My lungs Part 5

[Spacecadetagain]

New thread for us

@EMichel102 the closest I've had to this is costochondritis after a chest infection once - inflammation where your ribs join ur breast bone. That was horrible but at least GPs knew what it was and knew how to treat it!

Seems like quite a few people on day 24, myself included

After two good days I had a terrible sleep last night, woke up gasping for air feeling like I was unable to breathe.

Have been in bed all day and my breathing feels like it’s not getting enough oxygen, although the reading is generally 95-99%. My lungs just feel sore.

Started on a course of a week’s worth of amoxicillin yesterday so hopefully this will improve things.

Lungs hurt so bad at lunchtime was really worried I have pneumonia. Docs asked to see me at 5pm to have a look after I explained I was in early March with symptoms.
Docs was on lockdown had to wait outside until he was ready.
You would think that as I have respitory symptoms, he would have PPE on but nothing.
Asked questions about my lungs, said as my temperature 36.4 ( ear checked,) that it not Covid.
Listened to chest all fine and oxygen again fine, but then said it must be continuation of recovery from original symptoms last month. To rest and not worry might take 6 weeks to fully recover.
So no test offered ( pointless if no longer infectious anyway)
Now panicking that might get Covid on top of this horror, or that he assumes I had it mild and no longer infectious hence the coming close and no PPE. Wanted me out asap ( understandably very busy)
But now feel like a fraud. Unless you very ill or have textbook symptoms now, it seems to be discarded as another virus?
Hope you all have a peaceful evening and feel better tomorrow

Day 22/23
My symptoms today - tickly and slightly productive cough, yellow phlegm. General tiredness and malaise, chest isn’t tight or constrained but I do feel breathless more easily. Slightly sore throat, probably from the cough.
No back/rib pains anymore thankfully.
I’m another one starting antibiotics - a 5 day course of amoxicillin and clairithromycin.
GP said normally with my symptoms they wouldn’t bother, it would be just rest and wait, as it’s probably a normal post-viral cough.
But these aren’t normal times. I just hope they kick in quickly without too many side effects, and they actually do me some good. DH has a similar cough but has loads more energy than me, he hasn’t bothered with an AB prescription. He has generally had a much easier time of it - unusual as it’s normally the other way round.

Day 16 here. A good day. Have managed 4 hours out of bed (on sofa). I must say it sounds like lots of you are doing way more than me, even those who have been sicker for much longer. Really do be careful, exercise and activity are not your friends in the early stages of a recovery.

@Mintypylonsfryingsurplus that's really interesting. Thank you for that.
Is anybody else having the same experience?
My GP surgery is pretty adamant that anything respiratory is most probably covid. This is why we need testing!

@TheWooisStrong a productive cough is an excellent symptom. I'm on day 3 on antibiotics- again prescribed "just in case" because I was coughing up a bit of phlegm- and have been feeling considerably better. Not sure if it is the antibiotics or the coughing up though.

@Porcupineinwaiting I'm glad you are feeling better - what day of illness are you?
I was definitely feeling better than this yesterday, and the symptoms I'm having feel much more like a normal infection than the weirdness of the Covid ones. So hopefully a few more days and I'll be on the mend too.
First dose for me just before 6pm, so I've got to wait up as late as I can to take the next dose.

@Mintypylonsfryingsurplus: the GP sounds clueless. That's not even the very minimal government advice, which is cough OR temperature - it doesn't need to be both.

Do I need to be requesting antibiotics? I’m panicking a bit now that it’s Friday night, I’m on day 24 and I’ve still got chest pains. They are worse this evening and I’m worried that it’s all coming back again although other than the pains I don’t feel too bad, just a bit tired but not awful.

I’m so fed up of having nobody to ask ‘is this normal?’

@AnythingPecan did costochondritis feel like this? I’ve been wondering if that is what I now have as an after effect of the virus. My pains are left side sore of under my left boob and then quite bad pains in my lowest left rib. Also mild back and arm pains which I believe can be costochondritis too. I don’t dare take ibuprofen for it but feel if I did it would help. I just worry about the one left of my heart as it’s a bit sharp and you can’t help but worry can you when it’s there!

