Covid Lungs week 8 plus plus

[AndsLee]

Hope this has worked... Welcome all.

@Egghead68

Sorry you went through that. Rubbish.

Sure the services were/are under a lot of pressure but it’s hard not to feel angry at the lack of care.

Cases seemed to be judged as either mild or critical with no acknowledgement of moderate or severe.

@sleepwhenidie yes I’ve had a buzzy feeling over my heart had it a couple of weeks back and then again for the past two days - it’s very unnerving. It comes and goes but for hours at a time rather than minutes.

This morning the sternum pain and sore throat, which feels a bit swollen, has returned and I’m really phlegmy (but no cough). Throat has been ok for a few weeks so I’ve really no idea why it’s come back. This illness (whatever it is) really does make you despair!

You’d think they’d at least want to work out how many of us there are suffering like this as the number is only going to go up and they’re going to have to work out what to do with us!

Thank you @AndsLee, for contacting all of those organisations. I am also going to compose an email to my MP about the lack of medical follow up.

@GrapefruitsAreNotTheOnlyFruit , i read that earlier and it is shocking. If a highly respected and articulate Guardian journalist can't get help from the NHS, what hope is there for the rest of us. I am now waiting for the 12 week mark to pass and will then be forced to have a private scan as I don't feel I can go on indefinitely like this with no diagnosis or treatment.

@sleepwhenidie, so glad your daughter was given the meds but hope she starts to get her strength back. I think they say leave it six months before they investigate for chronic fatigue like things.

@fedupofbed, my oesophageal discomfort is bad too but I came off Omeprazole a couple of days ago to see if it will make a difference. Just using Gaviscon tablets. I'm getting a lot of discomfort at the base of my throat too where the collar bone is along with other random throat issues ( pain and swollen glands).

Thank you for the replies . DD’s chest X-ray was clear (as it was in wk3) but at no point has she had particular problems with breathing, the hacking cough was a recent development and the fact the ab’s seem to have sorted it suggests a secondary infection to me.

With today being colder and quite breezy, is anyone else noticing an increased sensitivity to cold? I’ve just put a long sleeve top on under my jumper (which I didn’t need to do during winter) as I was shivering and finger nails had gone blue and white (sats seemingly ok though).

@Lightsabre yes I get all of what you described too. My glands and throat feel swollen and uncomfortable. And the top of my abdomen often feels rock hard.

I came off the omeprazole like you when I started experiencing it ( also the more typical reflux burning sensations had tailed off). But last night was so uncomfortable that I did a complete u-turn and thought I'd try it again.

Just been reading this article on post viral GERD — but not really being GERD.

www.aboutgerd.org/laryngeal-pharyngeal-reflux.html

I’ve not had any heart burn.

Thank you @MillStone this is really interesting. I seem to have gone from the classic GERD symptoms of heartburn to this version. Now I come to think of it I think my current minor cough is actually throat clearing. I think I will actually increase my omeprazole to twice a day - it does seem that you need to from this article in order to heal.

@Frankiefree Yes, my last two relapses (extreme fatigue, chest pains and fluctuating temperatures) have both occurred in the days leading up to and during my period.

@sleep I am similar, the fatigue is overwhelming. Around 12 weeks. It has actually got worse over the past week, despite all my bloods coming back clear and with only marginal vitamin D deficiency (which I've been taking a high strength supplement for 2 weeks). I think my fatigue has increased as I have reduced my activity levels - specifically removing the daily short walk I was previously doing.

My new plan of action is:

• take paracetamol for the chest pains -GP advises these are muscular or pluritic in nature.
• take beta blockers as prescribed to address the heart racing while standing (this is a known post viral condition)
• limit stress; reduce workload where possible
• daily 25ug vitamin D
• paced light exercise -daily short walk/s increasing in distance and intensity, gardening etc.

Thanks @MillStone That's what my reflux was like about 90% of the time. I would get the heartburn sensation if I did something that specifically triggered it but the throat symptoms were near constant. And probably the most lingering symptom I have.

I'm thinking about starting a thread for people getting back to fitness after the long version of this. I know there are a good lot of posters who have a fitness hobby and are keen to be able to get back into it. It's a definite process and one where the possibility of a relapse hangs over us, even if we're lucky enough to not have it happen. But at the same time it feels quite insensitive to post regular updates on this thread about exercise and fitness all the time.

I think that's a really good idea @alittleprivacy . I'm not at that stage yet but it's a great way of keeping continuity and support going for people in recovery. And also when we're feeling down here we can pop over to see how far others have progressed!

Saying that though I've never felt anyone's been insensitive on this thread. It's been so supportive for me. We're all on a similar journey, just at different stages.

@egghead your pic of new thread veins is exactly what mine are like, also new. On my thighs and lower legs, slightly in feet too

Zoe covid symptom study have a blog out at covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-long-term. Current estimate of 1 in 10 with symptoms beyond 3 weeks.

Thank you @Monty6 . I hope this generates a bit more medical attention. No one seems to know if we're still infectious though!

Thank you @Monty6.

@alittleprivacy I think that is a really good idea.

Thank you @Monty6 .

Return to exercise thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3930954-Lungs-Getting-fit-again-after-a-long-illness?watched=1

Thanks for your kind words @fedupofbed. I guess in some way it reminds me of when I was taking forever to get pregnant. I was on a particular TTC thread and was always delighted when a longtimer got pregnant. I nearly always loved hearing their updates but every so often I was a bit too fragile to. And then when I got pregnant I experienced it from the other side. Wanting to share my news, knowing people would be genuinely so happy for me, but also knowing that every now and then it mightn't be what some needed to read in the moment.

Anyone with sore joints in their fingers?

@fedupofbed

I think @millstone's consultant gave a firm no to the contageous question. My GP agrees. Paul Garner was quoted as saying he didn't think so in the Atlantic article posted by someone yesterday. But, we don't know for sure, do we?

@fedupofbed @AndsLee I am hoping not and I think if we were, we’d have tested positive on the swab test.

@Moodgie I think we echo each other a bit. I started getting aching fingers and hands yesterday. My feet a little too.

Is this new for you as well?

On a separate note, for those who do mindfulness/ meditation, do you still have any SOB? I'm not hugely breathless right now but not as I should be. Whenever I try and follow any kind of meditation I can never fill my lungs up and I end up stressing about my breathing which completely defeats the whole exercise. I end up more anxious! I'm not sure if I genuinely shouldn't try yet or if I should try and relax in to it more. I'm not sure how much of the worry is psychological from the earlier days when the breathlessness was really scary.

I think I agree @Moodgie and @AndsLee . I suppose I was thinking about the guidelines re self isolating with certain symptoms. My temperature has been lower this week but sometimes still creeps up.

@fedupofbed

I hear you. I have taken my temp on the odd occasion and it's 37.7 or something. Then I realise I have just had a sip of tea, take it again and it usually comes down. I take it a temperature is if it's sustained for a period of time?

Not in the last few days though. Temp usually 36.9. Fluctuates between 36.5 and 37.2.

@fedupofbed I’ve had it for about a week I think. I had aching toes in one foot a while ago, I think it’s just the hands now.
Worse in the morning after not moving them at night. GO said ‘viral arthritis’.