Flu or something else?

[razorcloud]

I'm at my absolute wits end.

It started with a cold and sore throat about 3.5/4 weeks ago that I got from my DC. After few days I lost my voice, had temperature and a typical virus run. After a week I collapsed and was taken to hospital, chest infection and pleurisy. I couldn't breathe, had agonising chest and shoulder pain, confusion. Week of antibiotics, nebs and inhalers, chest started to feel better but I started to get palpitations, feel dizzy and lightheaded, could walk as I was getting breathless. Ended up in the hospital after a blackout. All tests are more of less normal, oxygen levels fine, X-ray fine, ECG normal, no blood clots, heart enzymes normal.

Almost 4 weeks later I feel terrible, still have heart palpitations, nasty dizzy spells and now feeling sick. I'm having some further heart investigations but nothing seems to be wrong. I lost a stone in weight.

I'm broken and want to cry, I can't function and I just want my life back, I'm young, used to be healthy and fit. What can I do to make it go away.

This sounds really frightening and destabilising for anyone, what a run you've had of it. Are you still under the hospital's care? What are they saying about your continuing symptoms?

Thank you @AdverseClamber, no hospital care, they just referred me back to GP, I'm waiting for some further heart tests and everyone just says it will be long recovery and kid of clueless how long or what is causing it for so long.

Sorry to hear this. I was not hospitalised like you- nothing went to my chest, but your symptoms sound very similar. I’m in my 5 week since it started and I’m still exhausted, nauseous - battling with a terrible lethargy meaning I can’t even walk very far now. It’s very worrying as I’m also young and I’ve got kids who I need to be functional for. I’m at my wits end and just want it to go and to feel better.
I get the odd moment of feeling semi normal, but it doesn’t seem to stick and if I try to do anything I feel even worse the next day.
I wish I had a magic wand to wave over us.
I think it was Covid in my case. I work in a busy secondary school and germy kids are everywhere.

@Thegrassroots26 I'm so sorry, sounds terrible. I also have small kids and missed all the Christmas shows and concerts. It does feel so cruel and never ending. I feel better for an hour and then back to feeling terrible for the rest of the day. All I want for Christmas is to feel better and go back to work and all the stuff I normally moan about like driving kids around to clubs and activities.

Yeah that’s my exact wish too. Bring back the boring mundane life please! Nothing like this kind of experience to make you realise how without your health you don’t have much.
My kids are a bit older than yours, but I’m a the only adult so have still felt the pressure of meals/running the home/ giving lifts etc.
Really difficult time. Wishing you the best and hoping we turn the corner for good soon…

I'm sorry you're feeling so rubbish. You mentioned that you'd been given inhalers? Sometimes the blue reliever salbutamol can cause palpitations, especially if you need it a lot. I know that's not causing your problems like collapsing etc but I wanted to point out that it can cause the feeling of palpitations, irregular beats etc. Usually passes after an hour though.

Thank you and yes I was told to stop the inhaler so I did over a week ago but still feeling lightheaded and heart rate keeps jumping. My blood pressure is quite low too so I'm just surviving from one day to the other hoping it will start improving and I get back to normal. I have CT angiogram tomorrow and feeling pretty scared about lying down and not feeling awful.

Just an update
I’m now 7 weeks in. I’m just finishing azithromycin for a chest and sinus infection, which started again 2 weeks ago. Heart is still all over the place, palpitations, chest pains, high heart rate. No one seems to really know what is going on anymore and how to stop it and I am absolutely distraught by it all. I have no life, can’t go anywhere or do anything. Does anyone have any idea what this might be and how to get better?

What a horrendous time you have had OP.

In the absence of anything showing on ECG / bloods I would be wondering about POTS, which can occur post virally. Have a google to see if that seems to fit with what you are experiencing.

Thank you @Puddlelane123 i have looked at POTS already but it doesn’t really fit as although I have jumps in hr when I get up they are not always big and go down quickly. It seems more like inappropriate sinus tachycardia but than it is not above 90 all the time. I seem to have the worst attacks in the morning when I get up, sometimes without doing anything and sometimes with exertion. Some days I’m feeling dizzy and sick and some I don’t. I’m also weak but not really fatigued.