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.

Day 20: Woke at 4.30 after. 7 hour sleep which is good for me with blinding headache. DH went to bed with a terrible headache last night. Yesterday evening I had the worst burping and the chest pain I could tell was due to trapped wind.My lung symptoms seem to be fading gradually now. Another weird stage in this illness trajectory. Hope everyone ok x

I've been releasing this thread for a while. I think that I'm on day 9.

I've had to phone the Gp twice this week already. Said over the phone to assume COVID positive.

I've had a low grade fever (for me) for about 11 days and even with paracetamol it's not shifting it.

Day 1. Temp of 37.5. Headache and a very slight cough. Aches and pains in my legs. Diarrhoea.
Day 2. Same temp and severe fatigue. I could barely stand. More diarrhoea.
Day 3. Same temp. Slight tightness in chest and headache still there.
Day 4. Tightness in chest. Temp up to 38.
Day 5. More tightness in my chest. Temp still 38.
Day 6. Temp. Really tired. At night I couldn't catch my breath.
Day 7. I phone Gp first thing as I couldn't catch my breath. Pulse around 135. Told again I was fitting all the symptoms of CV but would only test if I had to be admitted. Dr prescribed two different antibiotics and another inhaler.
Day 8. Felt a good bit better, but pulse still very high. Didn't come below 90 all day even though I was just laying in bed. Severe diarrhoea. But I put that down to the antibiotics.
Day 9. Woke up at 3am with tightness in my chest. Pulse back up to 130+. I can breath ok when I relax.

Dh has been looking after dc as I couldn't at the minute. But he has to go back to work next week as he's front line services.

He doesn't think I have CV. Thinks I've just got a chest infection. He hasn't displayed any symptoms so far. And I hope he doesn't. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Especially as I don't think I'm even at the halfway stage yet.

@NerosFiddle and anyone else, do you struggle sleeping as your body jolts you awake as you drift to sleep? I think it can tell I’m struggling with the breathing.

@EMichel102 I've only been sleeping a few hours at a time this last week. Tonight I've been woken up with the tightness in my chest.

@NerosFiddle thanks and do you have a more pronounced / noticeable heart beat?

@NerosFiddle that's fairly irresponsible of him. He is meant to be self isolating for 14 days and if you follow these threads you will see that symptoms develop in different ways. I never had a temp but my GP said symptoms of CV. DH never had a cough.

@Casino218 the 2 weeks will be up then, when he goes back to work. He is following the guidelines. And he knows if he has any symptoms it's back to square one.

@EMichel102 palpitations are really pronounced. One day my pulse was 194. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

Yeah my fast heart rate was one of the worst parts of it all..its still faster than normal now (3 weeks) but more manageably so and not bothering me really. The problem is it really adds to anxiety symptoms and makes everything feel more awful .

Hello, I’ve followed this thread for a while now and thought I’d join in.

I’m on day 15 of what I’ve been told is COVID19 (not tested) My symptoms started with a sore throat, headache and complete exhaustion with heavy eyes like I had eye strain. Lots of sweats and chills but no fever. After a couple of days I developed a cough which if I’m honest wasn’t the worse cough I’ve ever had but it lasted about 3-4 days. I also had heartburn, diarrhoea, chest tightness and chest burning. My cough went away and I felt a bit better although still not right and then on day 10 it came back along with the sore throat, sweats, chills and exhaustion.

I was advised by occupational health at work to phone NHS24 as my symptoms had not improved and I still felt unwell. I was told by them that you are allowed to return to work with the cough as it can last for several weeks but only if you feel well. I felt a bit of a fraud if I’m honest whilst on hold for almost 2 hours waiting to speak to someone but when I eventually got through I met the criteria to have a doctor phone me back within 4 hours. At almost 4 hours on the dot a doctor phoned me and said yes you’ve got COVID19 but we can’t test you it’s not uncommon for it to get better and then a bit worse. He asked if I had any pains in my lungs which I did as I had a sharp pain in my left lung when taking a deep breath. He then prescribed me an antibiotic (Amoxicillin) in case I had developed a secondary bacterial infection. When I asked about returning to work he said no unfortunately I would need to do another 7 days isolation as my symptoms had came back.

I have a pulse oximeter so can check my oxygen levels are ok (they are) and I am also a nurse with over 25 years experience yet there are still times when I feel panicky about this illness. Yesterday I felt dreadful and had a fitful sleep lying on the sofa and woke up thinking I was getting much worse and my mind started to go into overdrive. I think for me it’s the fear of the unknown - never before have I been so obsessed by my symptoms and the isolation contributes to making it all seem much worse.

My dh has been good although I don’t think he took it seriously until someone told me it was COVID19. I hope for me it is that and I now have some immunity to it as I am frontline NHS.

It’s nice to have some company and a place where we can be honest about how we feel let’s face it nobody in real life wants to hear about how after 2 weeks you still don’t feel well. They just want you to go back to normal so they can reassure themselves that you are going to be ok.