@longshot I'm day 25 and developed a cough again! Have you got a high temp? Are you coughing up phlegm?

Hi @Casino218! Good to hear from you again! I don’t have much of a cough
when I do cough it is slightly more productive, I do have a sore throat and chest pains again including upper back area. No fever. I’m hoping it’s costochondritis but I’m too scared to take ibuprofen and just get on with it in case I make things worse and go backwards...

@longshot that's what it felt like - very sharp pain around the rib area. It's worth calling the GP. I think you kind of need to take the lead and ask whether it could be x or y otherwise they won't investigate.
I know mine is unlikely to be that because of the other symptoms which are still lingering such as tight chest and breathlessness.

@longshot I doubt it's infection then. I think the Brufen issue is more a problem earlier in virus. I took some couple of days ago. It eased the pain.

Does anybody know if a peak flow device is a good way of determining if there are difficulties with breathing? I'm still waiting for my oximeter.

Also - someone mentioned the 111 clinicians using a breathing method to determine how low oxygen levels are. Can someone describe that please?

Day 16 @TheWooisStrong. Today is my good day, which means tomorrow will be less good (I alternate) but hopefully not as bad as before.

@longshot I pretty much just told my I wanted antibiotics as a precautionary measure. I'm asthmatic and prone to chest infections so he agreed as soon as I started producing a bit of yellow phlegm. He said that the only possible downside was that they might give me diarrhea again, and they have a bit but not badly. In your position I would definitely push for them if you think they may help. Your immune system has taken a hammering, why wait for a secondary infection to take hold?

@longshot I think this many days in you'll be fine with ibuprofen if you think it will help. I spoke to gp and got antibiotics less because of the pain/ burning/restriction etc and things and more just because I'm still feeling very unwell in myself and mostly in bed on day 28, I think if it's mostly the pain left I think it's normal that any inflammation whether will take a while to get better, but I know it can feel worrying but hopefully over the next few days you'll begin to feel better xx

@AnythingPecan yes a peak flow meter is a good way of checking what's going on and, I believe, can act as an early warning system if you begin to struggle.

The counting thing is the Roth test. There is a link to a good video about it up thread (yesterday I think).

@Porcupineinwaiting thanks for that. This is reassuring. I think it's important to identify a method that anxious people like myself can rely on to determine whether it's real difficulty or perceived difficulty, particularly when we can't get hold of GPs or (if you're anything like me) feel too guilty to dial 111 for reassurance.

Day 38-ish

@onlinelinda - I have no idea what the tingling is about. Mine is only ever in my face

@JackJackIncredible sorry to hear you are so poorly. So glad you can monitor your oxygen at home. Hope you get better really soon x

I had my check-in call from the GP covid monitoring team in my borough. They are mainly concerned by how long I've had symptoms. And that I now have new symptoms - my throat is swollen/ sore. They said they are seeing lots of people who start with covid and then get secondary infections.

My throat feels like its constructed/ lumpy. I guess a bit like having super bad acid reflux but no heartburn. Anyone else had that?

I saw a post a few pages back about throat symptoms. A friend of mine came back from Spain a week or so before it really got bad there. She got a high temp and really bad throat and was diagnosed with tonsillitis, had antibiotics. Got no better and then developed a cough. So the docs thought it was likely covid. She is doing well.

@KinderWild: I started with the constricted lumpy throat. Still there 24 days later - still feels like something stuck there.

@KinderWild me! I've had this throat fullness as if something is stuck there

Day 20 - just realised I haven’t had a daytime nap today, despite being awake during the night. Small steps! Got some more antibiotics today because I didn’t want to go through the weekend without any, and the cough return.

Is it weird that the symptoms come in a different order for different people. Or does the virus just travel round the body taking its pick?

I wonder if it bypassed my throat on the way in, I think I most like got it during my surgery when I was intubated.