Coronavirus post fatigue and trouble sleeping?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi all,
Had a fever 9 weeks ago which lasted 3 days, then 3 days or so of green/yellow phlegm and 4-5 weeks of white phlegm.
Throughout this whole time I've been fatigued and worst of all have significant trouble sleeping. When the sleep problem started around 8 weeks ago there were nights when I couldn't sleep at all.
Now I manage anywhere between 4-8 hours of sleep a night. The sleep is very interrupted and not very good quality. Often I would take up after 1-2 hours and struggle to fall back asleep.
I also seem to be suffering post viral fatigue. I can manage daily activities no problems even incorporating some exercise (bike rides etc....), but when I exert myself I sometimes get a slight sore throat and runny nose, typical post viral fatigue symptoms. It seems sleep disturbance is another post viral fatigue symptom.
I did a CRP test 2 weeks ago and the doctor confirmed that the infection is gone, and I'm just feeling the after effects.
Anyone else going the same thing or having trouble sleeping?
Many thanks
0 likes, 9 replies
jan34534 mkqq
Posted
I haven’t had the infection but I know people who have. And they are saying the same thing about having trouble sleeping. It’s going to take some time before your body gets back on its regular sleep pattern. The virus was a major disruption to that. Just take it one day at a time. That’s all you really can do at this point. The virus takes a huge toll on the body so make sure you are taking care of yourself by eating healthy foods and staying hydrated and going on your bike rides. Eventually you will be back to where you were before this happened.
I really enjoy listening to sleep meditations while I’m laying down in bed at night. I rarely make it through the entire meditation because it’s so relaxing. You could try those to help you fall asleep. . some of those meditations last 8 to 10 hours but then there’s ones that are for an hour. there’s also Nature Sounds that are mixed with rain sounds. Very soothing! it’s probably something your brain could use after going through the illness.
take care!
mkqq
Posted
Thanks. I did quite a lot the weekend before and I think it was too much, for the next few days I felt quite tired.
Honestly I thought it was going quite well until 7-8 days ago when I discovered PVFS on the internet and the fact that it could lead to CFS/ME. As soon as I discovered this I started to panic and I felt more tired the next 2-3 days. I think there must be a psychological element to this as well.
moon53540 mkqq
Edited
So a covid-19 cough is dry and nonproductive, so if you were coughing up green/yellow phlegm it was likely to be a chest infection not the covid -19 virus. 9 weeks ago is when all the media started giving us all the scare stories about covid so it us understandable that you started having sleeping problems 8 weeks ago. If you are not well at sleeping at night, I would say that and stress would be a more likely reason for feeling fatigue than post-viral syndrome. Try doing yoga and practising breathing relaxation exercises. Stop looking up health problems up on the internet it will only lead to more psychosomatic symptoms.
mkqq moon53540
Posted
Phlegm production is a symptom of Covid-19, although not as common as a fever or a dry cough.
I just think that this is not a normal cold or flu infection, as I've never had an infection that resulted in me not feeling normal for more than 2 months. Normally it goes away within a week.
moon53540 mkqq
Edited
Stress and anxiety are making a lot of people feel unwell and lack of sleep can weaken your immune system which can make viruses last longer. Even if you have covid 19, all the media footage and social media reports are making people feel more stressed and this can affect your immune system too. Try and avoid reading about it and watching too much tv about it because there is a lot of scare mongering, I heard a virologist say the other day that from the statistics he had seen so far of people dying or having serious complications were probably the same as a bad strain of the flu. Also if you are not going outside and getting daylight on your skin, this could affect your sleep. Try taking vitamin d and vitamin b complex, vitamin d helps your immune system and the b vitamins are good for your lungs as well as other health benefits. To have had the virus 9 weeks ago you would have had to have contracted it before then, which country are you from? Were you travelling around that time?
mkqq moon53540
Posted
Yes I am having a lot of stress and anxiety which isn't helping. When I'm stressed my sleep becomes even worse (fragmented 3-5 hours a night and not good quality). This is making me more tired during the day.
I will try Vitamin B and D.
I live in the Netherlands and I was in Oman the week the fever started. Arrived on Sunday, fever started on Wednesday night. It was a night flight to Oman and during the day I was in Amsterdam.
So whatever virus I had I either picked it up in Amsterdam, through the airport, or on the plane.
moon53540 mkqq
Posted
Aeroplanes are a very easy way to catch infections as the air is being recycled so you are breathing everyone else's germs in!
At night, try taking an antihistamine half an hour before you go to bed to help you sleep a bit better, but avoid alcohol at the same time. Try and have a bath before bed time to help you relax and if you wake up in the night and can't get back to sleep walk to the kitchen make a warm milk, then go back to bed. Try not to look at your phone or tablet because the light can disturb your sleep. Don't keep checking the time either, that can stress you out when you have trouble sleeping.
I had post viral syndrome after glandular fever when I was a teenager, the main thing I felt was extremely tired, but even normally being a light sleeper, I could sleep very well when I had this. I would have trouble waking up if anything. I would sleep through the night and I would also need an afternoon nap when I got in from college that could be up to 2 hours! I don't know if it is different depending on the virus though. Mine lasted about 6 months.
Are you taking any medication at the moment? Certain medications can affect your sleep. Also, if you drink caffeinated drinks, try not to have any after midday. Avoid sugar before bedtime too. I also heard that certain nuts like walnuts and almonds are supposed to help you sleep.
mkqq moon53540
Posted
No alcohol sick I got sick, I also never drink coffee.
Last few days I've been reading a book for a few minutes before bed. Doesn't seem to help that much
I need to pace myself with activities. The weekend before last I had 4 days off and I did a bit too much, going on a couple of jogs and cycling 2-3 times, as well as walking 2-3km once per day. Then the next few days I was quite tired.
It really didn't help having discovered ME/CFS online. As soon as I found this my sleep became poorer and I feel more tired, and got more post viral symptoms.
If it is indeed post viral fatigue it is a mild form. I don't think I have the energy to work 5 days a week but I can manage my daily activities including some exercise no problem. If I sleep well then I get more energy, at least it feels that way.
mkqq
Posted
Update...
So I did a blood test this week and found that I was extremely low in Vitamin D. I used to live in Australia (Perth) for several years before moving to Netherlands 1.5 years ago. I guess my body got accustomed to the abundant sunlight and my Vitamin D levels has been slowly depleting since moving to Europe.
The initial fever may have been a trigger that really exposed the symptoms of the Vitamin D deficiency. That's perhaps why I haven't recovered fully in over 2 months?
I see Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many things include fatigue, weak immune system, depression, and trouble sleeping (also could be effect of depression).
Could this explain the whole situation? If this is indeed the answer than it is a lot better than post having viral fatigue.