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Original poster

COVID long-termers 14 weeks+

982 replies

isitorisntit · 27/06/2020 08:41

Welcome all. I'm sad that many of us are still here but at least we have each other. The other thread is full, hence this new one.

Welcome anyone else who is struggling with a long recovery from COVID. They're a supportive lot, here.

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Tootsey11 · 28/06/2020 20:51

17 weeks and 4 days here. After having a bearable 3-4 weeks of feeling not to bad, I in the last couple of days have had the worst relapse since this whole shebang. My fatigue is on a different level, burning chest and back, shortness of breath again. I really feel like I am back to square one again.

I went back to work again 3-4 weeks ago, and have gradually increased my hours to the grand total of 10. I am a cleaner, and I think now I know I just can't do this anymore.

KatySun · 28/06/2020 20:59

That is terrible Tootsey I am sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon.

I really wish we had a decent explanation of why such relapses happen. I do agree with LetsBeSensible (I think it was) that ‘doing too much’ is not really an explanation as four months on, one would expect to gradually be able to return to work.

Original poster
isitorisntit · 28/06/2020 21:03

@millstone The calf ache- I do! Numb/tingly left arm and achy/throbbing calf.

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Moodgie · 28/06/2020 21:09

@Tootsey11 I am with you. Have not had a great week. Feel worse than the last few weeks. Did a day at work this week and was pretty active, walks and seeing people. Last week had a poorly dog, so it’s been relatively full on. It started back with the racing pulse thing, which now has calmed down I think and I hope, and now the constriction and breathing malarkey is here. I just want to feel normal again.

Original poster
isitorisntit · 28/06/2020 21:15

@JustMeG yes to the awful headaches and the feeling like a fist is tightening around your windpipe.

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Tootsey11 · 28/06/2020 21:19

@Moodgie yes to the racing pulse. Mine hasn't settled at all. I'm working the next 6 days and sitting here thinking what will happen if I push myself too hard.

JustMeG · 28/06/2020 21:32

@Moodgie my first week, headaches were first to start 4 days again.
@isitorisntit it's awful, when the tightness started the panic kicked in.

I came on this thread because it's active, I did comment on another thread first with no reply.

Original poster
isitorisntit · 28/06/2020 21:50

Right now I'm feeling like someone is gripping my lungs/trachea. I should just go to bed.

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Moodgie · 28/06/2020 22:04

I’m just holding on to the thought that some of us here have got better. It will come. Xx

Whatnext2018 · 28/06/2020 22:29

How far along are you @moodgie?

That’s awful @Tootsey11
How can this thing keep coming back

@Housemusic Definitely the strange head thing. Before putting all the pieces together after finding threads here, I was beginning to wonder if I was developing (v) early dementia or had a brain tumour or something, the foggy head coupled with other bizarre head symptoms, even had a head ct scan, which was thankfully okay.
I haven’t done a full food shop either yet, can’t face it.
We went to a pool today with our Dd, there were two flights of stairs, after climbing them (they weren’t particularly steep and I used to going up and downstairs at home) my chest was so tight and the being out of breath just wasn’t proportional at all. I so wanted to swim too as I always would have but worried about cold water making things worse, so just sat there 🙄

Whatnext2018 · 28/06/2020 22:33

I still have the weird pain on the part between the boobs and almost directly in line with it it feels, in my upper back 🤷‍♀️

What do you all class as a high resting heart rate? Mine varies so widely from 52 at times when sat watching tv, to 80 now when doing exactly the same thing. It still rises a lot when I stand, then goes straight back down.

boogiebogie · 28/06/2020 22:35

Oh golly... It is all covid. Me too... Have thought i had brain tumour to be honest. Dizzy... Blocked ears... Head all confused from time to time can't think or get thoughts in order. Calf pain!!! Yes this!!! Both of them.. Awful pain. Blimey thanks for sharing all this with me! So... I am massaging the lymph in my neck and ears... It helps... Francinsence is good. This helps and i had clear ears and no headache for a week when i did this. I have just had a homeopathic remedy for all these symptoms so will report with any improvement.... Go well everyone

Moodgie · 28/06/2020 22:42

@Whatnext2018 I’m 16 weeks, sore throat on 6 March.

Original poster
isitorisntit · 28/06/2020 23:07

@whatnext - a pool? Where?