Guys I feel like I got worse with my breathing the past 12 hours. Have to inhale deeper and when I start to fall asleep I wake up with a gasp for air. Waiting for a clinician from 111 to call me back. Any re-assuring words or has anyone experienced this and it got better? I’m worried I’m going to deteriorate as not sleeping :(

Day 18
Woke up with a bit of energy but I’m taking it very easy today. Lined up my various vitamins - I’ve started taking Spatone iron supplements as I’ve always been prone to anaemia, and in combination with viral fatigue no doubt it would be worse.
High strength vit D. Guaifenesin for my chesty cough. Back to bed now with a cup of peppermint tea.
I’m definitely getting better every day, but I can see it’s easily going to be another week before I can do much.
Going by spend as much time as possible outside today as it’s sunny here at the moment.

I'm on day 3, my breathing is ok but I have a really sore throat.

@TheDrsWife46 I hope you got some sleep. Vicks on my chest really helped me. My glands were really sore.
@Moonbaby321 I got the stomach cramps and nausea right at the end. I really thought I’d picked up another bug
@DandyPenguin I think it sounds like we’re all experiencing something similar.
I wish I knew if I had had it. I’m looking after so many isolated family members and neighbours that I would be massively relieved. The terror of having to keep on going to the shops would be abated a bit.
I really hope everyone had a good nights rest. X

@EMichel102 I had a couple of days of not really sleeping. Lying still, relaxing, use Headspace or similar, is all good for relaxation. I napped in the day too.
Get well soon xxx

@EMichel102 day 18 here and last night was the first time I actually slept rather than waking every few hours and constantly tossing and turning.

I ended up treating the full 24 hours as a time to cat nap as my body needed, otherwise I was forcing myself to stay awake in the daytime when I needed to rest and then awake during the night when my worries went into overdrive.

Interestingly I slept for 3 hours yesterday afternoon and that improved my nighttime sleep.

Hi,

I been following this thread for a while now and so glad I found it. I'm either on day 14 (from first being unwell) or day 8 (when cough started).

Has anyone found anything that helped with the cough?

Hopefully it isn't too long before the Anti body test is available and we get some clarification.

Hope everyone is feeling better today

Morning all. Day 11 and symptoms are back, as expected, but not yet as bad as on day 9. That seems to be the pattern for me at the moment, 1 day on, 1 day off. I use the better days to eat a bit more but am resting and drinking however I feel.

Decided to adopt a positive mental attitude today. Let's see how long that approach lasts.

@NerosFiddle ok sorry misunderstood take care x

@emichel102 Yeah am still only getting v minimal sleep, on the worst few days I was just totally awake all night because I was so short of breath and my pulse was so high, I just stayed in bed the whole time and have just been resting, trying to listen to books and podcasts. I am gradually getting better despite the lack of sleep Xxx

My gut has gone quite mad today gurgling and burping etc. It's day 20 so probably a later set of symptoms. Fun not!

The elephant on my chest is back (oh joy). Have decided to call him Humphrey.

@Porcupineinwaiting ha ha that's funny. He will lumber off eventually x

Morning all, day 19 here,
(13 days since my worst symptoms began)Slept for 9hours pretty much straight except feeling uncomfortable when on my back.

This morning I feel ok, I got up before my DH (first time in 10 days at least).
I’ve sat quietly drinking a coffee (not fancied before today for a while) and now am going to do some gentle things this morning.

Chest is not bad, heavy but no pains now. Breathing is fine. Muscles are weak but not shaky. Fever is gone, cough is gone mostly. Post viral fatigue is there big time and a bugger but I
Reckon I’ve got another week of that. I know I’m still Ill as soon as I wake, although my symptoms are diminishing I can feel the heaviness of the virus in my body. That sounds weird I know but it’s how it feels. Also still have slight palpitations etc in the night which isn’t normal for me. I am less anxious though mostly and I don’t read any news now.

There is hope guys, hang in there!!

@Eyelash500 that sounds similar to my experience. I also felt terrible at that stage and went to A&E, it’s been up and down since then I can’t lie but I’m getting there I think very slowly! What age are you? Do you have other conditions?

Oh and my DH has it now, he is so much stronger generally than me I think he is doing ok so far but it’s not on his chest yet. My DCs have also got / had it. They’ve been ok mostly (fevers, tiredness on and off). What has struck me with them (ages 4 & 8) is that they have been so up and down. Some days mostly normal other days exhausted and complaining of chest ache, coughing, fever, the next day fine again. My eldest has been this way for 2.5 weeks (same as me). So although I’ve been much worse she has the same thing but just more mildly. I can see how many people would miss this and carry on going out (to the supermarket!)

I’m going to attempt a short walk this morning (10 mins for air)
If I can do. Wish me luck!

Oh also for those new people I am 38, usually very fit and healthy. I run / go to the gym 3 x a week. I don’t have underlying conditions. I still think this will take me 4 weeks in total at least to get over so I’m intending on having another week of feeling bad. I’ve had to reframe it like that as it was driving me mad worrying why I’m not better all the time. I had proper flu last year and was over that in 10 days, this has been a similar intensity but much longer, scarier and very different. The chest pain aspect is a game changer.