40 plus plus

[WorriesomeDad]

Thread for continuing long-term Coronavirus support

I agree about the anxiety. I have never before been as anxious and tearful as I have been through out this. I am on Day 41 and went back to work yesterday for three hours and I was so anxious about today and how I would feel. I must admit I do feel tired and my back aches a little bit but the worse bit is my mental health. I feel so down and defeated and almost analysing every twinge in my body expecting it to get worse. I still have the cough a little bit and some tightening of the chest but that could be because I have had a stressful and upsetting day not relating to the illness. I have made up my mind to phone the doctor on Monday and get some anti- depressants to help lift this mood.

Day 39 I just lost my voice. And my feet are freezing!
I’m resolved to being unwell a while longer, however am getting a lot of pushback from friends and family -
Maybe you didn’t have covid/it can’t be covid if you’re still ill
Have you been outside/can you take vitamin D
Are you eating properly
Still desperately searching for a respectable article discussing how it can drag out even when you were not on a ventilator....
GP told me anecdotally there are a lot of people struggling to recover

I feel the same today @Meercatmama it's really getting to me, I just want to feel well again and I wouldn't feel so anxious if I wasn't still in pain with no actual answers or end in sight.

Even when if I finally get better I'm so scared of catching it again and I can't see how I'll ever feel safe to carry on with normal life ever again.

Sorry, very bad day mentally today.

It’s day 40 for my 11 year old and I’m pleased to report that he does seem to be getting better. Still has tummy ache and headache, but he is no longer tired and he looks quite a bit better rather than horribly grey. Nausea, chest pains , shortness of breath and dizziness have pretty much all gone. The current symptom he hates most are the nerve related ones like tingling, buzzing and insects crawling. They come on so suddenly at times. It’s certainly not anxiety related, he’s the most easy-going and worry-free child. And he also wouldn’t know what the Covid 19 broad range of symptoms now reported are, so he couldn’t imagine them having not read about them. I’m so sorry that some people are being patronised this way rather than be listened to. As his mum I am anxious about how long recovery could take and whether there could be long term problems like infertility or higher chances of developing other illnesses, but these concerns wouldn’t occur to him, he is just impatient to have no more pain but presumes he will be back to normal in a few days. I now think it will take a few weeks.
Thank you to everyone who has posted.

@Crayfishforyou
The bruised feeling under your arms, is probably swollen lymph nodes fighting the virus.

@LetsBeSensible this is one of the best I articles I have read. Also if you click on the link to join the Bodypolitik support group you’ll find many many other people in the same boat:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/opinion/coronavirus-recovery.amp.html

Great article. Many thanks for posting it @WorriesomeDad.

Great article @WorriesomeDad.

@WorriesomeDad Anything positive in the Bodypolitik group? I’m scared to look.

Not sure if that article makes we relieved or depressed 🤔😊

@moodgie yeah lots but lots of other stress about symptoms too. Maybe just check out the #victories and #recoveries threads!

@worriesomedad I am not gonna look for now. Please say that there are some complete recoveries that took as long as we are taking!

@Kitcat122 I think it’s pretty realistic, it just confirms what we already know. Tbh I found it really quite a relief to read. Also the other thing is that compared to the people referenced in the article we are all the same or further en route to recovery.

@moodgie there’s certainly loads of people pretty much there.

Checking back in to say hello to all and sorry to hear that people are still struggling.

Day 44 for me and its been an awful 10 days, had a relapse and then also an ear problem - have seen GP 3 times (!!) and they've said its labyrinthitis, its v unpleasant and affecting my balance. My BP has also shot right up (was borderline already) and I've been started on a low dose of medication. @Linus1972 i think you were having issues with high BP too - how is it now? Hope its come down for you.

I've also had the full run of blood tests and everything is fine. Which is a relief but why do i still feel ill?!!!! Chest pain, chills, shivers, lung burning, headache etc etc. The same as most of us i guess :(

On the plus side, 111 and GP have been very good. An out of hours GP even came to see me at home on Mon night as i felt so bad and i don't drive - they wanted me to go a drive thru Covid clinic. Doctor came round all PPE'd up and checked me over - he reckoned the Covid was still active. But the GPs x 2 that I've seen at the practice both say they think its gone and my body is just dealing with the aftermath.

