Anyone else got this Virus - ongoing Nausea - I have had it for 4 weeks

[Concepta]

Just been to the doctor. I have had Nausea now for 4 weeks. The doctor says it is a virus and I should be OK soon. He said that unlike the Norovirus this one can linger for a while. Was wondering if anyone else had anything similar and if so how long did it last. One good thing I suppose I didn't put on any weight over Christmas!!, but I would just love to feel healthy again.

@Pebble21uk glad all your bloods came back normal, hopefully the CT scan will be fine too - although I know this won’t help to find out what’s causing it.

I’ve just got back from seeing doctor number four who doesn’t think it’s a virus, she thinks it’s bacterial and has asked me to do a stool test. She also gave me some tablets for acid reflux, but I really don’t think it’s that. She said she wasn’t worried about my white blood cells so that’s why she doesn’t think it’s a virus.

Melly1801 hope the trip to the docs has given you some reassurance and feel something is being done! That's encouraging if she thinks it's bacterial as antibiotics would then be the way forward. How are you feeling now?
I'm on acid reflux tablets even though it's not that either. I think they're supposed to help with your tummy being empty and still producing stomach acid despite not getting what it usually gets in the way of food. I was put on some very strong ones (esomeprazole instead of omeprazole for a time) and the very strong ones just made me even worse - bloated and burping as air can fill up where the acid would be!!

How are you doing Mimi85? My anxiety about it all is going through the roof at the moment which isn't helping anything. I always lose my appetite when I'm anxious anyway - so it's hard to know what's anxiety and what's whatever is going on.

I should get my CT scan within 2 weeks apparantely.

I found the omeprazole and another one I was prescribed (can't remember name) didn't help, but made things worse. Binned them! Looking back, I found the uncertainty the hardest thing, all the "will it ever end, have I got something seriously wrong with me?" The limits of the Internet of course are that nobody is qualified to give you a definitive diagnosis, and other people's symptoms might have a context different to your own.

Saying that, talking here kept hope alive for me and hearing that others were gradually getting over their symptoms made me feel like mine could start to diminish too. Which they did. Personally, it was a lesson for me about recognising that sometimes we don't recover from illness in 5 minutes flat, much as we'd like to (and the world expects). But I can accept that lesson now because it wasn't anything more serious ultimately, but I didn't know that at the time. Keep posting to support one another, but also keeping chasing up your health providers!

Thanks PeninsulaPanic, you're right - it's that 'will this ever end' feeling and I'm now worrying after 6 weeks I'm in a vicious circle... my stomach isn't used to eating, my energy is rock bottom due to not eating, and I'm so tired, my anxiety is heightened all the time and I feel like everything is moving far too slowly on the medical front.

This morning I tried to have one round of bread and butter and now I feel like I have a tight band around my stomach, so full, and burping. Forcing food down is so hard!

I've ordered a home h.pylori finger prick test which should arrive tomorrow. (Has to be a blood one as the omeprazole would affect the stool test)

I've also researched a private gastroenterologist and emailed my GPs secretary asking for a referral to him.

My GP is sending me for this CT scan. I'm very lucky that I have private healthcare, but it won't pay for the CT scan as the referral is from the GP and my policy states it has to be from a consultant. So this way I figure if I get the ball rolling on a consultant (which the GP hasn't yet suggested) then hopeully I could have any further tests on my insurance.

I was getting that desperate I was considering paying for the CT myself as I could have had it yesterday if I'd gone privately, but it was just shy of £1000! So that was a no!!

Hi Pebble21uk - I'm sorry you're going through such a rough time.
It sounds like you're in a similar viscous cycle that I was in. I didn't eat, it made everything so much worse: stomach issues through the roof, exhausted, couldn't get on with my daily life...
Can I ask what blood tests you've done so far? I also did a h.pylori home test...
I'm completely exhausted & my health anxiety mind is telling me it's not normal to be this tired... Something must be wrong...

@Pebble21uk I just feel a bit confused really as the last one was sure it was a virus, just seems like they don't really know so suggest anything they can think of. I guess I will get answers after I do the test. Would a bacterial infection cause the dizziness and weakness too?

I have felt slightly better today, but I know this doesn't mean anything after having a few days of feeling fine then it coming straight back.

Hi Melly and Mimi
Yes, I'm sure a bacterial infection could cause dizziness and weakness too. Most bacterial and viral infections have very similar symptoms and it's only testing which will define which. I think doctors are so reluctant to give out antibiotics now that they always go with viral to begin with unless it's very obvious!

The blood tests I had were white blood cell count, viscosity (which was slightly raised and apparantely marks some kind of inflammation)further inflammation tests, liver, kidney, thyroid. I also had a stool test earlier on for the main food poisoninng strains.. Those were all fine.

I feel the GP is just going through the motions one thing at a time... I feel the need for more urgency than that which is why I've asked for a referral. I think until I see a gut specialist I'm not sure I'm going to get anywhere. There's only so many time the GP can listen to my symptoms, give me anti-nausea pills and find the tender areas of my tummy (with me it's the high stomach area, rather than the intestinal area)

Are there any other tests either of you have had which could be relevant??

Just did home h.pylori test - negative... good I suppose but I just want some answers!

Morning @Pebble21uk,

The only test I’ve had is the blood tests, and now will do the stool one. I think you’ve done the right thing asking for a referral if things don’t get any better.

Since Saturday things have improved for me, but yesterday before I had dinner I felt really sick but I am wondering if that’s from not eating a lot as I hadn’t eaten since the morning. Today I don’t feel 100% but feel better compared with last week. I’m still going to do the stool test and see another doctor this week.

