Covid lingering symptoms/Long Covid support thread

[Piggywaspushed]

Hello

As agreed with a few on the double vaxxed and feeling ugh thread, I am starting a supportive thread for those still suffering delta related symptoms. I don't want to tread on any toes as am aware there is a longstanding thread but some of us are newer to this horrible business.

I'll kick off : tested positive on 6 August. Initial symptoms were nausea, anxiety and impending doom, followed by short lived cough and then vomiting and nausea. Seen in A and E around Day 6 and then admitted to hospital on Day 14 with a flare up of gastric symptoms. Now in endless cycle of fatigue, night sweats, broken sleep and nausea with twitching jelly legs. I have missed out on every planned event for my summer holiday and very frustrated and sad. Had my second jab 16th May.

Come and join me for general moral support, kind words, anxious moments.

I find bananas a lot more appetising in when incorporated into muffins..

I think I may be in a bit of a pattern of feeling better, doing too much, then knocking myself back. So I need to get better at pacing things, which has never been a strong point of mine.

I still have some kidney infection symptoms (mainly pain in the kidney area) so am on another week's course of (stronger) antibiotics, my 3rd in the 5 weeks since my positive test.

Happily my cough has been better over the last few days which is a relief. It improved a few weeks ago for a few days before returning so I can't get too excited but it was nice not to be coughing at the surgery this morning.

DH and I have made an effort to have lots of fruit in and have been choosing meals with lots of veg since I tested positive. Not sure it's done much tbh!

The first few days of Covid I was ravenous. Then I had a reduced appetite for a while. I've had nausea some days when it's hard to motivate myself to eat beyond plain foods like toast and biscuits.

I still have no appetite really but absolutely wolfed an M and S meal for one lamb hotpot yesterday. Weird.

All the stuff I like I just don't want : toast and pasta especially but also berries .

I’ve been trying to do a bit extra each day and seeing if any ill-effects. We went to a stately home yesterday and I’m finding a gentle stroll perfectly fine yet washing my hair and hanging washing up=breathless.
This virus is unpredictable

It must be the arms above the head, mustn't it?

I will need to avoid writing on the board when I go back I guess...

@Piggywaspushed yes same here about food, gone off my usual staple diet, fancy unusual items, a bit like being pregnant I guess. I’ve now moved on from the tea and toast, the only thing I could stomach in the early days, getting a bit more adventurous. Like you I seem to like those M&S meals for one!

I went off food and barely ate for about ten days. Lost 12lb. Since then I have had enormous appetite, constantly hungry, although my taste hasn't come back completely. I've put a lot of the weight back on. I do eat a fairly healthy diet normally and very little sweet stuff, whereas I've just eaten everything in sight and am never full . I'm not getting my usual exercise so I need to get a grip I think.

Main symptom now is general feebleness. I am trying to make comparisons on a weekly rather than daily basis so I can see proper progress. I couldn't walk at all when I came out of hospital nearly two weeks ago. Today I walked to the end of the road, maybe 200m. I had to sit on a wall half way and was exhausted. I normally walk 4 /5K a day.

Has anybody found they have experienced loss of hearing?

@Moonshine86 Me! I was already slightly hard of hearing but I’ve gone worse, I can’t hear the washing machine for instance, which normally is quite loud. But I didn’t have loss of smell or taste, so perhaps it compensates with the hearing!

I had covid in July and despite being practically asymptotic I have been feeling breathless a lot. I cant totally put it down to covid as I'm very overweight and always have low iron so I imagine that plays a big part but it definitely feels worse over the last month or two.

The children's writer, Michael Rosen , frequently bemoans hearing loss post covid.

@Piggywaspushed

It must be the arms above the head, mustn't it?

Yes I’ve been experimenting with different moves. It’s arms above the head for sure! Earlier at the park DD’s friend needed to be lifted up - my arms really struggled and they ordinarily would not. I think you’ll struggle with the board. Even writing has caused me difficulties.

