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

I hope everyone feels better soon. Last year I went down with norovirus which was 3 days of crap (literally!!) and had horrendous back/stomach pain
4th day the vomiting stopped but I felt off still. Turned out my temp was stupidly high and I was told I had flu. I've only ever had proper flu once before and forgot how nasty it was. The worst thing was the unbearable feeling of my skin, literally screaming to get the duvet off my legs. It took 2 weeks to get rid of totally but I felt utterly wiped out for a long time after it

Hello everyone. There seem to be more and more of us. I overdid it yesterday - took DS to spend his Christmas money because he was so desperate and had been so patient (and I am 1) so guilty and 2) a pushover). BY the time we got back in the car I was exhausted and my legs, back and hips ached like the first few days. But lots of sitting down, early night and feel OK again today (i.e. tired but alive). So I am taking that as a warning and back to being careful but am hopeful. Trouble with this 1 is I seem to get a couple of days of getting better and then it bites me again. Fingers crossed.
If I had heard before about this and people with no underlying health issues taking all this time in bed to get better, I think I would have felt it was a bit self indulgent or that they were lucky enough not to have to get up ...

And Whelk, have you tried leggings and long sleeved Tshirts under pyjamas for achy arms and legs. Its weird but it helped when mine ached. And a rolled towel under feet to change the pressure on your back - might help? I'm sorry I forgot your mother had ME. You are right, it doesn't happen to everyone. Keep holding that thought.

Thanks for the tips. My legs and arms just seem to burn. It's also the bloody shaking and palpitations which are the worst.
I'be been in bed now for 2.5 days and still rotten. Feel quite low again today.

sorry to hear of all the other ilnnesses

Chocolate? Or is the nausea still a problem? Chocolate is full of iron ...

Ah thanks Sonotkylie. Am so glad you are feeling better. Hope that is still the case.

The nausea is still bad in the morning but I am getting my appetite back and eating as much as I can and having Complan too. I look skeletal after 3 weeks of not eating much at all.

I was actually thin to start with - had actually been looking forward to pigging out over Xmas as knew i needed to put o some weight.

How does everyone decide when to go back to the doctor? I have had a virus since Christmas week and have been along to our doctor at various times to be given antibiotics for the bronchitis it caused and then steroids as it made my Larynx go into random spasm and choke of my air supply for short times during the day and night.

I went back on Monday as the steroids only reduced the frequency of the choking but didn't stop it completely. She said I'd have to wait now for my system to 'kick in' and beat the virus. It's in my ears and tonsils now and I still choke at night (thankfully not in the day now so that is a blessing). How long do you all put up with new symptoms before you go back? Reading some of your posts makes me think it could be weeks for my system to beat this virus. I also wonder if there is anything the doctor can actually do for us all.

Toot - Im the same, I never know when to go back to the doctor.

Feel rubbish today. Lots of retching this morning when i saw some toast and generally nauseous with no appetite.My ears and all my glands are so sore still
Rubbish night's sleep with lots of shaking in my body- esp my head for some strange reason. Woke at 5.0 with my legs shaking really violently.

Finding it hard to sit up even now and my heart is all over the place.
Its dd1's birthday this weekend. Im going to have to miss most of it.

I'm going to go for heart monitoring on Monday at the doctors so we'll see how that goes.

Sorry that i'm so bloody sorry for myself.

Poor poor you whelk. I feel sorry for you too.

Good luck with heart monitoring and lets hope the weekend brings improvement. Happy birthday to your DD1 too.

Are you still better Sonotkylie? Hope so,
I've started another POst Viral fatigue thread in the hope that someone will come along and say they got better v quick!
Unlikely.

I have this feeling that perhaps i should be in hospital with my heart and nerves being monitored properlu. Does that sound over dramatic? Probably

Hi Whelk. Yes, I am a lot better in fact managed this afternoon what defeated me last Sunday so I have proved it to myself. Still a bit slow and have to be careful but definitely stronger. Thank you for asking. You'll be here too soon I am sure (OK 2 - 4 weeks doesn't feel soon but it will happen).
I hope the post viral thread helps. Speak soon

Thanks Sonotkylie. Im still feeling rubbish but glad you are better x

Hi Whelk. Its a new week, you don't have the birthday to worry about any more, its time to relax and stop worrying. I hope you are warm and cosy in your bed, listening to the radio and being glad you don't have to venture out in the snow. It seems you've had lots of inspiring comments on the post viral fatigue thread. I hope that is helping. By the way, i did find i had to eat every couple of hours to stop feeling sick. Soup is great - like you re fooling your body into eating. Keep taking the Berocca for the luminous wee.

Thanks for hanging on with miserable me! Went to the doctors for a ECG and another blood test today which i did manage to cope with despite a panic beforehand. My legs are killing now though.
Think I may be getting an actual bedsore on my bony ass! the shame!

I managed to join in a little with some of dd1's birthday and bless her she asked if i'd made the cake? Waaaaay beyond me at the moment but in orevious years I have made really fancy ones. I managed to put dd1 and dd2 to bed on my own pretty much (no bath though) so that made me feel a bit better.

Are you back to full activity now? Or taking it easier?

A real bedsore. Wow! Sounds very Victorian for some reason, although I know they happen all the time. Maybe you're having a fit of the vapours ?
Well done for getting to the birthday celebrations and for putting them to bed. That really is a good sign. Well done.
I am feeling back to normal, although taking DS to his swimming lesson yesterday was pretty tiring (I think that s normal though!) but its really only be the last 4or5 days that I would say I was feeling strong again.

Hope the ECG and blood test are good news whatever that may be.

I didn't actually get to the birthday celebrations - just managed to sit on the sofa while dd opened her presents!

But I did manage the bed bit.

My sister came up today which was really nice - hope i haven't over exerted myself.

Its tough isn't it- if you moulder in bed, you get depressed and if you see anyone or do anything, you worry you have over done it! I'm sure seeing your sister will have done you good, even if you feel a bit worse today. Have a good day today

Have your cortisol levels been checked? Are your electrolytes normal? I'm only asking because your symptoms sound very similar to the ones I had prior to being diagnosed with Addisons Disease (adrenal insufficiency).

Thanks OneHandFlapping - how do they test for cortisol and electrolytes?
I have had blood tests, ECG and 24 hour urine.

GP's receptionist just rang and said that the blood tests showed some liver problem and that I needed to increase my nutrition and I'll have more blood tests when i go back on Wednesday- which of course how seems a life time away.

They are blood tests. I think electrolytes are a pretty standard blood test, (am not a doctor) but ask your GP what tests you have had, and ask him about cortisol levels.

There are more specific diagnostic tests that an endocrinologist would do.

I really hope you feel better soon. It's horrible feeling so ill for such a long time.

I had all the same symptoms you have described and was offered a course of steroids and antibiotics for a week. It did help, for about a week and then Sunday morning, I thought I was about to kark it so admitted myself to A&E reluctantly, knowing what pressure they are under. I have been in for three days and have been told it's a form of Pneumonia. IV anti bionics, but it's taking some killing, at this point it looks like I ll beat it, but I ll let u know if I Kark it! ;-) get better.

sorry should have said, if u feel that bad, just admit yourself like I did.