COVID long-termers 14 weeks+

[isitorisntit]

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.

I have an awful aversion to Gaviscon since pregnancy! I found a few days of pantaprozole was great for getting rid of the GERD. But then I injured my arm, and got put on etoricoxib which I stopped after two days as it made the GERD return far worse than it ever was. So I've been taking 20mg of the panta twice a day ever since.

I just really want to stop taking constant medication too. I'm going to give it a few days of keeping things natural if I can. Apart from an anti-histamine/decongestant.

Feeling a lot better for past nearly two weeks, (Covid symptoms started end March) can go for a 30 min walk without having to lie down for days but still noticing poor memory recall, and physical peri meno symptoms that I did not have before this. Coincidence?
Also pale, mid 40s, in healthy BMI range, no underlying health conditions though tending to anaemia and low vit D and suspecting hypothyroid which is in the family, and routinely stressed at work.

A symptom I still have is no power to my voice, when speaking normally I have to sort of strain it to make it loud enough to be heard. I have never had a very loud voice but wondered if this is a hypothyroid symptom which Covid has somehow exacerbated or a peri meno thing, or what.

Not taking any supplements at the moment. Still have poor sleep and night anxiety. Agree with Needmore from a few pages back, about sometimes medics can blame us for our own relapses. I mentioned a 7 minute, leisurely local round trip walk that I had done to my GP that meant I had to stay in bed for days after it, and was told I mustn’t ‘overdo’ it. I haven’t bothered calling the GP about my relapses since then and just manage it at home. It’s definitely improved so much though compared to where I was, I can work and do childcare again. Good luck to everyone still in the thick of it. these threads have been a great support.

Morning all, hope you’re okay,

Wondering if anyone with heart palpitations / pounding heart finds they have good and bad days or notices any patterns?

Where as my pounding was constant a month ago, it has slowly been improving. Now it has an episode as soon as I wake up, after breakfast, mid day and then dissipates in the early afternoon. It also ramps up if I do too much but quickly calms down with a rest.

I’ve also noticed it pounds after eating or strangely if I look at a screen too long.

In Ireland yesterday at the Department of Health press conference, a Dublin footballer in her 20s, Siobhán Killeen, came out to talk about how her infection in March is still affecting her. She's also a radiographer and was likely infected at work.
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=293844861858648

@MillStone I had a racing heartbeat on standing or moving around , then I started taking beta blockers so it has improved. The pattern for me was generally on exertion but it did also turn up sometimes when I was at rest. I think being additionally fatigued made it worse. Mine seemed to fit the pattern of POTS.

Has anyone seen this? I just don’t understand though how you can be so far down the phases and things from the start return and keep returning.

Can't really see it or zoom on my phone, @whatnext

@Whatnext2018
It looks interesting is it possible to post the weblink please? Thanks

Can I join please? Ds went to Italy with school February half term, it was Naples, so not the area first affected. Came home & within a week had awful flu like symptoms, lost his senses of smell & taste, went back to school after 2 weeks & then 10 days later started again with exactly the same, due to lockdown he hasn't been to school since 13 March, he is 16 so we were unable to get him tested as at the time they weren't testing under 18 year olds. 3 months on & he is complaining of having no energy, can't walk uphill, always tired, he has had blood tests which all came back clear, I got him a good multivitamin with iron, high dose Vitamin D supplement, feed him loads of fruit, veg, lean meat, fish, make him drink milk every day. He just doesn't seem to be improving, I suffer from ME/CFS & I'm worried that he could be starting with it.

That graphic was put together by a long hauler based on their experiences and others. It’s not a “medical” leaflet. It was just a little guide from a few weeks ago to explain to non-sufferers what it felt like was happening.
What are we calling non-long haulers? I’ve taken to calling them normals but that’s not helpful.

@Whatnext2018 I saw this chart. I think it was based on someone’s personal experience - I think that’s what it says in small print at the bottom.

@LetsBeSensible Sorry, you have just explained the chart and I didn’t see it before posting.

