Virus - feel awful and taking ages to recover.

[Whelk]

I started with a chesty cough on Boxing Day. The doctor told me it was an Upper Respiratory Infection and that my lungs were clear. Im guessing it was a virus,

The cough has cleared up mostly and up til 2 days a ago I was getting a little better each day but I am so exhausted, nauseaus and dizzy. I have been able to do small things but then have had to lie down to recover for several hours.

I actually felt better 2 days ago but then probably did too much (just looking after the dds) and then suddenly felt dramatically worse, shivering and started with diarrhoea (sorry if tmi) and dry retching, Since then the dizzyness has been terrible and I have no appetitie and terrible nausea (new symptoms)

i did the kids breakfast this morning and had to have a lie down (Crying and I never cry) and now my mum has come to take over. I don't know whether I have something new or whether its just the original infection.

Will i get better? I'm terrified of ME as my mum had it for 5 years and it was awful. I'm so fed up

Ha ha yes but only because ds wakes every two hours! I think I may have a kidney infection, the pain in my back last night was excruciating . Had to change the sheets three times because the night sweats were so bad - when I got up this morning my phone had been on the bedside table and it wouldn't work because it was too steamed up inside. Gross!!

Going to the docs this morning so we'll see...

How did you get on at the doctors?

Sounds nasty.
I have my usual mix of symptoms - headache, sore throat and diarrhoea too!
But I have managed to eat something for the first time in a week!

We have had a virus that has gone on over two months now. Sore throats, burning tip of tongue, the odd ulcer in mouth, snotty nose, nasty coughs, nasty taste in mouth, pale tongues. I even went semi deaf in my left ear over Xmas. It's been really awful - been on antibiotics twice I really dont know how to shift it.
Maybe writing on Mumsnet will cure me and the missus.

I had that burning tip of tongue thing too!

Am also semi-deaf but it is useful when I need to pretend I've not heard things.

That's interesting Coolfonz, I have had the burning tongue thing since way before Christmas too. It did predate the cough by quite a while though . It seems to be subsiding a bit now, but I must have had it for at least 10 weeks.

Whelk, the Doc confirmed a kidney infection. She says this is at the root of all the flu-like symptoms but not the cough which is a separate virus. Have antibiotics to take and have been told I'm not contagious. However, my mum had a kidney infection over Christmas and dh said he has been having mild back pain today. I have never heard of catching a kidney infection from someone else though - very mysterious! My concern is ds getting it - I have a bit of a fear of having to give him anti-b's and the effect they might have on his allergies, so I'm crossing everything that I can pass on some antibodies as I'm still breastfeeding.

I'm glad you've managed to eat something, it makes such a difference to your energy levels doesn't it? Even if just for a short time. I find I am desperate for drinks constantly and I can't get enough, but the sloshy feeling in my stomach just makes me feel sick. Much better with some food in there

Bupcakes I once worked in a huge clothing store with a terrible boss who would just yell 'CASA!' whenever she wanted me to kiss her arse do a job for her. To amuse myself, I pretended I was deaf in one ear and I often couldn't hear her over the music we played in-store. She never seemed to notice that I switched ears to suit, and she'd just stand there bloody yelling at me instead of dragging her lazy arse across the shop floor to come and speak to me at a normal level I didn't stay long...

I don;t have any chest symptoms now - just twitchy legs, terrible dizziness. I'm terrified nowabout Post Viral Fatigue . My mum had it, it runs in families and my symptoms are perfect for it.

I'm feeling very low and so worried about not being a mum for my dds.
So sad

How worrying for you . However, I know from (bitter) experience that once you have a set of symptoms in your head that you are looking out for, it is so easy to see them in yourself. You are bound to feel dizzy etc having not eaten for the best part of a week, it will take time for your body to recover.

Are you worried about not being there for your dds now, while you are ill, or in the future if you develop PVF/ME? Something that has really helped me to deal with my anxiety over ds is - as suggested by my HV - when I start to get the low moods and worry about the future, to stop and write down the first of my chain of thoughts and try to stop the process of my mind running away with itself. It kind of breaks the chain of thought and just allows me to concentrate on the now IYSWIM?

I hope you don't think I'm patronising you, but you are talking here to the woman who convinced herself she was allergic to peanuts and ended up with depression so I think I may know a little of the worry you must be feeling.

Really hope you start to feel better soon

Thanks. I know you from the allergy boards.
My dds both have food allergies too. Milk and egg. It makes it more complicated to ask anyone to look after them while i rest.

I do tend to leap ahead before i have the facts. Sadly this time the GP did say she thought it was post viral.

But i will have to see......

I've been ill for over 3 weeks now,started with a bad cold which then went to my chest. As I have asthma, not good and ended up on AB's. I'm less wheezy but still coughing.

Its exhausting feeling ill for weeks on end especially over Christmas.

