For the love of God. I've been ill since October. Any advice/thoughts

[Pagwatch]

I have been ill with one thing or another since October.
All seem to be viral - chest problems, constant cough for a month now, norovirus, ear problems, tired, faint at times, appetite all over the place, unable to cope with the gym.
I have days where I feel better then something else will strike.

Saw the Dctor for a second time in the week between Christmas and new year. He ordered blood tests which all came back negative, said to go back in a couple of weeks if still coughing and shivery. He mentioned post viral syndrome but I don't know what that means.
Started to feel better end of last week, now back on the sofa coughing and shivering.
I can get up most days but feel like shit and don't like to be around people coughing and spluttering.
i havn't even been able to mumsnet!

I guess I have to go back but is this just shit luck. Is there anything I cn do other than what I am doing - resting, eating really good stuff when I can eat, drinking lots of water?

Any advice welcome

I had acupuncture, which certainly helped when I felt like you do now. I know you're too ill atm to get to the gym, but I found exercise was really important. Also as many massages as you can afford!

Oh Pag, that sounds grim

If it's post viral syndrome, then it's really important that you rest.

Thanks. Thanks for replying

I have booked a trainer to come here on Friday just to do something even if it it mostly stretching.
I usually work out twice a week and I miss it but I kept having to cancel or stop mid workout. The Doctor said I should stop until my cough has gone but the workouts help my back problems so now that is becoming a problem too

Yes, being stretched by a trainer will be nice. I suppose the problem with doing no exercise at all is that there's a tendency to lose confidence in your body, and also lose mobility a bit. Maybe the trainer could do a spot of gentle massage, too, if you like it? Apart from that, sleep with Radio 4 on is one of my favourite recovery activities; with a nice sleepy dog on the duvet if possible.

No cardio stuff then! Focus on pilates/yoga-type stuff (although I'm sure your trainer wouldn't do anything that would make you worse)

Have they offered you antiobiotics? I assume that if they are talking about a viral condition that they wouldn't give you a prescription, but after all this time, is it possible that there is something bacterial going on?

DH has been great and has booked a massage for me so I have that tomorrow - I am really hoping that will help Screaminabdabs

My trainer is pretty good and we are planning just that sort of thing BIWI - so that might help too. I have sort of cold/fluey pains and back pains and it's all mixing in together.

The Doctor is pretty sure it is all viral so no antibiotic . I guess I should go back.
It just all feels pathetic and I kep thinking I must be on the mend soon.

Thanks

I would Take To My Bed, wear a nice, frilly bed jacket and lie there looking wan. Practise a weak, feeble but martyred voice and be waited on hand on foot by the rest of the family, all the while insisting that you will be out of bed soon, if only this irritating little tickle would just stop ...

I could swoon occasionally.
I am going to ask dh to take DD to school tomorrow. Then I can put ds on his transport and get in the bath before my massage. That's a plan. In the meantime there is neurofen.

I don't know, but I do know someone wise (and wonderful). I'll send her over this way x

Poor you! I have a few things I do to make myself better if I'm suffering in the primordial swamp.... have you got a juicer? Apple & ginger juice is good for everything. For a persistent cough a steam inhalation with frankincense oil is really comforting and also dries up the cough - if you don't like steam you can massage it in to your chest, in a carrier oil. There are some really interesting threads on MN about vitamin D - I've just sent off for a testing kit, costs £25 from this NHS provider www.vitamindtest.org.uk/ - lots to suggest that low levels implicated in immune and colds etc. and easily rectified - apparently its all to do with living in the northern hemisphere and sunshine levels (not enough!). Lots of nice food - roast chicken, green veg. Lots of comedy DVDs. Hope you feel better soon!

Well, I'd just take you outside and shoot you

That's great. I will look at those when I get back. Have to take DD to swimming - so lots of steam...

Thanks.

Pag my lovely - did the doc do vit D levels on you? If not, ask him to do them, you could be low (an awful lot of people are). My lovely GP is very sensible and has had all our family checked for vit D levels - all low! When DS1 started to get yet another chest infection, rather than give him ABs for the 3rd time this year, she suggested additional vit D (liquid, he already has a daily multi supplement) which saw it off in a couple of days. I take 1000IU daily because I'm bf'ing, generally low and my levels in pg dropped right off, despite having gone up before I got pg.

I think vit D is under-rated in importance for the immune system - people always talk about vit C but vit D is a very important factor too.

Hello, Pag, I thought you hadn't been infesting MN of late.

How horrid for you; one thing after another and no culprit to be found. What Thumbwitch said about vitamin D is worth a look. Like her, I'm on a maintenance dose of fit D - and this is in Australia! It must be said that the docs here are red hot on this particular check. Among other things it's essential for the absorption of calcium to maintain bone density. The other is sunlight, of course, which is where I'm going now for a little while.

I like the idea of the comedy DVDs, bedjacket, and Camille-like coughs. Hope you get better soon.

Oh yes - good point re the Vitamin D, Thumbwitch. Am I right in thinking it's particularly D3 that we need?

Sure is, BIWI. :)

yy to Vit D, especially after the summer we've just had. Don't know where you are but we haven't seen the sun for 6 months.

Sun. Remind me?

The other thing to check would be whooping cough. My friend had it for three months without being diagnosed.

Sun - that would be the big yellow thing that spends entirely too much time in the Antipodes for my liking (and we're in Australia as well - I reckon that contributes to vit D deficiency for people as fair as me, I just can't go out in the sun at all!)

Yes. You Antipodean types are just so selfish. You hog the sun so we don't get any.

Oh poor Paggy.

I found this thread because it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't seen you around for ages so I stalked you through advance search and now I know why.

Are you stressed about anything? Maybe you are having some psychosomatic run-downness?

I get quite a few chesty coldy problems and sometimes if I get an actual infection it can takes AGES (like months) to properly shift and it really gets you down after a while, so I know how you feel.