For anyone who got over this virus/infection, did you find the last few days were the worst? And did you notice you had acid after the virus had gone? As I do feel like I’ve got acid now, so just wondering if this is it on it’s way out but I don’t want to get too hopeful. It’s been almost five weeks now!

Well I had this same bug last September, recovered after 4/5 weeks, and trying probiotics.
Well just this weekend it's back, so upset, hoping probiotics get rid again ☹️

Hello, any more updates?
I have my first therapy session tomorrow - I cannot wait!!! So what I read about health anxiety is that bodily sensations trigger anxiety... I was so tired at the weekend (GP said it's mood related i.e. "don't know") and just being tired brang on the anxiety, loss of appetite etc...

Weds last week on way home from work got these awful sharp stabbing pains they lasted about 30 mins, didn’t feel to bad for a while then suddenly felt really nauseous about 9pm. Had a shit nights sleep, Thursday was the same, loss of appetite, feeling nauseous but not being sick. At about 9pm Thursday felt top of the world. It was really strange. Been eating fine. Then today I felt sick at dinner but 30mins later was hungry. Defo not pregnant. Not sure what to make of it

@Mimi85 touch wood the past three days have been the best I’ve felt so far, but I refuse to believe it’s gone away yet as it could come back! Doctors called to ask me to redo a fasting glucose test as the nurse didn’t tell me it was fasted so I ate before. I have PCOS and reactive hypoglycaemia so I’m wondering if that’s getting worse and not helping the sickness, but I know it was 100% a virus or some sort of bug to begin with.

Good luck with therapy, let us know how you get on. I’m sure it will be really helpful for you 😊

Morning Everyone, I saw the dr again yesterday. She's doing a QFit stool sample (the ones that test for blood and as I'm JUST over 50 by a matter of days you get them on the NHS!) but with me all the trouble is much higher in my stomach not lower in my intestine.

I've had a consultant appointment through for next Thursday, so I'm just on hold until then and still waiting for news of CT scan. I managed to eat a tiny bit more yesterday and trying to keep the anxiety on check but neither are easy!!

How did the therapy session go Mimi85 - was it helpful?

Peninsula panic how long did it last for you? Not sure I can cope with weeks of this again.

My therapy session was good. Can't wait to have my appetite & life back...
The uncertainty of the original stomach bug really threw me off the edge

Since Saturday I’ve felt fine, thought I was finally over it then bam today I get to work and feel sick again!!! 🤢 just like the first day.

Can anyone who is still following this thread who has got over this virus please make me feel better and say this happened to you too? I don’t know how I managed to go five days feeling fine and it can come back. Exactly the same symptoms and feelings as before so I’m sure it’s the same thing whatever it is. I haven’t eaten or done anything differently to bring it back on.

Please help give me some reassurance 😭

Melly here I am again! I'm one of last year's posters about all this. Yes it did happen to me and like you I found it strange to be well and then back to being unwell, I though it would never go. But in my case it was a good 8 weeks plus before I got back to near normal. In the end I wasn't sure it was the same virus, a new one or post virus!

Melly - I'm sorry it came back, I know how anxiety-inducing & annoying it is. My digestive system still isn't great after all my stomach issues...I'm obviously just kind of ignoring it & trying to avoid foods which might upset it...

Still got it here, although if I think back to Monday, have got slightly better, it's just so slow going, can't cope with the anxiety part of this bug, can't concentrate or relax at all.

Thank you ladies @oldmum55 @Mimi85 @Lizandalfiedog.

I just cannot believe I felt practically fine since Saturday - I still wasn't 100% but was way better and could actually function! - and it just returned with a vengeance today.

I didn't do anything differently yesterday or eat any different so I don't know what else it could be than this coming back again. I've felt better since my post this morning, but back to dreading the mornings again in case it's back again tomorrow!

It's been FIVE weeks today since it started. I honestly cannot believe a virus or whatever it is can last this long.

Melly that's just what I'm like awful in the mornings, feeling better as day goes on, which makes me dread bedtime as it will soon be morning again and feeling rubbish again, have you tried probiotics last time I had this bug I found they helped me get better, was fine after about a week of them, on forth day of them and do seem to be very slowly getting there.

Hi, so today I thought "I've missed my period, it was 7+ weeks ago"... Then I thought everyone would be quite critical of me getting pregnant during a period of accute anxiety and my colleagues would always wonder if I just faked anxiety during the early pregnancy. I felt so nauseous & lethargic all afternoon. Then my husband reminded me I haven't missed my period at all.
I feel like this f@#_#@$ing virus has turned me into a complete hypochondriac anxious lunatic. I have never felt anxious with nausea in my life! I have always been able to clearly identify my emotions but now I've got some kind of health anxiety/ somatic symptom disorder...
My therapist is excellent, she's obviously very popular but she needs to keep seeing me often as I clearly need it

Hello all, sorry to hear everyone is suffering again... I was hoping things were on the up for people as it had been quite quiet on here.

I read something only yesterday that said anxiety often accompanies gastric issues. I don't know what the correlation is but it's not uncommon apparently. It's certainly been the case with me. I've felt slightly better today and eaten slightly more (I'm not counting any chickens though!!) and my anxiety has been much lower.

Part of me wonders if it's a mild version of that feeling you get just before being sick - I always go hot and cold and clammy and I suppose that is anxiety - but it diminishes once I've actually been sick. With this I haven't actually been sick, but maybe it's a version of the same anxiety?? Don't know - just musing out loud.

It's 7th week for me now (weeks 4 & 5 were much better then got worse again) ... I'm going for an abdominal ultrsound tomorrow morning.