Is this long covid?

[FetlocksBlowingInTheWind]

A few months back I had a virus for a few days where I was achy and tired, headache etc. it didn't occur to me at the time that it might be COVID so I didn't test.

Since then, every 3 weeks or so it keeps coming back for a few days. The first day I usually feel too ill to work. Then a couple of days later it's gone.

I've tried Googling this with no luck. Not talked to my GP yet because till how it has been a bit vague and not of much note.

But now that it's happened for about the fourth time I'm wondering how long this is going to go on and what I could do? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bump

I don’t have any answers but I had the same. I felt unwell every month for about nine months. It seems to have stopped now thank goodness without me doing anything drastic.

Thank for the reply. Interesting. Similar symptoms? And do you know if it started after having covid?

What symptoms do you get? Is there is anything that triggers it coming back? It could be long covid, it's hard for us to say.

@ScottishBeth Much like the reaction to the vaccines. Very tired (usually first symptom), achy and shivery, woolly head, just want to lie down.

It doesn't really match any descriptions of Long COVID that I've seen but I thought it might resonate with someone.

I have this exactly. Started 5 weeks ago and now the third time it's hit me. Tested and not Covid. So frustrating,

So interesting to hear that other people have had this too! Have you talked to your GP yet?

@ScottishBeth sorry forgot to say no, nothing has triggered it. I've otherwise been feeling very healthy.

Go to your GP for some blood tests. No one can say if it's long covid unfortunately.

It could be, I have Long Covid and my symptoms fluctuate in severity, often with menstrual cycle.

Good information on Long Covid can be found at:

www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/

longcovid.physio/longcovid

You could do an antibody test to see if it comes back positive for having had the virus. It has to be an N antibody test as this will test for the virus and not the antibodies produced after vaccination. It may or may not show positive even if you had the virus as antibody levels go down over time. You can be diagnosed with Long Covid based on the symptoms/history of infection without a positive PCR, LFT or antibody test. You can also have post-viral fatigue and illness from other viruses, not just COVID but your GP can advise you and it is worth booking an appointment to rule out any other possible reasons for your symptoms, like vitamin or mineral deficiencies etc..

monitormyhealth.org.uk/covid19-antibody-test

@Choconuttolata thank you so much, that's really helpful. I will make a GP appointment. It would really helpful to get even a possible diagnosis because I have had to take a couple of sick days because of it.

I did have long covid from March 2020 and weirdly I did notice a pattern at one point of an exacerbation of symptoms roughly every three weeks🤷 afraid it took two years to feel 99% back to normal although each exacerbation appeared to get milder.

Thanks for sharing that @Mossstitch, that is pretty weird isn't it?

Can't link it to a menstrual cycle because I'm on HRT and thankfully I haven't had a period for about 5 months.

Was nothing to do with menstrual cycle as I'm well past that😂 early 60s nhs worker, got it from a patient pre masks ect so probably a high viral dose, I'm not suggesting yours will last 2 years if it is that but basically you have to employ pacing strategies and slowly increase activity levels. Nothing much can be done medically but it will dwindle eventually. One of my sons (a nurse) also got it from a patient few weeks after me and he also noticed a cyclical pattern to the symptoms but he was back at work after 3 weeks so we couldn't decide if it was just post exertional. He did have to take a few days off a couple of times during these exacerbations, he felt it affected him for about 8 months, he was unable to exercise for that long.

Thanks for the advice @Mossstitch!

I'm fine between episodes so hopefully it will diminish in severity in time? And then go away!

With those symptoms it could be, I guess there's really no way of knowing, unless you find out from that antibody test.

I had long Covid (recovered after about a year, thankfully). I was much more severely affected, but learned a lot. What I would say is if you feel like you need to rest then rest, don't push yourself.

There's a lot in long Covid about autonomic dysfunction, and I did a lot of breathing exercises which helped a lot. So maybe when you have these symptoms do ten minutes of breathing exercises in the morning and then minutes before bed. There are some here you could do. www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/breathwork-techniques-for-beginners

Only don't do in for 5, out for 5. Instead do in for 4, out for 6. For any of these breathing exercises, make sure you're using your diaphragm, and breathe in and out through your nose.

If it is long Covid this may well help. If it isn't, it's not loads, and it might benefit you anyway!

@ScottishBeth thanks for all of that, I appreciate it.

I did have Covid in March 2020, before tests were readily available. Would those antibodies still show up do you think?

No idea, I'm afraid.

For those of you who have had this has it eventually gone now? Or become less frequent?