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Covid

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Original poster

Talk to me about having covid symptoms for more than two weeks

26 replies

ruthietoothie · 04/12/2021 11:04

Really struggling here. I had a positive covid test over two weeks ago and still feeling properly crap. Had about a week basically bed bound and have had a little more energy since then. But still struggling especially with fatigue, muscle pains and a persistent cough. Brain fog comes and goes too.

Have others experienced this and did you start to get better? I'm getting properly scared that these symptoms aren't going anywhere. Got four young kids but doing what I can to rest. When I can.

Really scared as this is just so dehabilitating

OP posts:
SusannahD · 04/12/2021 11:08

It took me a good 4 weeks to start getting my energy back, brain fog went just after 3 weeks the doctor advised that is quite normal. Rest when you can. I hope you feel better soon.

JanglyBeads · 04/12/2021 11:12

It’s not abnormal and also doesn’t mean that you’ll continue like this past ?next week, or the following week …..but no one can predict, unfortunately. My DS had symptoms bad enough to keep him off school for a month, started to turn the corner after about seven weeks, now almost back to normal at ten weeks.

I really hope you feel better very soon OP 💐

ChristmasCovid · 04/12/2021 11:13

Sorry to hear you are still feeling unwell, It does take a while to get over sometimes.
T&T recommendation was to contact 111 if still unwell after the 10 days isolation.
Long Covid is also a possibility unfortunately, rest up as much as you can.

Original poster
ruthietoothie · 04/12/2021 11:34

Thanks! It's long covid that I am really terrified of. Can't help worrying that every day I keep feeling bad makes that a more likely prospect. Probably just over thinking it though. I had my booster the day before I tested positive which I don't think can have helped either as meant my body was having to fight extra stuff

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 04/12/2021 12:04

I was really ill for 6 to 8 weeks or so. Some lingering symptoms but not much. Longer lasting symptoms doesn't always lead to long covid.

Blupblup · 04/12/2021 16:40

I'm 2 weeks in and just absolutely shattered still. I have a very mild cough but I'm extremely out of breath if I do anything at all. I'm having a nap most days and going to bed at 8pm and still shattered. I haven't been working up till now so I'm really worried about going back to work and how tiring that will be (at least I can work from home). I just got an oximeter today to check on my o2 levels and they are persistently 92-95 ish.
I think I'll have to contact the Gp on Monday and see what they say. I was also more worried about long covid, I have several autoimmune conditions already.

Original poster
ruthietoothie · 04/12/2021 21:52

@blupblup sorry to hear how bad you've got it. If your readings are lower than 95 I'd definitely be ringing your gp. Take lots and lots of care and rest up!

@piggywaspushed sorry to hear you had a bad run of it. But good to hear symptoms didn't last long term. That is what I'm very much hoping for!

OP posts:
Tiredoftiers · 04/12/2021 21:55

3 weeks of feeling rubbish, fatigued and foggy. It was there one day and gone the next. The previous week I felt like I was never going to be well again. Now back at gym etc, and feeling good.
Fingers crossed you feel better soon.

Original poster
ruthietoothie · 05/12/2021 13:51

@Tiredoftiers experiences like yours give me hope. So glad you are now feeling better! It really is the pita, & totally identify with feeling like you'll never get well again. I had a long sleep last night and feeling a bit more hopeful today!

OP posts:
Tiredoftiers · 05/12/2021 17:15

@ruthietoothie a few folk have said to me its a 3 week illness not a 2 week one. In my experience they were right. I was imagining long covid etc, but this fortunately has not been my experience.

Feel better soon.

walksen · 05/12/2021 17:23

I had it last october and the initial 10 days weren't too bad. It took over a month for taste and smell to come back, brain fog lasted over a month and the fatigue lasted for nearly 6 months albeit gradually got better after about 4. For the first 6 weeks my heart rate was erratic when going up stairs etc.

IWishTheBishopWell · 05/12/2021 18:07

Try not to worry, I know it's easier said than done!

I felt awful for ages, was off sick for 7 weeks followed by a phased return. I had a secondary chest infection then I had a UTI which turned into a kidney infection and had 3 or 4 more UTIs after that. I also had a spate of palpitations in the later weeks but those eased with time.

My GP said they can start long Covid referrals after 12 weeks. It took about 12 weeks to feel pretty much back to normal for me in the end. So bear in mind it may take a lot longer than a couple of weeks to shift but if it does, it doesn't automatically mean you have long Covid.

The important thing is to rest as much as possible.

