Symptoms getting worse - anyone else?

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

I’ve been dry coughing for a few days now, not really felt like I have a temperature, just decided to ride it out and look after myself. This morning I have started coughing up gunk, my chest is even tighter and I get out of breath really quickly. I don’t want to be a burden on 111, and my own GP is closed. I am still ok to ride it out and look after myself aren’t I? I’m young and healthy usually and I don’t want to take up any resources for those who need it.

I didn't have nausea although I completely lost my appetite for the first time ever. Had an awful constant cough.

Ive lost my appetite and whilst I havent lost my taste/smell everything tastes odd. A yoghurt tasted like I’d sucked a hosepipe and orange squash tastes like paracetamol. Bleugh.
Ive lost 8lb in the 13 days, to enjoy eating would probably be a significant indicator of recovery actually!

I also find the UK approach a bit odd. I saw my GP after my night of breathlessness, which was very reassuring and he spoke to me on the phone 48 hours later plus checked me again a week later - all at his insistence. My town now has a dedicated medical centre in the town hall where you can just drop in with COVID related symptoms and be seen by a doctor.

While we’ve also had cuts in non-urgent medical procedures, more things seem to be going ahead here than the UK.

To be fair, I can't see what a gp could have done. Bedrest, lemsip or paracetamol, lots of hot tea and water. The odd bit of toast and marmite. Lost half a stone which was the upside.

Tonyaster my GP wanted to see me because I had respiratory difficulties but I will be sure to let him know you think he wasted his time.

I'm sure the reassurance was very comforting. I would have rung 111 if I felt my breathing difficulties were increasing. Luckily I didn't need to.

Stop being so condescending Tonyaster. I am not in the Uk, there is no 111 here (thankfully). The advice here is to call your GP which is what I did. He then felt it was necessary to see me in person twice and talk to me on the phone once. You are welcome to ride it out alone with no medical help, no skin off my back.

You said you found the uk approach odd. I am in the uk and don't find it odd. The huge majority of people who have covid 19 don't need to contact a gp and can manage symptoms perfectly well without having to speak to a medical professional. You did, and it helped you, so good for you.

So you are saying that people in the UK won't suffer because of the lack of medical attention? Please spell it out so we can all laugh about this in a month's time while you go through 3 name changes.

So you are saying that people in the UK won't suffer because of the lack of medical attention?

What? I'm saying most people with covid 19 won't require medical attention. What did your gp do?

My GP figured out whether my breathlessness required further medical attention or not by listening to my chest. Do you have a magic ball that can tell you which patients with COVID can ride it out at home and which need more help? What a wonderful thing to have, must come in really handy, especially since early intervention is crucial in survival for patients with serious COVID symptoms.

And my point was not simply about my experience with my GP as such but about the general set up here both with respect to COVID and other health needs, as opposed to the UK.

I think we are all trying not to burden our health service unless we really need to. So unless symptoms worsen suddenly. I will say again, the vast majority of people with Covid 19 will not need to see a medical professional.

So what is your point? The vast majority of people with COVID may not need to see a health care professional AND it can still be difficult to differentiate between those who need help and those who do not. Medical professionals are needed to make the differentiation and the Uk system seems to be blocking access too much. Not just to COVID patients but to everyone else who has health needs as well. None of this should be a surprise given the chronic underfunding of NHS.

Can I just come back in on this because if you look back to how me and @MooPointCowsOpinion have been affected by this virus (assuming its Covid because we cant get tested) means that we have both felt very frightened and abandoned by the health service. I appreciate you saying @Tonyaster that there is nothing the GP can do. But people on the other thread have been sent practitioners to evaluate their breathing, I had got to a desperate state where I was ready to take valium from a previous flight, sickness and diarrhoea perhaps could be managed through antiemetics etc.

Today I am feeling very low and frightened as I cant feel my legs properly, I have chest pains (which I am reassuring myself that my sats are okay) but the pains are reminiscent of the tome I had blood clots. Today I feel like I’m on the way to paralyis! That if I had had meningitis and rang the GP to say “i cant feel my legs properly” then I wod have access to neurology etc to evaluate that.

If I called my GP today they will say they cannot see me, cannot help me and that I need to manage at home.

And that is a very frightening place to be today.

Another scared one here as this morning while brushing my teeth I gagged a bit, which triggered a cough and then I coughed so hard I threw up a bit in my mouth, and then spat and it was all blood. I don’t know if it was blood coughed up or thrown up, or if the cough/throw up just ripped a bit of my throat or my vocal chords are a bit damaged or what... but a sink full of blood is scary as fuck.

Goodness both of you! What updates! Is there any way you can access some medical help today or at least first thing tomorrow?

Paramedics came out to my DIL because coughing brought up a lot of blood, they said a vein in throat probably were not worried. Hope that helps Moo.

Drs. Wife, phone GP or 111 if you are worried.

Yes how worrying . Can you get the paramedics (999) out @TheDrsWife46 and bypass the GP? Tell them you have chest pains and they will come straight out. Please contact them please.

(Sorry that’s a name change but I have already posted on this thread and have been checking back in).

Im afraid the chest pains have been there for days and days. And @MooPointCowsOpinion will tell you that they advise chest pains are expected etc and “how is your breathing”

Sorry you have coughed up blood Moo. I think that would be me calling someone again. I known @Tonyaster is saying but what can a GP do, but these are things you’d usually seek a GP for

For chest pains they might send someone out but they just check your O2 and leave.

Coughing up blood is quite often a burst blood vessel from coughing I believe. Must be scary

@TheDrsWife46 did you have anxiety before you felt ill?

@SugarSugarShimmy no no anxiety or depression. Nothing at all. I acknowledge that my threads now are a very different story. I’m coming away from this with Health Anxiety for sure.

*I had valium in the house as I have a fear of flying, I just dont fly much x

What has been frightening reading this thread is the feeling of abandonment by the NHS of these two ladies. If I’m feeling that just be reading the thread then no wonder TheDrsWife is feeling terrified. The feeling of drowning is meant to be one of the most terrifying feelings. To be told by ambulance staff that they cannot take you in because you are not ill enough is awful. For other posters to then come on and say it was ok for them is insulting. What these two posters are going through in the UK, on their own, with no medical help is appalling. I really don’t know what else to say. It frightens me that my son has to go to work in a supermarket everyday and could suffer like these ladies.