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Lightsabre · 28/06/2020 23:17

Stupidly, I was singing along robustly with the Glastonbury coverage and am now in pain in my throat and upper back (lungs). Have had to take some paracetamol. I honestly think I'll need to add speech therapy to the list of medical assistance I need. I can't seem to cope with singing or shouting.

Whatnext2018 · 29/06/2020 00:01

@isitorisntit I live in Portugal, outdoor pool at nearby complex with no one there (barely any tourists yet)

@Moodgie I was really hoping by the 16/17 week stage it would be getting better 😩

Moodgie · 29/06/2020 00:26

@whatnext2018 Yep, I was hoping for the 3 month mark. 🤷‍♀️

Housemusic · 29/06/2020 07:06

@whatnext2018 @katysun thank you for your replies, I was starting to get concerned.

I hadn't even done the shopping, my husband had and I only had to figure out 3 bags to put away.
Then thought I'd try a bit of ironing and found I was talking to myself about how to do it, as I was making a mess of it. I wouldn't have believed this if someone had told me I'd be like this after being ill.

KatySun · 29/06/2020 07:08

whatnext my resting heart rate is higher than that. I only got a FitBit a couple of weeks ago but I had an oximeter before then. So earlier on in the illness, my heart rate would be between the 90s and the 110s - I don’t know what it shot up to when I got up or went upstairs.
Two weeks ago when I got my FitBit, my heart rate was between 80s (resting) and spiking to 120s when I got up or went upstairs.
Resting heart rate is now 73 and it went to 102 when I got up just now.

But I have no idea what it was before I was ill. Presumably lower as I was quite fit and exercised regularly.

Lightsabre I don’t seem to be able to cope with talking for any length of time, except that it is my chest which triggers off.

I am definitely in a relapse. The only thing that can be said is that the chest pain is not as bad as it was before and that there actually was a noticeable few days of feeling better in between this time.

KatySun · 29/06/2020 07:19

Housemusic have you had medical attention and spoken to your doctor at all? It does sound to me like my brain goes when I am fatigued, but I agree with you that I would not have foreseen this. The mental fog cleared quite a bit for me in the recent days I felt better but I am still not right. Even my daughter, who is much further along in recovery, is still mixing up words and resting a lot (especially after going out to get shopping, bless her). We have conversations where one of us says something gibberish and the other does not even realise. Ironing is actually one of the tasks I find physically exhausting now - I think because you are actually moving arms and legs fairly constantly, although you would not think it.

The virus seems to have different effects on different people so still worth having a chat with your doctor for reassurance and any further help they can give you (although I am not overly confident about the medical help we are getting, it seems variable at best and non-existent at worst).

MillStone · 29/06/2020 07:51

Sorry to everyone who is suffering and seeing relapses. So important not to return to work too soon or push through. More rest now will result in a quicker recovery.

If anyone missed this Managing Post Viral Fatigue After Covid movie by NHS Dr Phil Hammond, it's well worth watching:

My weird SOB on falling asleep returned last night. Just as I drift off my breathing completely deteriorates and wakes me up. I get sudden SOB and can't catch it. After a few minutes of being awake it settles a bit ... but then the cycle starts again when I start to nod off. It's like sleep apnea -- but not.

TiddleTaddleTat · 29/06/2020 08:13

Has anyone else who wears a Fitbit or similar tracker noticed differences in light/deep sleep?
I have a cheapo tracker and only bought it about a month ago. I've noticed that over a night of around 8.5 hours sleep; it says I am in deep sleep for around 4-5 hours usually. Googling this it looks like it's much more than average.
Wondering if it's an effect of recovery (as lots of repair is taking place during Deep sleep) or if normal, or my tracker is junk!

KatySun · 29/06/2020 08:20

My deep sleep last night was 53 minutes - and the thing I have noticed since having the FitBit was how badly I sleep. I wondered if that was why I was not recovering, to be honest.

KatySun · 29/06/2020 08:21

Sorry it was even worse than that - 30 mins of deep sleep last night, 53 mins the night before.

TiddleTaddleTat · 29/06/2020 08:35

Sorry to hear that @KatySun , did you have more deep sleep before getting unwell?

I think 30mins-1hour is pretty average according to my quick googling, which is why I'm a bit surprised by my readings