IWishTheBishopWell · 05/12/2021 18:11

I also felt like I would never get better, but i did. Don't be afraid to speak to your GP either - I spoke to mine 5 days in for asthma management advice and they referred me to my local NHS trust's Covid Monitoring Service. A doctor then rang daily to take my oximeter, blood pressure and peak flow readings, plus my blood pressure until I was about 23 days in and out of the danger zone. They gave me lots of good advice (particularly to rest) and helped me feel a lot calmer.

catgirl1976 · 05/12/2021 18:24

I was ill like you describe for about a month. I thought it was never going to end but it did thankfully.

Although I’ve just had my booster and despite having no reaction to the first two I feel grim now and exactly like the first couple of days of Covid. Probably a good sign though that’s it’s working so I’m not complaining

Hope you feel better soon

Original poster
ruthietoothie · 07/12/2021 13:44

@iwishthebishopwell sorry to hear you were so unwell with it but glad you now on the mend. Good to hear you got good support too. My GP has been really supportive as well.

@catgirl1976 hope the booster effects have passed for you. Good to have that full protection and thanks so so much for sharing experiences.

I'm now three weeks since symptoms and still feeling bad. Ugh!

OP posts:
tillyandmilly · 07/12/2021 16:27

12 days in from covid - just left with tight chest and pains in mid back - just got some ventolin for asthma - it’s come back - tried to do too much today and sweating buckets and started to cough again !

orangetriangle · 07/12/2021 20:18

my husband is 2 weeks in and still feels rough checking for secondary antibacterial infection and blood clot but if not has been told likely post covid symptoms and takes some longer to get over it dont think its classed as long covid until 12 weeks
Now has a negative test but is still suffering from
low oxygen at times
breathlessness
extreme fatigue
dizziness
exhaustion
coughing
no sense of taste or smell
nausea
inability to regulate his body temperature
inability to concentrate
insomnia at times
muscle aches

sunshinesupermum · 07/12/2021 20:33

orangetriangle how do they test for blood clot? My other half has all the same symptoms but no longer tests positive. We have a phone appt with GP on Friday.

orangetriangle · 07/12/2021 20:45

Hi sunshinesupermum
Sorry you are in the same situation . It is so stressful. He is also not well enough to work obviously so thus doesnt get paid
He had a telephone appointment with dr yesterday and from that he wanted to see him today and said he was concerned as too breathless and oxygen too low for a man of his age checked his chest and heart etc and that was ok
Said he was concerned and wanted urgent blood tests which after waiting for an hour we got done today no result as yet
Presuming from what dr said he was looking for they can check for blood clot and or antibacterial infection from those blood tests he had about three different ones done
Really hope your partner feels better soon it's so worrying How long as he had it tomorrow will be day 15 for my dh

PurpleDaisies · 07/12/2021 20:47

It’s just over four weeks for me and I’m still very tired and my brain is stuck on go slow. It’s very frustrating.

orangetriangle · 07/12/2021 20:54

it can be such an awful thing you dont realise until you or someone in your household gets it can be so debilitating

sunshinesupermum · 07/12/2021 20:55

Thanks for your reply orangetriangle my DP has Long Covid and I wondered what other tests he should be having. Sadly he caught it before vaccination programme but if your DH has had his two vaccinations hopefully he will feel better soon. My DD has had two vaccinations and recovered more or less fully after two weeks. Fingers crossed for you. It's an awful illness and people who refuse the vaccinations make my blood boil. Flowers

Piggywaspushed · 07/12/2021 20:57

@orangetriangle

my husband is 2 weeks in and still feels rough checking for secondary antibacterial infection and blood clot but if not has been told likely post covid symptoms and takes some longer to get over it dont think its classed as long covid until 12 weeks Now has a negative test but is still suffering from low oxygen at times breathlessness extreme fatigue dizziness exhaustion coughing no sense of taste or smell nausea inability to regulate his body temperature inability to concentrate insomnia at times muscle aches
I had all of those apart from the low oxygen. The nausea, dizziness and temperature regulation fails hung around the longest as 'acute' things - was on nausea meds for six weeks. My feet and hands kept sweating. DS still can't small after 5 months and my sense of smell is haywire. I still have brain fog.
Original poster
ruthietoothie · 18/12/2021 15:10

Just re-upping this post as I'm now over four weeks in and still got symptoms. Still hoping it's just post viral fatigue and that I'll start to feel better soon. But it's a long long road for sure

OP posts:
Egghead68 · 18/12/2021 15:36

Took me 7.5 months but was relapsing-remitting. Horrible illness. Get well soon.