Anyone else have this awful virus?

[LEMtheoriginal]

Day 3 and I'm fucked! I have never experienced a sore throat like this. It's agony.

Dr prescribed naproxen and co-codimol. Can't take the naproxen yet as it's bid and I have already taken ibruprofen.

Not slept at all for 48 hours as my throat is too painful. Had to write a note for the Dr as I couldn't talk to explain symptoms.

He said there is a particular nasty virus that is poleaxing people for up to two weeks . I can't afford to take that time off work.

What I'm really after is self help for my throat - it is AGONY and I am besides myself. If I cough it feels like layers of skin being ripped from my throat. Strangely I don't think my tonsils are affected as it's more central roof of mouth.

The most impressive nasal drop you've ever seen.

He didn't say the f word though - just rest and fluids. Pain relief etc.

Anyone want to join my pity party?

I can relate to the taste. Also through the duration I have had an awful tongue. It seems to get coated in a yellowish brown deposit that clears at times only to return.

Not sure if anyone else has had that.

treedragon I had the tongue in the early stages for two weeks or so but not on going. Now that I am "better" (week 10)I find that instead of being relieved and happy I've been feeling a bit fragile. I think I was trying to be quiet and stoic during the worst but am now just totally exhausted and depleted. My arms feel like they have lost all their muscle mass and I've not been sleeping well.

My twins both still have the bad mouth taste almost a month on and are eating an alarmingly high white carb diet . The type of food we eat has really changed back to baby and traditional food - root veg stews, orzo, potatoes etc rather than thai, chinese and more complex flavoured food. My DP who has asthma and developed "mild pneumonia" still has a productive cough and little energy at 7 weeks in.

Wishing improving health to all

Just popping back to say that I think I've recovered (fingers crossed), and to wish you all a rapid recovery.

That's so good Lisette40 and gives confirmation to everyone that this horrible virus can be beaten.
I've been Ok for about a week now, still coughing up gunk now and then but
I'm sure I'm over it now! Thank God!
Still got the slight anxiety/low mood Treedragon and Rubyslippers but even that is fading now.
Warm hugs to all still suffering! 🐇🐏🐣 Soon be Spring!
It's a nasty, nasty virus!

I'm so pleased to read that there IS an end to this, Lisette40 and HonkyTonkWoman!

Heard back from my GP today, blood tests were all ok apart from my inflammatory markers were a bit high. No idea what that means but if I'm not better in six weeks (six weeks more of this!!) then they will repeat the test. Nothing back from my chest x ray, presumably that's still to be looked at...

What I thought was a slight cold has now knocked me for 6. Exhausted, achy, headaches, can’t get warm, constant runny nose.

But my god, the cough. I can’t take more than half a breath in without coughing. An awful, hacking, bark. I had terrible croup as a child and this feels like how I remember croup feeling when I cough. My whole chest is aching and the inside of my windpipe feels like it’s been sandpapered.

Woe is me

I know exactly how you feel Voiletrose. This must be the worst virus that I have ever had. My Dson has been worse, he started about two weeks after New Year and was ill for about a month, then it went for a couple of days and came back and knocked him off his feet again.
I've had it a month and I'm pretty confident it has gone and I hope it's doesn't recur.
I've never coughed like that in all my life. You feel you can hardly breathe.
Keep warm, hydrated and painkillers. It's all you can do really!

Sorry it's come back again Me33 .
Try not to get down with it.

After 2 weeks in bed and 3 ill I am moreless better. Still very congested especially in the mornings. Still prone to headaches but I have managed 3 days out of bed. I even managed the cinema and supermarket.
To be honest I'm not doing much. I feel very very weak and wobbly still but definitely more normal than ill. The bad weather means I'm house bound but I suppose it's forcing me to take it easy- it's a shame I'm so bored of TV!!

So for those of you suffering I'm afraid it's a bit of a long drag but you do eventually come out the other side.

I am now on week four, on my second week of antibiotics for my chest and just completed 5 days worth of steroids. I have been signed off for the rest of this week and I am so glad I don't have to brave the snow feeling like this! I am now eventually starting to feel a bit better, but I am very tired and still coughing up A LOT of sputum and coughing up blood up until 2 days ago. I have never had anything like this! 😕

I was told I likely had a pneumonia too - still feverish with bloody sputum after a weeks worth of abx with a nasty sounding chest

What do you do if you're too weak and ill to get out of bed and go to the sit and wait morning surgery at the GP's? This is the only immediate option at my surgery, as the pre-booked afternoon appointments are always booked up for at least the next 2 weeks.

