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).

@moodgie @Tangledyarn I have a bit of white/clear phlegm too and want to clear my throat a lot, especially after eating. Coughing sometimes brings a bit of it up. I'm doing nasal irrigation every couple of days to clear out my sinuses, I think that helps a bit. Having a lot of milk seemed to make it a bit worse so I'm trying to avoid that for the moment. Warm drinks tend to wash it away so I cough less - the best one I've found is lemon/ginger herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey in on a morning.

@WorriesomeDad
I did have SoB yesterday also. It was not a pleasant day in that regard.
I had a piping hot vegetarian soup (Kale + Bell Peppers + Ginger) with black peppers in the evening. It seemed to ease lot of my symptoms . Not sure it might work for everyone, but worth a try. I slept much better.

Hi Day 36 and woke up feeling tired with the cough lessening but a bit breathless. Went for a walk and pottered around and now resting as feeling tired. Husband on day 22 had a bad night especially the early evening where he had pain in his back and sternum and was tight chested and a bit breathless but woke up this morning feeling better. I think he did too much yesterday hence the symptoms coming back He said he feels a little tight but ok. he managed the walk as well We were only gone 10mins as we are starting to build up slowly
Hope everyone has a better day

Morning all, sorry to those who had a rubbish night. @TheDrsWife46 hugs to you. I got worse day 26-33 but feel like (hopefully) picking up a bit at the moment (temp still won’t settle though ). My nights have been better for the past week or so but wake with low grade fever. Felt rubbish yesterday morning as had a more tight chest and that horrible feeling of not getting enough air but it eased in the afternoon. This morning breathing was better and have been up helping the children (just on sofa) this morning and feeling reasonable (temp still up slightly). Just in the past hour though I’ve now got the feeling someone mentioned yesterday - pain under sternum as if have just tried to run in freezing cold air, that weird sharp airway pain that is constant. Sigh. Trying not to read too much into it. It’s different from my previous stabby chest pain - I’m so over the idea of new symptoms after this long!!!

Regarding whether it’s viral I’ve had one GP assure me the virus would definitely be gone by now and another who said since the antibiotics didn’t change my temperature, it must still be the active virus. Basically no one knows. Testing would be useful!

@Tangledyarn my voice is going as well. This happens fairly regularly for me when I’ve been ill, I always assumed it was some CFS thing. I don’t feel like it’s pleurisy or pneumonia, feels mor like a chest infection. Might just be relapse from doing a bit of stuff over the last few days.
Also my bloody eyes are itching with hay fever grrrr!!!

@Linus1972
Agree with you on Milk and Nasal Irrigation. Nasal Irrigation has been very helpful in resolving headaches and clearing sinus. Stopping milk too.

Day 29 for me today (finally counted it up properly), I'm feeling the best I've felt from the beginning today, although I'm trying to make sure I'm still resting. I had a really bad day on Wednesday, then quite bad thurs-sat. But yesterday and today have been ok. It feels like it's on its way out.

I haven't left the house since 3 April- which caused a terrible relapse. But I'm wondering if I should try again tomorrow.

Really hoping it is on its way out for all of us- whenever that comes.

Hi everyone, and sorry to all those who are still feeling grotty. Really hope you have a better day today @TheDrsWife46

No real change here physically but feeling mentally a bit stronger after a dip yesterday - trying really hard to keep a positive mindset. I always find the weekends hardest. I've made contact with my GP (again!). So far they've been really supportive though I suspect they're getting a bit fed up of me now! Waiting for a call back.

Thanks for all the information re S Korea @alittleprivacy wish I lived there!

Glad you're feeling better @eyebrowsofinstagram fingers crossed and take it really slowly!

@Longshot I'm trying hard to learn the lesson about not doing too much. I go for a walk, tidy up and vacuum then cook dinner, then in the middle of clearing up I find myself saying, "right, I need to stop-right now!". Almost always ten minutes too late. And as you say, the symptoms follow. Also only this morning I had to get off the phone with my sister, as I didn't want to say to her that I could listen, but I had no further energy for talking!

I'm a few days behind you-day 37.

On another matter, I really am convinced that my lung meds have been somewhat protective-I did read somewhere last week that they were seeing fewer copd/respiratory disease deaths than than they had anticipated. In fact, it's easier having had it than not, as I don't have to keep feeling terrified of getting it. The official line is 8% death rate, so I had been beside myself with worry previously. I keep repeating all this just in case some other person with my condition is reading. If you are, up your exercise, eat as well as you can, and for gods sake don't smoke.

That was me @goodnews. Then last night I woke at 3am with the feeling like I had to clear my trachea. But nothing would clear it. No throat clearing, no coughing, water etc. In the end DH woke and found me a throat sweet and that took my mind off it enough to let me fall back to sleep about 6am!

It's crazy how the temperature sticks around, isn't it. Otherwise my symptoms feel slightly better today. Only slightly breathless after a fair bit of movement. @Linus1972 I also find herbal teas helpful at the moment.

Hi all, day 38 and I've actually managed to work from home for 4 hours this morning. Feel slightly tired now, but good to be able to start getting back to some normality, albeit very reduced.

