40+

[MilesJuppIsMyBitch]

A thread for people with CV19 symptoms that have lasted for more than a couple of weeks.

First thread here

(Called 40+ to keep a rough tab on when the first symptoms started being reported on MN).

@Needsomegoodnews my heart rate has been similarly variable. It’s settled a bit but still up and down. My resting bpm is normally high 50’s but sometimes it’s been up to 90’s even at rest.

I felt dreadful both Tuesday and yesterday. I managed some rice cakes in about 36 hours. I managed a good night's sleep and woke feeling so much better. I'm still having issues breathing but I have my inhaler so hopefully this is the beginning of the end. Thank you to all who offered advice. I hope you start to recover quickly.

@onlinelinda I have severe asthma and am really worried about the lack of exercise too. Pushing myself to exercise seems to make me much worse though (even though my respiratory consultant advised me to do it).

@pinkoneblueone, it was me, probably. I've been told by a med student (obviously not yet qualified) that the virus dies after a couple of weeks usually, then you get rid of it through viral shedding. I asked if it was alive longer if you had a mild infection which went on a while-like us. He wasn't sure.

@Egghead68 I walked uphill on both my walks, and it gave me small tweaky chest pains. I did wonder what that was and if I should go slower or avoid hills for now. I'm usually ok.

@onlinelinda you are doing way better than me. I can barely walk to the kitchen. Uphill walks sound great. Maybe it is better to go a bit slower though.

@Porcupineinwaiting DH got me some soups and smoothies. I figure whilst I cant face swallowing stuff i’ll give myself a chance of just getting something in. Had smoothie for breakfast, antibiotics, water, a green veg soup for lunch and a multi vitamin. So im just more confident that I dont have to keep trying to force stuff down that him and dd (11) are making me and worry im upsetting them. I can just sip at this stuff.

My throat is sore again today. Its like it moves around my respiratory tract, tight chest one day, productive cough the next day, dry cough/sore throat this day. It just feels like its still “active” like a tingling coldsore.

@TheDrsWife46
I think I can relate with moving. I had a good day yesterday after a bit of a tricky morning, breathlessness seemed to improve. In the evening then I developed this thing in my throat (phlegmy stuff?) that I couldn’t shift, still there this morning. Don’t feel the lumpy thing any more but it’s like my throat and windpipe are tickly and it makes me clear me throat and cough which probably aggravated it more. I was really hopeful yesterday, especially as the doctor confirmed on Tuesday my lungs were clear after he listened to my chest.

@TheWooisStrong how are you doing today? Have you recovered from the relapse? And @notangelinajolie I’m wondering if you are still doing ok?

Day 37 here, about the same as yesterday, maybe a little more energy. Chest ache still there and still tired. Palpitations on and off especially at night. Otherwise ok. Doing very little (on purpose) to avoid another flare up. Do feel I could ‘do stuff’ now but I’ve leant now it’s best not to!!

Have a GP appointment this afternoon. (In person) and will let you know if anything useful comes out of it.

@egghead68 what day are you? I'm on day 33. I do take a pretty strong steroid combination inhaler, plus another inhaler,which I think has helped. I had pneumonia 4 years ago and that was worse than this for me.

@TheDrsWife46 that's good, just keep sipping.

I couldn't face solid food at all when I felt actively ill, lived on soup for about 3 weeks.

Blimey, that’s a scary proposition @Egghead68. I must admit I have been wondering if that might be the case. Do you know if there’s any research about to back it up?

@Egghead68 just responding to the post about it being like hiv or herpes. Bloody hell. I wonder what that means.

@WorriesomeDad I am hoping that since people test negative after being positive it has to leave the system!

Hi @onlinelinda. I am on day 26-27. I take masses of meds for my severe asthma (and double dose of one during this illness) but before this it had been well controlled for a few months and I was a total fitness freak. Agree my chest symptoms have been less bad than pneumonia (which I had in 2017). I hope you continue to improve.