It's usually expected that you'll sit there and wait for 2-3 hours to see a GP, so now they tell people to come in and register for an appointment, then go home and come back again a couple of hours later. I can't even sit up for more than 10 minutes so no idea how I can manage that.

I also have a chronic illness so asked if a home visit might be possible, as my mum had a GP that came out to see her, and they had said they do home visits for elderly people and those with disabilities and chronic conditions. I was told this is wrong when I phoned the surgery though, it is for elderly people only apparently. How do I see a GP if I can't get out of bed to go and see one right now?

The fact is, even if you went to hospital you would have to sit and wait in a waiting room. I sat for 3.5 hrs in A&E with what turned out to me a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. If you've got to go, you got to go.

Agree with random your choices are to go to A&E and wait or phone 111 and answer the endless questions and then get told either to phone your GP or go to A&E. Ask The GP receptionist if a GP can phone you - they do this at my surgery. They call you after 11 am but before 1pm and decide what you should do - if they want to see you and know you are very poorly they often tell you a specific time to come at and usher you in straight away or after just a few minutes. Have you someone who can accompany you and can you get a taxi there and back or a lift?

Why do you need to see a GP/go to A&E though? You've got flu, this is how all of us have been, unable to move.

Is your chronic condition likely to make getting flu more dangerous (if so, you'd have had the jab).

I'd call 111, last time I needed to they arranged for a GP to call back within an hour and they called after about ten minutes. Yes, there are a lot of questions but there are to access any medical support. It's the only option if you need advice and can't get out of bed really, isn't it?

You could try insisting on a GP home visit, they will do them but they have to be sure you need it, it takes a lot of resources, it's inefficient. They will probably want to speak to you on the phone first and ask all those questions (my GP called me when I said I was too ill to go to the surgery).

You should call 111 I think.

GPS don't have the resources to do home visits unless someone is genuinely housebound. If every usually young and relatively fit and well person demanded Home visits the system would be even more fucked than it is now.

And by the way I am glad I'm not the only one for whom this has tested their pelvic floor. Thought mine was relatively intact as I have dd by elcs, but it appears not. 😳

I think this seems like the most miserable winter I can remember.

I feel I have just existed since Christmas and now the winter dumps snow chaos and bitterly cold temperatures on us.

Surely spring is just around the corner?

I agree. I thought I was better - had some feeling better days but awoke with a stuffed up nose yesterday, mild nausea and have tight chest and coughing gunk again - will it never end??? It feels like there is some nasty numskull deciding to give me a few days respite to mess with my mind and then bam - hit again. Living in fear of the razor blade throat's return.

I’m now coming up 8 weeks.

Still don’t feel “right”.

Some nausea, aching, cough all combinations of.

@kikashi

Are you feeling depressed with this? I know I am.

I was trying to just lay quiet, get better and be stoic - sort of give myself over to it and just try to get better but the thought of heading into a third month is daunting. I suppose I feel curiously resigned and a bit flat.

The snow has helped in a way- all clubs and events round here are cancelled. I haven't been enjoying walking or able to cope with going out with this lurgy so I'm not itching to get out of the house like I normally would be when ill and not getting my hikes in. I've never ever watched so much TV or sat on the sofa so much.

Sorry you are feeling down treedragon - have you young DC? Mine are all teens or early 20's so can see to themselves. If they were young I think I'd be going out of my mind by now.

treedragon everyone I have spoken to who have had this virus have told me that they feel down and slightly anxious.
My gardener came on Monday and he's a fit healthy chap and he'd had it since before Christmas. He still didn't look good, I asked him if he's had the anxious/down feeling and he had. He was so relieved when I told him that a lot of people were feeling that way. He said he was really worried but hadn't mentioned it to anyone (you chaps not known for opening up).
He is one of the most cheerful chaps you could meet so if it's made him feel "odd" then I think it's affected the nervous system.

I don’t know if people can relate but I feel really “vulnerable”. I feel like I have no strength or energy and that my body will fall apart if I push myself.