My rib pain has reduced slightly today and seems like the intercoastal muscles are healing from the viral inflammation. Still have a slightly sore throat, but other than that I feel ok.

@Egghead68 and @LetsBeSensible I had similar coughing around day 32-34, but now much better. The pain could be the same as mine, which should improve over time. However definitely sensible to keep an eye out for pleurisy symptoms.

Im sorry others are having a bad time, but as @onlinelinda and @longshot say, it does seem to be about resting as much as possible and only gradually increasing activity. Glad you are both doing well btw. Take care

Thanks for keeping the updates coming everyone, they are helping a lot of people!

I have just been to my gp surgery for blood tests as I am feeling so awful today. (Day 28 or possibly 35)I really thought I was on the mend yesterday, but was hit with shakes and tingling in the eve which are still here now. Only slept 3 hours and can barely lift my arms up as they are so achey. The dr said he didn’t think it was covid, despite the fact I have had a cough, minor temperature, sore throat on and off and diarrhoea. I am so confused now and just terrified as I feel so ill. Waiting until Wednesday for results seems like such a long way off, I’m so worried about this tingly feeling and everything feeling so heavy. Sorry, just need to vent.....!! Anyone else feeling these things? X

@countingsheeps, I've had the arm muscle aching the other day, it was nasty, it is a lot better now. (Day 34 I think?)

@Moominmamma33 (sorry won’t let it tag you properly... ) thank you for your reply, makes me slightly less fearful to know I’m not alone!

@Gunner30 glad things are improving.

@Countingsheeps I hear you! I was just coming back on to give an update and it's very similar to you. I've just had a phone consultation with my GP. This is after I emailed him an update with a complete list of my timeline and symptoms. His feeling is that it's post viral, but like you I'm about to have a blood test which should hopefully confirm one way or another. I'm sorry you're feeling so rotten, it's just so hard. I think it will be really useful to get a blood test though.

To summarise again, think I'm day 47. Main symptoms on this journey have been lightheadness/nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, mild raised temperature, grogginess waking up, swollen glands/throat thing, gastro symptoms, distorted taste/smell, headaches, palpitations, reflux.

@Moominmamma33 the temp thing is confusing me more than anything as I can’t pin it to any symptoms and even when I think I feel a bit better it comes up again - never high, max 38, but still suggesting something’s going on.

@isitorisntit thanks, I knew someone had described it and exactly like it feels! Hopefully whatever it is will work it’s way gone soon.

Overall today’s not been too bad but as always I’m braced for another slump while hoping beyond hope it doesn’t happen.

Day 31 for me. I did a couple of walks over the weekend and on the second one started to feel pain in my chest again which continued into the night, making it hard to sleep. Today I'm light-headed/dizzy, unable to work and feel rotten. This happened on Day 19 after I'd over-exerted and it took days to recover so I'm annoyed that I pushed myself too far again. Currently in bed trying to watch a movie.

@Countingsheeps and @fedupofbed let us know if the blood tests show anything. My GP wouldn’t do a blood test as said with ongoing fever it would likely just show infection and not whether bacterial or viral. However, also surely worth knowing if anything else being affected too, that might account for the ongoing symptoms.

Thanks @fedupofbed and @Needsomegoodnews I will certainly update when I know more. All the best to everyone xx

Yes I'll update too. Grr just found out blood test won't be until Wednesday though... I'm so impatient, thought it would be today.

When I told the GP about my ongoing fever (exactly like yours @Needsomegoodnews - never more than 38!) he questioned my thermometer! He then suggested that as it was mild it could still be a post viral thing. I think if an infection shows up in the test results I would have to assume it's viral, as I've not long finished a course of antibiotics.

@Countingsheeps - You are not alone with the tingling heavy limbs, particularly arms. Unfortunately i am a little too familiar with it as i have had it for the last 2 years or so. In my case i suspect it is related to suboptimal treatment (sadly very common) of my autoimmune hypothyroidism. I think this has effectively left me with some chronic fatigue type symptoms. Hopefully in your case it will resolve as your body recovers from this virus and the after-effects. I am glad to hear they are following up with bloods. I wouldn’t be surprised if fighting this virus has taken some toll on our bodies and could have left some of us with deficiencies in iron, b12 or other key nutrients.

@longshot - did you ever hear back on your iron levels? Am i right in thinking you were getting it checked?

@Moodgie - i also have that constricted throat feeling with this virus. It was very bad at the end of the first week and i was seriously worried about breathing. I have experienced a milder version on odd days since, including last night and today. It would be good to understand what is causing it.

Gps are determined it's post viral aren't there? But you do wonder what they are basing this knowledge on. My favourite gp moment was when I had a rash and the gp (who hadn't looked at it) said it's definitely not related to covid as there's been no anecdotal data on rashes. However, there has been on encephalitis.

@Monty6 I did have the constricted feeling. It’s not as much that now as just a phlegmy feeling that I can’t shift. Throat clearing, trying to cough it out, steaming, hot drinks, still there.