I'm conscious that i havent been very present / supportive on the thread in recent days. I've been reading along and thinking of you all. Sending best wishes to all

Thanks @WorrisomeDad for that article, it's really good.

Interesting that the author talks about how long we're contagious and therefore have to isolate for. As I said, when I was in A&E on Thursday night, the Dr told me to re self-isolate from my family for 7 days as I had symptoms.

Those of you that ordered a test from the NHS, I'm assuming you're essential workers with symptoms?

It's crazy they're not checking, so easy for the system to be abused. Much as I'd like a test, it's better it goes to an essential worker.

@hollieberrie

Do you mind me asking if they gave you anything for the labyrinthitis or the B.P?

I took some antihistamine this morning for labyrinthitis, as a starter to see if it would help (it didnt) but I will be ringing the G.P on Monday, I have had it for weeks.

I read online that antihistamines are sometimes given, so at least I can tell the G.P i have tried them, I need something stronger now though, its awful.

Im day 40 ish.

I haven't heard of labyrinthitis but am going to look it up, as I've had ear ache, swollen glands and a sore throat.

At A&E the doctor checked my ears and said they're fine, but she said my glands under my jaw were swollen on both sides.

One thing I was pleased to see in the New York Times article is that the author said their memory had been affected - I'm so pleased to see this as I've been so fuzzy-headed and forgetting things.

I've had labyrinthitis (and a range of other vestibular disorders since) it often comes on after viral infections, you can be prescribed anti sickness tablets but there is nothing that stops the actual dizziness, there are lots of exercises available online, the important thing is to keep moving, and do the exercises as that will make sure you recover quickly (hard I know when you are not feeling well) x

@Cityonlockdown Yes of course, although i cant say anything has helped hugely but tablets have taken the edge off the nausea and dizziness. The GPs said that labyrinthitis is nearly always viral so nothing they can prescribe to actually make it go away, but to help manage the symptoms there are a few things you can try. The first i tried was Stugeron travel sickness pills which contain Cinnazarine (GP advised me over the phone), you can just buy them at the chemist - this helped a bit but not massively. GP then prescribed Stemetil - helped me to function better but didnt eliminate the dizziness. Stemtil is a stronger dose of Buccastem which you can get at the chemist without a prescription for migraines so you could try that. Do you feel sick and dizzy?

Today is the first day I'm trying not to take anything and just see if i can manage it. I'm also using Beconase nasal spray to try and unblock sinuses (GP recommended) and doing steam inhalations with olbas oil etc. I think you can try Sudafed to to see if that helps but i cant cos of BP.

My BP was pretty high so they've started me on a low dose of Ramirpril - its already come down so thats promising.

I think someone one of the previous threads had also had labyrinthitis - maybe @Findingschools4myboys (not sure if i have the username correctly)

@DandyPeguin thats good your ears were clear, i hope you dont have it, but apparebtly its very common after respiratory viruses :(
I also keep forgetting things!

theconversation.com/coronavirus-many-patients-reporting-neurological-symptoms-136692

just seen this and thought it may be interesting for some with neurological symptoms. At least there is some recognition of the impact on the brain. Hope you all have a better night. Take care

@WorriesomeDad

Thank you so much for the tips, yes I feel sick & dizzy and I have had constant tinnitus for 6 weeks, G.P is aware, but hasnt said much about it although he has been very good otherwise & I am very grateful to him.

I will tell him again how unmanagable it is. I feel tipsy in the mornings, ril.my head clears a bit.

I hope you feel better soon

Sorry my above post was for @hollieberrie.

@Tangledyarn i saw you had posted on some old Mumsnet threads about labyrinthitis! I've been desperately reading them all. Which exercises do you recommend - is it the Cawthrone Cooksey ones?

@Cityonlockdown Definitely ask your GP. I hope you can get some improvement, it seems to be mainly time from what I've read. My hearing is muffled in one ear and occasional ringing in the other.

@Cityonlockdown and thanks for get well wishes, you too!