Hi @WorriesomeDad and @godhelpusall. I don’t want to put too much weight on what my friend-of-a-friend said but she is working in Covid. I don’t know if any research and am a bit scared to google. We all have loads of viruses lying dormant within us though, like cold sores and chicken-pox, ready to hit us when we get run-down. I suppose this might be like that. But please don’t take this as fact.

@Egghead68 I'm the same as you. I walk tons and I'm within my bmi (just)! I've worked really hard since my diagnosis to get here. I so don't want to undermine my efforts , but at the same time I'm trying to damp down these short term relapses, so I'm scared of overdoing it. I'm even wondering about the significance of the mild chest pains in terms of heart effects, although I'm imagine it's ok.

I do hope you get better too. I did feel significant better from day 28, mostly, so maybe you will.

Sending a big hug to everyone here . My DH is experiencing similar symptoms including burning chest and breathlessness. He's about 34 days I think. He had a chest X-ray last week in hospital and they couldn't find anything worrying although they gave him antibiotics in case as he was crackling a bit. Hope that might reassure folk who are worried about lung damage. From reading, it seems like those who experience the extreme respiratory distress after the first week/those who go on ventilators who are at higher risk of longer term damage to organs including lungs 😥. Hope everyone feels better soon - this is really tough...

He also had his heart checked out (as he'd had pain/numbness down his arm) and everything was fine... big hugs all 😘

@onlinelinda that gives me hope - thanks.

They checked my heart in hospital a couple of weeks ago and it was fine despite quite a lot of chest pain. For me I think the chest pain is quite superficial and probably not my heart.

Thanks @GinJeanie . Any news from checkups is always welcome. What symptoms does he still have?

Hi My husband is on day 18 and went to hospital on day 14 They did the heart ecg, lung x ray and blood test and said they were all clear He went because we had the paramedics out and they found something on their ecg when they came and took him. He was released that night but no one actually said he had covid but told him to keep taking the paracetamol and call them if it got worse. Our doctor when we spoke to her said it sounds like we had it but there is no antibody test also she said it could take some weeks to get fully better So though I am sure we have had it still no confirmation. I am on day 32 and woke up feeling better, did some jobs but now feel really tired and ache back under my left shoulder blade. However hanging on to the thought that I am better than I was last week.

@Meercatmama thanks for that. Good to hear you are making progress.

@godhelpusall - he still has chest discomfort- said it's almost like heartburn. Tiredness and breathlessness still figure a lot. Luckily he's furloughed so able to rest. He has had really bad chest pain on and off during the illness so far but this has eased. His high temp/chills etc seemed to last about 2.5 weeks and he also had red eyes in the first week! Myself and DCs have been poorly but seem to have got away with it a little more lightly. Sending healing vibes to you...

@GinJeanie thanks for that positive info and thanks to anyone posting that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Hang on in there though anyone who like me keeps being thrown back down the tunnel. I feel terrible today, almost back like week one - hot and flushed with fever :-( my breathing’s ok at the moment but I’m always worried it’s just coming back as week 2 was horrid. Started antibiotics two days ago and if fever is spiking more now, this surely must be viral infection still then??

Sorry meant to say husband went to hospital on day 10 he is now on day 18. He gets breathless and tired and has to rest during the day but has started pottering around the house. By 8pm he is in bed absolutely wacked and he finds sleeping is the best way to cope with breathlessness. He has had terrible constipation, wind and bloating which has not helped and finds after eating that the pain in chest and breathlessness is worse. He now eats very small amounts but more frequently and has found that this has helped He also drinks loads of water as I have done all the way through. He is in the shielded group as he has 33% kidney function, high blood pressure, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis so I was frantic when he got ill exactly 14 days after I became ill. I think I got from school but had had a dry cough and sore throat for 2 weeks before the day I felt terrible. Just wish that we knew for sure we have had it but we will continue to shield for the next 9 weeks just in case