing this on other forums I'm inclined to think it might be or at least we should treat it as such.

I'm also following other posters who may get tested and we are supporting each other.

I think government guidelines need to be updated as completely misleading if we do have it.

I am convinced it’s CV now, sorry should have said.

I did go to A&E a few days ago (told to by 111 due to chest pain) and Dr told me highly likely to be it, showing all the symptoms but I was young and healthy, not being admitted and therefore he couldn’t test me.

Also I didn’t have a ‘proper’ fever until day 5 I think, just chills for the first few days. Now it’s been on and off spiking for the last 6 days.

@longshot I'd also.say it's taken me.2 weeks or just a bit over, I think I'm developing a normal cold now. This is unusual for me Idont often get I'll so must be run down.

I'm starting to think testing will be confusing, some people have been tested up to 6 times with negatives till they get a positive. And apparently if you test you early/late it wont be accurate.

Okay so these are my sypmtoms

Started with like a burny/dry feeling in my lungs. Like a caustic feeling as if I'd been in the smoking area all night. No cough/fever

Then sore throat for a couple of days. Still no cough/fever.

Then really tired, legs felt weak and shaky. A bit dizzy.

About 6 days in started coughing. Dry cough.

Am now 8 days since very first symptoms and coughing, feeling a bit breathless and heart beating a bit fast. Like I've run up the stairs. Can mostly avoid coughing but when I cough it's a bad cough.

That's it really. I feel relatively okay in myself. Does anyone else have this? It's like no cough I've had before but at the same time I'm not really ill with it, like I said just feel a bit like I've run up the stairs all the time.

But of background I'm young, fit and healthy normally. I work in a hospital and the job I do theres a very high chance of getting it really. I'm worried as I didn't start self isolating straight away as no cough/fever and whilst have been scrupulous with hygiene etc. I hope I haven't passed it on to anyone.

@longshot: sorry you are feeling rough. I'm trying not to worry. I'm feeling slightly better after eating - I think keeping energy levels up is key.

@Aurea: yes, I also had swollen glands early on - forgot them (so many random symptoms with this thing): clearly body trying to fight it off.

It is really hard to separate the anxiety from the symptoms. This is nowhere close to how ill I felt with swine flu, and even that doesn't compare to the two worst episodes of flu I've had in my life. I think in normal circumstances I'd have struggled on with commuting two hours each way for work for most of this. But then these aren't normal circumstances.

As was on last thread. Feeling a bit rough today. Will check in properly later. Hope all doing ok x

That should start with “placemarking”!

Just for the record I absolutely never said that people were hysterical or imagining it

If people are finding the thread helpful then great, crack on, I just think people would be wise to remember that actually no one on this thread KNOWS for sure that they have COVID-19, because there are so many illnesses doing the rounds that can be incredibly similar.

I'm not sure why that has been construed as an unkind opinion but it wasn't my intention to be unkind.

@AvocadoOwl: since 'hysterical and imagining it' are my words I'm assuming you are referring to my post - I was not, though, referring particularly to yours. I really don't think you or anyone else commenting that we don't know if we have it was being unkind: I'm sorry if my post read like that.

I genuinely do wonder this myself frequently. Not knowing if we have it or not is a major part of the anxiety. If we knew, this would be a different sort of thread. The symptom-checking started two weeks ago for many of us as a way of deciding if we should be self-isolating from others, since these symptoms did not fit with official advice. I am still not at all sure that what I have is Covid-19, but I am still glad I have kept away from everyone as much as possible.

I have found that seeing other peoples' pathways through what seems to be a similar viral infection has been mainly reassuring rather than panic-inducing, but I agree that the effect for someone finding this on day one of unclear symptoms might be rather different.

