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.

I am feeling worse again. Still not heard from the hospital re: camera test. The indigestion feeling has returned this week and stating to feel sick again after eating. Had to take 2 days off work this week as I'm so rough first thing in the morning.

Also had what I think was a panic attack last night. Just couldn't breathe when I went to bed. My husband managed to calm me down and I was ok after. I am going to ring the GP's tomorrow and insist they chase up this appt. my anxiety levels are through the roof.

I am usually hardly ever ill so this is hard going. I'm sorry you are all going through the same thing and glad I've got this thread to read and I'm not the only one xx

I’m sorry you’re feeling extra rough, @alwaysbusyandtired. How long have you been sick? Mine started with a horrible panic attack, but I’ve never been good with nausea. It’s the one thing I struggle to deal with the most I think. Of course that’s what I am stuck with for weeks on end! Life is like that I suppose. Still praying for a miraculous recovery for all of us.

I have my CT scan tomorrow! Good that it's a complete thorax to pelvis scan and another attempt to get to the bottom of things, but even the tests are making me anxious! They send you so much information with them now for disclosure - telling you all the risks as well, like allergic reaction to the contrast dye they use!

I thougt I was doing a bit better today - felt quite good in work this morning, got home lunch time and promptly fell asleep and woke up with nausea again! Arghh!

@alwaysbusyandtired I am exactly the same re sick first thing in the morning - still after this long! I've also taken time off work last week, managed a few days this week but off again.

I think it is definitely all stomach acid related now, rather than the actual virus still. My blood tests have come back as normal too, well the full blood count. Waiting for glucose still. So I think the initial virus is over with, and I am left with this acid/anxiety :(

@Pebble21uk @starzen I did have something for the acid weeks ago, but used it all up then when I went back to the doctor last week she mentioned giving me it again but didn't prescribe it, so I will need to go back to sort that if it carries on.

Just found my prescription for omeprazole that I didn't get - have you ladies had any side effects from this? I'm going to go to the chemist later today.

I'm fine with omeprazole, no side effects. I have 2 20mg a day at the moment. I didn't get on with esomeprazole though, which is stronger.

Thanks @Pebble21uk, just picked it up. How long did it take for it to start working for you?

I think it's supposed to be pretty immediate - the capsules have little beads in them which do something to the stomach acid! I still have indigestion but not the acid reflux.

I tried omeperazole, and had some side effects. Though maybe it wasn't the meds at all. After a few days to a week I had even less of an appetite and a dry/bad taste in my mouth. It was awful. But I know a few people who have been on it for years and probably always will be, and it works fab for them! Maybe I should give it another go.

Right now I am about to hit week 3 on Ranitidine. I thought this had worked for me well once before and wanted to try it again.

Will be 5 weeks "sick" on Sunday. I am also starting to wonder if it's even possible for it to still be a virus, or something else.

@pebble21uk I hope your scan goes well, keep us updated!

@pebble21uk great - thank you. I took one this morning, can’t say I’ve noticed an improvement but will see how I get on tomorrow!

@starzen what were your side effects? That’s what I’m worried about as I won’t know if it’s the tablets or some other part of this bloody virus! Hopefully I’ll be okay but we will see. I’m just taking one a day.

Fingers crossed we all have a symptom free weekend! 😭

@Melly1801 I feel the same way about starting meds right now! It’s the worst! I’ve tried both PPI’s in the past (Nexium and Prilosec) and both of them for some reason gave me side effects. It happened 3-5 days after I started taking them. Dry mouth, awful taste in my mouth all the time, and loss of appetite. But the loss of appetite may have been because of the awful taste. I only stayed on each about a week because I couldn’t stand it. I don’t know how common it is, because I know so many who take them every day and they have no issues! I always think about trying them again. Maybe last time was a fluke?

Right now I’m taking ranitidine twice a day and it helps the hunger related nausea and the heartburn a lot. I am almost to week 3, but am still waiting for them to work magic. Have read it could take a month? I just wish something would work!

@Pebble21uk any news on the scan? How did it go?

Also crossing fingers for a symptom free weekend!!

Hi All, scan went fine this morning, thanks. They said the results will be sent to the consultant in a few days. Has anybody had a CT scan with injected dye? It's the weirdest sensation - suddenly you feel like you've wet yourself as it flows around your body (you haven't and they tell you to expect the feeling!)

Problem now is the consultant wants to do the colonoscopy as well before seeing me. (A colonoscopy wasn't on the cards initially when I saw him but he added it to the barrage of tests after blood in a stool test)

They've just given me a date of 11th March for that - so week after next, but then he's on leave and his secretary emailed to give me a follow up appt for all the results on April 2nd!!! And that's privately! I was hoping to get results back in couple of weeks! Otherwise it will be 6 weeks from when I had the endoscopy!
Anyway, I'll have to sort something out as we're due to go on holiday on April 2nd anyway - and we've already cancelled one weekend away this year because of all this - I don't want to cancel another!

I've done a bit better with my food today (but it's so up and down). Managed 3 meals. I'm finding psychologically I'm less anxious and do better if I think of the nausea as indigestion... I think some of it is stemming from that anyway. I haven't actually been sick during the whole 2 months so it seems unlikely I will be so long as I'm careful.

Hope everyone manages a symptom free (or reduced weekend!)

Hi, I'm back home, drive takes about 4/5 hours if traffic is good.
Still feeling anxious first thing, but am able to eat now, stopped the esomeprazole couple of days ago, and not too bad off it, prob take a few days to get completely right though.
To top it al off now have a stupid chesty cough thing. Wish it would stop raining too.
Hope your all doing better.

Hi everyone,

How are you all feeling?