Oh bugger, sorry all! I didn’t realise at all, assumed was medical as doing other things when posting, just ignore it 🙈

Hi Nat. Come on down. Sorry to have you with us if you know what I mean. your son’s situation sounds very hard and it must be very worrying. In the absence of widely available testing at that time, that reoccurrence of symptoms you mention seems fairly typical of a lot of the posters experiences on here.

I am exhausted today and a lot of chest pain - why does this thing not go away?!?

Nat my DD is also 16 and had it towards the end of March. She has improved somewhat but spends most of her days on her bed. however, she is going for a walk every day of around 15- 20 minutes and going to the supermarket for me (I pick her up in the car). But she is still suffering quite badly from fatigue. She did manage to talk to her friend on the phone last night for over an hour, though, which is a feat I cannot manage. She lost her appetite for a good while and has lost weight (which she did not need to so looks quite frail). I am not sure how that compares with your son, he sounds worse?

Has your son spoken to a doctor since the blood tests?

A note on the milk - if it is full fat, we were told by a dietician that this stops the absorption of iron and fills you up so you eat less of other things (DD used to drink lots and we were advised by a dietician that she should drink less/skimmed milk and eat more fruit and veg - sounds like you have the latter covered).

I've woken up feeling distinctly odd. Period is due in under a week so expecting it may be another relapse on the way... week 16 today too

Morning all,

Sorry to those feeling worse than normal this morning and sorry @Nat6999 , it sounds exactly like PVF from Covid. Sadly there’s not much advise other than rest and it can take a while. Ugh.

@KatySun there seems to be no logic to the chest pain! For no apparent reason my lungs start feeling raw / hurting or my chest wall starts to ache. Back ache at least seems to manifest after standing too long or morning about a lot. Chest pain, who knows!

Yesterday I went for the Q Scan. It was a bit like the CT scan except there was a radioactive injection at the beginning and the machine was different. Hopefully get to see the chest specialist soon ... and when I do I’ll ask a lot of Qs about aches, pains and SOB.

Not sure if this has been posted.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0262407920311416

So as predicted I'm pretty much fine today. Noise on the street woke me early so I'm tired, but a normal tired from shortened street. I'm a bit congested. And I burned the roof of my mouth on a spring roll last night. But otherwise, I feel fine. I'm going skating tonight, so will either have a massive relapse tomorrow or be utterly convinced I'm over it!

I've knocked pretty much all medications on the head except for anti-histamines/decongestant. But I'm taking Evening Primrose Oil because it staves off the perimenopausal symptoms this seems to have triggered. L-acidophillus, Ginger Root and Tumeric. All 4 are supposed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-reflux and anti-fungal properties. So hopefully, they'll be the perfect combo and I can finally stop having to weigh up the cost/benefit of treating one symptom in a way that aggravates another.

@Moodgie thanks for that article I thought it was very factual and a good overview

Re the chart of symptoms posted....I remember when it was invented, that’s how long I’ve been here (remembers when it was all green fields)

Week 14 the vertigo is stable but moderate. I wonder how many weeks it will be when I stop counting weeks. Course when Infirst came here, we used to count in days....

Day 92 - 13th week. Respiratory appt has come through for 16th July - not sure what will happen at that appointment- possibly lung function tests?

Severe back pain started up again yesterday so back on paracetamol and ibuprofen gel. Also feels like my upper arm and shoulder is very bruised - mostly on the left side and occasionally on the right side. Going out to the countryside for a short walk after lunch.

@alittleprivacy, great to hear you're going skating - what a dream! It will do you some good mentally too. Hopefully you're at the end stages now.

Thanks for the article @Moodgie.

@Millstone, good luck with your further tests.

@Lightsabre great news on your apt!

Hope your short walk in the country is pleasant.

My echocardiogram apt came through but it’s in 4 weeks. I’ve just followed up my respiratory appointment but I’m in the system and there’s no indication of waiting list times.

Just found out that I have another apt next week with the infectious diseases consultant, which is good news. Wonder if I’ll learn the results of the Q Scan before that.