@Advocado
You're trying to defend yourself but misrepresenting what people have posted. Nobody said they KNOW they have CV and why is it of your concern anyway? Do you have symptoms of some sort of unspecified bug? Not even sure why you're on this thread commenting to be fair...
We have symptoms of some sort of virus during a worldwide pandemic. It's worth having a chat with others about it. Of course we're keeping away from everyone for 14 days but I've downplayed it to the real outside world as don't want to sound like a drama queen. This is supposed to be a safe place to discuss concerns we naturally have. Being poorly with flu or similar is grim as it is. I'm surprised people can judge others negatively at a time like this...

people's

@AvocadoOwl I haven’t read all your posts but having read one-

I wasn’t diagnosed by a GP but by a London Ambulance doctor. She was pretty certain but yes it was over the phone and no I wasn’t tested so of course it’s not conclusive. However it leaves me in a difficult position. I’m acting like I do have it in terms of self-isolating because that’s the sensible thing to do. My body is also acting like I have it n that I’m ill...

You were certainly insensitive if not kind. Writing “misery loves company”.

Currently on Day 6 and wondering if anyone has called 111 recently and how long they waited for a call back from a clinician??

I got through in just over an hour, called because chest is getting tighter and I'm wheezing before each cough but on top of all of this I've developed an ear infection and I'm in so much pain. I'm immunocompromised and my system is practically on the floor. They said a clinician will call me back but that was at 9am.

Lost my sense of smell on Thursday and losing 50% of my hearing at the moment has left me disoriented. I've got a four year old and a 6 month old at home with me. DH is here too but he's now starting to get concerned about me.

I posted on the previous thread
Day 1 nausea, tiredness general really funny feeling ( Been ill the last 2 weeks with cough and sore throat and lost my voice) Sent home from work No appetite
Day 2 Nausea and diarrhoea hot flash of temperature no appetite On and off headaches
Day 3 Diarrhoea and no appetite pains in my back Generally feeling unwell
Day 4 Felt unwell back ache , ache along my bra line Still coughing the original cough from few weeks ago Felt a bout breathless occasionally Fleeting stabbing pains in my chest flushing
Day 5 Back ache worse Some tightening of the chest Stabbing pains Still very tired
Day 6 Felt better but later in evening felt tight chest and lots of back ache Odd night kept waking and had one coughing fit and some hot flashes
Day 7 Started to feel better wanted to eat a slice of toast Had a bath and then felt bit breathless , pain in back returned, tired so now back in bed resting Headache comes and goes
Finding this thread supportive as I am glad others have the same symptoms as me. I have been self isolating in one bedroom Husband brings food/drinks and leaves them outside the door. When I go the bathroom I spray everything I touch with cleaner and he goes out side leaving the dishwasher door open and put my dishes in the dishwasher I don't touch anything downstairs. Not sure if this will stop him getting this but he was ill late January / early Feb and was in bed for ten days with what was the doctor said was a viral infection. He had a cough, tight chest etc and he caught from a friend who has never been ill who was so ill that they had to call 111 out to him for breathing problems. So hoping he might have already had it . He is spending lots of time in the garden at the moment

I think the point is a lot of us all around the country are experiencing the same symptoms, and to be honest I've never had a virus like this before so to say all viruses can be incredibly similar doesnt really work.
It could be something else but still I have never had a virus that causes symptoms the way I have been last 2 and a half weeks. And the cough wasnt the main worry it was my chest.

A number of people on here all with similar symptoms keep asking docs and the docs keep saying - that's probably CV. Without testing ( if that is absolutely accurate) we won't know. If this is helping those with similar symptoms then it can only be a positive thing. The other positive element is it may be making some more people self isolate.

Sorry if I’ve missed it, but has the Australian guy who was tested this week been back on the thread to update whether he actually has CV?

I really resent being told this is thoughtless and attention seeking @Starmer. How dare you come on to a thread where people are supporting each other and be so thoughtless and attention seeking.

As a PP said, there was a whole thread that was supportive until two of you cane along.

The title doesn’t say that it’s a thread for people with COVID-19 (although it’s in that topic). This thread and it’s predecessor is simply about symptoms, it’s just that for most of us, those symptoms suggest COVID-19 and that’s what a lot of us have been told by medical professionals.

This back ache symptom, what exactly does it feel like? For last few days I've had what I can only describe as like a ripped muscle pain between my ribs one one side of my back. It's like a stabbing pain when I twist it move.

I think it's pleurisy- a friend developed symptoms and was told by her doc that one of effects of virus can be pleurisy. Would radiate into back.