@Pebble21uk I’ve never had a CT scan. Hopefully the results will be fine, but then you’re left without answers! And hopefully you can get an earlier appointment too. Let us know how you get on when you get any results 😊

I managed a day at work yesterday, still felt sick on and off but think it’s more the anxiety about feeling sick now. Like you pebble I haven’t been sick the whole two months so seems unlikely now, think I was more nervous about fainting as I also feel dizzy with it but just trying to think that hasn’t happened the last two months and if I’m feeling anxious it’s not going to be my body’s natural reaction to faint!

Had a day where everything was normal on Saturday, but since then stools have been loose again so no idea why this is. Will go back to the doctor if this continues, although she seemed to think that was just anxiety but I don’t think it is as im not in a permanent state of anxiety.

@mimi85 how are you?

Hi All, hope everyone is doing a bit better, Had my CT results this morning - all clear - so that's a relief. Just the colonoscopy to go now.

I've been doing better over the last few days - no nausea to speak of and managing to eat much better. Still getting some indigestion and gurlgling but seem (fingers crossed) to finally be moving in the right direction!

How is everyone lese doing now?

Hi everyone,

Not great here I'm afraid. Been back to GP last Friday about the anxiety/stress symptoms but he told me to take time off work! I'd rather be busy so I am not doing that. Gutted today, I was photocopying in another office and the hospital rang me so I missed the call. Tried ringing back and had to leave a message but they've not rung me back yet. Typical!

Just want to get sorted as its been dragging on for ages now.

I don’t want to jinx it but I think I’m finally over this. Have been taking the tablets for acid since last Thursday, and the first few days I still felt a bit sick but touch wood that seems to have passed. I’ve managed to go to the gym five times this week which is the most I’ve managed all year.

So it lasted about 8/9 weeks, but I think the last few weeks weren’t the virus they were to do with the stomach acid. Unfortunately this has all left me with anxiety which I’m still dealing with, but the gym and being active is helping.

How’s everyone else?

I'm feeling a lot better than I was too - eating fine, though still sticking to fairly plain stuff at the moment.
Thing for me is that I still have to have a colonoscopy on Wednesday, which involves not eating the day before and then taking all those awful laxative preparations - so I really just hope that doesn't set me off again!! I feel like I'm just getting back to normal and then will be pressing the self-destruct button - but the doctor says I need to go ahead with it as they found traces of blood - so I've got to bite the bullet!

Im feeling ok too, a bit bleurgh first thing, but that can be normal for me.
Glad your feeling better too, keep us up to date with the colonoscopy.

I hope to reach that point soon! Still not out of the woods here. @Melly1801 what tablets made you feel sick the first few days? I stared Omeperazole, and was on it for 5 days, but didn't take my tablet this morning because the past couple of days have been nausea city for me. I feel like they have made it worse? Still taking my ranitidine though. It's been such a struggle to get enough calories in every day, and depression has been creeping in. I think I am at 6 weeks post virus right now. praying for some relief. I don't know how much longer I can live like this.

Hi @starzen - unfortunately I spoke too soon, and woke up feeling sick Monday. I think it's the tablets so I've stopped taking them. I was taking omeprazole, which was fine for all of last week but not sure what changed this week. I stopped taking them yesterday, feeling slightly better today but still feeling sick in the mornings :( the depression has also crept in for me too, along with the anxiety. It's just been awful. How long did the actual virus last for you? Hope you feel better soon!

Hi All, well I had my colonoscopy yesterday - the procedure was fine and they didn't see anything - but as I expected, having the laxative prep and then nothing to eat for over 24 hours has really kicked things off again for me big time. Grrrr! So I'm back to eating very small amounts when I can and it's ramped the anxiety right back up too. So,so fed up with it all. I want my life back!

I would have been afraid of that happening too, @Pebble21uk! Seems like every little thing sets me off these days. It's the worst! I hope you are at least back to the more tolerable symptoms again soon.

@Melly1801, I'm dying to know how you are doing since you stopped your acid reflux tablets. Omeperazole has made me miserable. I took it for 5 days, felt great the first 3 days, but the last 2 had more nausea than ever. Today is day 3 OFF the tablets, and I'm STILL feeling more nauseous than ever. I'm so miserable, and hoping it will pass soon!

Doing a little research this morning, and came across something called "hypochlorydia", anybody ever hear of it? Has a lot of the same symptoms that we are experiencing, almost never tested for, and it says that PPI's and other antacids often make you feel worse. Ergh. I feel like I have spent my life researching trying to figure this out.

I agree @Pebble21uk, I want my life back too!

Hi @starzen. Like you, I've been doing worse since coming off them! Ffs I am so fed up. So I felt fine on them for a week - no nausea at all - then day 8 or 9 I woke feeling sick but it got better, then next day I felt awful again. I came off them and have been feeling sick again, mostly in the mornings and I've also had some stomach pains. Going to try and see my GP again next week. How are you feeling now?

Haven't heard of that before, but googled and not sure that's what I've got but who knows at this point!!

Hey @Melly1801. I’m sad you hear you are struggling too. And same! I took Omeperazole for 5 days total. The first 3 days seemed great. The last 2 not so much. Today is day 4 off of them and I’ve read it can take 5-7 for side effects to wear off? It’s horrible. It has just ramped up my nausea and given me this awful taste in my mouth which also makes the nausea worse. Now I’m wishing I had never tried them! Famotidine is another one that doesn’t agree with me. Both times I tried that I ended up having panic attacks. I guess that is a side effect? (Did a little research.) I’m over it too, and just want to start feeling better. It’s been 7 weeks since V-Day (dumb virus).

Have a specialist appointment on the 24th but not expecting much. It seems like most people come out of it with clear tests anyway, and the treatment for a lot of things is what we are already doing!

It’s so, so frustrating. Sigh.