I feel for you all. Similar experience here. Started out in early Nov. feeling really tearful and exhausted for three weeks and I had a major pain in my lower back so bad that I couldn't sit back against a chair. Then my lungs got richter-scale inflamed (due to asthma) and I ended up in December with a deep cough which was so violent that i was sick and more green gunk coming out than you would have thought possible (sorry for graphics). Spent Xmas day in bed. Was given one set of antibiotics after another but none seemed to really clear it properly. Ended up having chest xray on 28th Dec. and on the bright side told this bronchitis not the dreaded pneumonia. My son had this too and recovered after 5 weeks and plenty of time off school as he felt so lousy. Now (2nd week Jan 2012) am feeling weirdly dizzy and am hoping this is the end of this viscious bug rather than the start of a new one. Wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.

Goodness me theres a lot of horrid things around.
Lets's hope we all get better quickly-ish. I managed to sit outside today for about 10 minutes. It was lovely hearing the birds singing.
Now though Im shattered and my muscles are burning up with pian.

How is everyone today?
Im still dizzy, nauseous and with gipply tummy. Also extremely fatigued.

Hi All,
Whelk, glad you managed to get outside. It's lovely here too - sun out, blue sky and crystal clear. I managed a trip to supermarket which made my lungs go into overdrive and now just back and going to take it easy. I still feel really rough but I will kick this bug..no doubt.. just make it soon please!!!! Hope the sun helps everyone get better that much quicker. Best wishes.

Hi everyone, hope you are feeling well today :) I spoke to soon - my throat is still really swollen and sore, it feels like on the left side there is a golf ball at the back of my throat! I am also having more night sweats, it's every night now and am getting really drenched. I'm seeing my transplant consultant again Tue 24th but not sure whether to go back sooner. Still hoping it's just a viral thing!x

Sorry - 'too' soon!

Clucky Im so sorry to hear that. It's so frustrating when you think you are better and then you are not. Hoping this is a small blip in your recovery.

I'm still really bad - nausea in the mornings and now a terrible headache in the afternoons.

I spoke to a different doctor to get a sick note for work and she said that she thought this second illness was a different virus rather than post-viral which made me feel better. i have a terrible fear of CFS having helped my mum though it for 5 years.

-I have had sweats, shakes, pains in legs, arms and terrible nausea and dizziness which sounds flu like. BUT no temperature. Is it possible to have flu with no temperature?

Hi, How is everyone?
I am still very sick. I felt a little better on Saturday but am now back to my painful legs and arms, dizziness, nausea (mostly in the morning) and headaches (mostly in the afternoon).
I now also have ear ache.

Does this sound like flu?

Hi Whelk, sorry to hear you're still so ill. It does sound like flu, but I would expect to have a temp at least some of the time with a flu virus. Do you think it's worth seeing the doctor again? It sounds as though you're having a terrible time.

I'm so glad I've seen this thread. I've been ill with one thing after another since November but the worst thing is the virus that I started with about 10 days ago. It's completely knocked me for six. All last week I was struggling with fever (esp night sweats), muscle aches, headache, snotty nose, chesty cough, dizziness/feeling faint, loss of appetite and complete exhaustion. I even had to ask my parents to drive me to the docs last Monday as I couldn't walk it, even though it's only 5 minutes away. Doc said he thought it was flu, except I've had a flu jab , so still not sure what it is.

I'm due back at work tomorrow and although I feel better than I did, I could happily take another week off. I'm still coughing all the fecking time and have quite a 'sore' chest - it hurts inside when I breathe and if I do anything strenuous (such as climbing the stairs), I have to sit and rest to catch my breath. I also feel shattered and fell asleep on the sofa last night.

It think the poster who said the mild weather is partly to blame is spot on. We could do with some really cold, snowy weather to kill off a few germs.

I pray it goes soon because I'm so fed up of feeling crap. Hope you all recover quickly too.

Don't go back to work until you are well Softkitty.
Some of my symptoms have improved but have some new ones, and the muscle twitching/vibrating is keeping me awake at night so Im waking every two hours.
I'm utterlu exhausted. Im signed off until MOnday so will see then how I am.

Just need some feckin sleep.....

Hi Whelk
Have just read your thread and sounds like your having a bad time. Can I just say that it sounds as if your anxiety re CFS is actually contributing to your symptoms and making your existing ones worse. The new symptoms seem very much anxiety related. There is no known cause for CFS and no evidence whatsoever that it runs in families. Ive done alot of research on CFS for my job so Im not just spouting crap. I dont want to dismiss your symptoms but I get the feeling that if you stopped panicking and dwelling on the possible CFS side of thjings you would recover more quickly.
Hope you feel better soon

Whelk, that sounds nasty. And I see some people have been ill for months...........

Ive been ill since before Christmas, had 3 lots of AB. Still feeling really tired, chest tight and catarrh. Worse probably because I have asthma.

Stairs still an effort. At least only tomorrow to have to work now.

Hope we are all soon on the mend.

SimoneD- Thank you for that. You brought a tear to my eye.

Too late whelk I came back yesterday. Am just about managing not to die on my shift. I could hardly keep my eyes open yesterday though, I was literally dropping off at my desk. Very embarrassing. Only have the rest of today and tomorrow to work, then get a few days rest (well, as much rest as you can get with a 5yo!).