My lungs feel like they are on fire - part 3

[Casino218]

@longshot started a new thread as the other filled up and I thought you were poorly and people would be wanting to find out how you were doing.

Perked up a bit this evening. But now for a new symptom- nasty taste in mouth and yucky saliva.

This bug is the gift that keeps giving.

I've had that taste for the last few days. My tongue has a white coating that won't brush off

How long am I going to feel heavy chested and breathless for? It's been like this for almost one week now :(

@TheDrsWife46 your reaction has been totally normal, I thought I was going to die several times over the last 16 days and was posting all sorts of rubbish and others on here have been so lovely.

@dreamm that’s great!

I’m on day 6 and feeling better which I just heard is a time when it often gets worse :(

Does anyone else wonder how much of the breathlessness is anxiety? The fatigue is unmistakable but the breathlessness, for me, could be confused with that anxious tight chest feeling. I guess anxiety just compounds what is already there...

@kevintheorangecarrot it could be another week - or it could ease tomorrow. Just rest and drink, rest and drink. It is tough - this is super tough - but as you can see from the "veterans" on here it will pass.

@mymoonmyman2020 I've been wondering that too. I think the breathlessness is real but then, if you start panicking about it (and how can you not) then that makes it worse.

Day 18 feels like I’m going backwards, shortness of breath for most of the day, exhaustion from moving small distances, and in the last hour have been dealing with really bad nausea and fever
Chest is still on fire and basically has been every day for the past couple of weeks
Is there no end to this?!

I second treating the tight throat with heat. Hot drinks reduced it and if I sauna it goes completely.

Day 15 here and still it continues 🤦🏼‍♀️
The chestiness and the exhaustion. Anyone fully out the other side yet?

@Joeaj23 I know it’s pretty awful. There are a few stories of people now starting to slowly feel better around day 18. Have you tried gaviscon for the fiery chest? I just chewed a tablet and it feels a bit better.

@stayathomegardener: you mentioning saunas inspired me to stick my fact right into the steam from my hot drink and breathe deeply: even better than the heat of drinking it - instant relaxation of my tight chest.

I am feeling feverish again. It causes rising panic in me and Im trying really hard tonight to remember that I felt like this this morning and that it did pass. But it is so difficult not to get consumed with despair when you can feel your skin prickling, temperature rising and the familiar jitters closing in.

Because as yet I havent coped with one spell of this part, I am overtly anxious. I WANT to be more rational, I WANT to be a better patient and recognise that I can breathe and so I am okay but who are these people saying go out after 7 days. I am as symptomatic and poorly as I have been all week.

On here literally to talk myself down.
I know this happens
I know that it passes
I know that it is most frightening to me
I know that it is part of the process.

But I wish with all my heart it was over or there was treatment

Reminded me that I used to do that for chest infections years ago - olbas oil or eucalyptus in a bowl with boiling water and then a towel-tent over your head. I wonder why I forgot about that.

@Joeaj23 I remember you saying you were already quite far through (day 17/18?) and that you think you caught it in Italy? Is that right? I was just going to ask if you’ve had any days / times you’ve felt a bit better? It just sounds like you have had it very hard and I wonder whether it’s due to the strength to which we are exposed? I don’t know but they are saying there’s something in that. I think I know where I caught it (Italian, ill colleague at conference) and think I’ve passed it to two others who have both recovered before me. I was with my colleague two days straight.

I just wanted to say have you tried any heat therapy? This sounds ridiculous but I tried hairdryer heat (managed twenty mins with it on and me breathing the warm air in) a few times and it helped my chest. I’m doing inhaling now with olbas oil and that helps too. They have found somewhere that sauna heat is good (according to my DH!) but sadly I don’t have a sauna so had to opt for a hairdryer. I am not medically trained and clearly you have to be careful with a hairdryer!!

@TheDrsWife46 Deep breaths. Try to reframe this by thinking the temperature and jitters are good because that's your body's defence mechanism causing that. If you didn't have a great immune system you wouldn't get those effects.

@TheDrsWife46 I had a horrible jittery decline again earlier that reduced me ymm on tears as I was scared. But it has passed - the shakes are really awful. Have you tried lemsips as they really seem to help me!

I'm about 10 days in. Felt a bit better a couple of days ago but the cough, breathlessness and stomach upset are back again. Another strange symptom I've had is burping! I never burp. It's very odd. Also, it's made my sciatica flare up horrendously. I didn't make any connection between the 2 things tho, I just assumed coincidence but a friend said viruses can inflame nerves, which kinda makes sense. The pain has made me cry out a few times, which hasn't happened in years. Like others on here, have had to force myself to stay calm (doing it right now) over the breathlessness. It doesn't seem to be escalating but it's pretty scary.

Also has anyone else got a sharp Ish in low down in their back when they breathe deeply? This is new to me and a bit worrying. I wondered if it was because I had just eaten and then lay down on the sofa but it’s not gone off.

So true TheDrsWife. How the hell did Nadine Dorries and her 80 odd year old mum feel better in 7 days??

I had that yesterday @longshot and it did go away.
I did some stretches and took gaviscon and it only lasted a few hours.

My symptoms started 17 days ago as a sore throat, this progressed to a nasty headache about a week ago which persisted also felt light headed and fuzzy, started getting neck pain about four days ago, that has now gone along with the sore throat but it has now gone to my chest and I've got quite a hoarse cough, hopefully it will end soon.

Also, really recommend Robitussin chesty cough- it’s an expectorant so can shift gunk on a tight chest- also helping me. Plus 2000mg of vitamin c every day might be helping but not sure!

Can I join the evening slump? Have gone really downhill, felt chills and aches all through me that I've not felt for a few days. Had a little cry on the phone to my mum. Why is it so much worse in the afternoon and evening?

Anyone want to join me with some hot tea sweetened with honey? It's delicious and I'm breathing in the steam after reading the recommendations here x

Did anyone else have this start with a temperature and high heart rate? About 15 mins ago I felt really warm and measured my temp and it was 39 (thermometer beeped red), and my heart rate's up to 94 from it's usual 60-70. Although I've just measured my temperature again and it's reading a normal temperature now. Heart rate still high and I'm shaking. Could this be CV? No other symptoms.