I had Covid in Feb 2021 before all the fuss began. It took me a few weeks to get over but when full lock down started I had plenty of rest. Unfortunately I probably had myocarditis and it has damaged my heart muscle. As a result of lockdown I have only recently had this investigated and diagnosed. This has all been complicated by recent diagnosis of breast cancer.
I’m afraid long Covid pales into insignificance with what I’m about to go through over the next six months.
To add insult to injury I have tested positive for Covid again and have had to postpone surgery.
Long Covid is a form of post viral fatigue. If you rest and don’t push your recovery you will get better.

Feb 2020 should have read

Sorry to hear about your breast cancer diagnosis. It's two years now since my BC surgery. You probably know this but there's a long running cancer thread on MN which was a great source of comfort and support in the time I went through it all. Best of luck.

Hello
I had covid March 2020.
I’m still getting the odd palpitation and ectopic beats.
If I over do it I get underarm pain, sore throat, blocked ears and the dreaded head buzz.
I am now being investigated for rheumatoid arthritis.
I don’t think I will get back to ‘normal’, I think it is a condition I will have to live with.
I do function on a day to day basis now which is what I had dreamed of for about a year.

Im Glad I found this thread.

Anyone else experiencing hair loss? I’m 3 month post covid now. I got about 50% of my smell and taste back but for about a Month now everyone in my family has been run down with another virus and they seem to have gone again. Everything smells and tastes like bananas and it’s making me feel depressed. Appetite has gone. Chronic gerd!
Tired, most of the time. im a bit off balance at the moment though probably due to this new bug that’s been going around, my ears are hurting.

And now my bloody hair is falling out!!

My immune system just seems to have evaporated and I’m trying to do everything go I can to fix it but nothing is working. I should not feel (or look) like this at 31!

@Themadcatparade I haven't had hair loss but I think it's one of the many possible symptoms on the Zoe app. I have heard of people losing their hair after any serious illness though. A friend had sepsis and lost a huge amount of hair.

I am still feeling rough and still have kidney pain and have now developed feverish symptoms, but without a temperature. I'm getting alternating chills and feeling too hot and sweating. Luckily it's not to a severe degree - I've had worse with tonsillitis.

I did an eConsult yesterday and my GP advised me to continue the antibiotics but also said he wants to see me as my urine sample from Monday didn't show any bacteria (although he said not all bacteria will show up). DH and I interpreted GP's message as 'don't stop the antibiotics and please book a face to face with me' but the GP's receptionists disagree and say he only wants to see me next week if I still feel poorly after I have finished the antibiotics. They didn't want to give me an appointment until the end of the month (!) but I managed to get an appointment for Monday which is my last day on antibiotics.

Yes my hair is falling out
I’m 23 days ish post start of symptoms. Otherwise I feel 90% well now. Sore throat in the morning, weird stomach cramps now and then and occcasional dizziness. I hope everyone feels back to normal soon. I’m gonna try going back to the gym on Monday

Done two full days of work now. Exhausted....

I'm not surprised you're exhausted, how are you compared with a week ago piggy?
I'm feeling pretty ok apart from the fatigue. Im trying to walk a bit further each day, which can be measured in meters rather than kilometers. I have a bit more energy in the morning but could easily go to bed at 8pm .

Yes, I feel like that. A lot better than a week ago but still a bit fatigued and lacking desire to do things. Teaching is exhausting anyway so it is difficult to separate the symptoms of tiredness as normal from covid exhaustion.

Hi everyone.
Been back at work over a week now and thought I was doing ok. However, today I feel that I've taken a step back.
My throat is sore, I'm coughing (the cough wasn't a major issue for me before), my chest feels tight and I feel as if I'm coming down with a cold. This might be TMI but I had a bout of diarrhoea today too.
Wondering if I've pushed myself too hard or is it another illness?
Yes to losing a bit of hair too. I've certainly noticed more on my pillow and in my hairbrush.