Covid for 4 weeks & still bed ridden. Anyone else had prolonged severe illness without hospitalization
Posted , 209 users are following.
Hi,
I've had Covid19 for 4 weeks and if I had the energy I'd be tearing my hair out.
I've had 2 sets of prohylactic antibiotics to safeguard against bacterial infections, my temperature has been up and down but never higher than 38 the entire illness.
I've had severe neuropathy during the illness and some kind of night seizures accompanying the other more well publicised symptoms that mean my sleep is terrible also.
I went to hospital Day 14 after a week of seriously thinking I'm on death's door and my blood oxygen was good enough to be sent home for follow up at the Covid Hubs where they basically just take temperature, pulse and oxygen levels.
I was prescribed a 2nd course of antibiotics there as my temperature was still up and they are checking in on me every few days.
Meanwhile I am having one better day, then another terrible day, then a better day then a worse day..But 'better' is still bed ridden, just means I can breath well enough and not too dizzy to make myself my own cup of tea, have a shower and engage in some small talk with my family.
Everytime I have a good few hours I think, that must be me getting well now, but no, 4 weeks later and the last 24 hrs my breathlessness has been worse than it was for the previous 5 days..Am about ready to shoot myself.
Is there anyone else that's experienced being so ill with this virus outside of an ICU setting where it's carried on this long?
Even ICU patients are recovering in 3-6weeks .
Cannot understand why I'm not getting well yet.
I have no underlying health issues and I'm in my 30s.
I don't know if I still have Covid or if this is post viral inflammation and fatigue..There is no way of knowing as they are not testing community cases. Every doctor just says it's definitely Covid but I have no idea if I've passed the peak of the illness or if i should still be worried it could get worse.
Just feel it's going on forever.
Be great to know if there's any non hospital stories of people being sick, as in still unable to do a thing this length of time.
Thanks!
19 likes, 5383 replies
gwen54 Res35
Edited
hi Res i sympathise with you
i contracted Covid on the 9 of May and had several days of severe heat down my shoulder blades i did not realise at the tine this was the start of Covid as i felt really well a few days later . A week layer i had a severe fever radiating around my body my taste buds went completely
i had a test done as i live on the isle of wight this came back negative. i spoke to my HP and said if this was not Covid something was seriously wrong
i was told 30% of test were false , GP said i definitely had Covid so I had another test done this came back negative I had a week where I felt really well and thought it was over and then last week the fever started coming back I have symptoms of burning feet tingling over my body and a sense of numbness on parts of my body and very painful since I had my temperature taken taken the first week and it came back normal. This was four weeks I have Heard the other people who had Covid for a week is completely cured and back at work I am 65 years old and I’m 66 next Wednesday I do have her condition diabetes2 asthma and overweight. my stomach was also affected and quite often had loose stools.
like you I keep thinking I’m getting better and then my midday fever comes back in areas my body at the moment my feet feel as if they’re on fire I haven’t been to hospital when I spoke to my GP last week he kindly informed me that there were fevers before Covid I thanked him for this information and he told me just to take paracetamol.
susan48029 gwen54
Posted
Your gp dosnt have a lot of empathy towards you gwen as your type 2 diebetes your at a higher risk, have you had the tight chest and breathlessness?
gwen54 susan48029
Edited
hi Susan no i have not had a cough nor tight chest the odd bit of slight breathlesness but the main pain was from sever heat not all over my body at one go more in areas mainly around my shoulder blades the fever would go to my feet so painful even my lips with a slight tingle
tingling in my feet and fingers and my fingers also felt they were on fire.
my taste buds are back but i have not got much if an appetite.
Each day can vary i wake and might feel physically well but with in a couple of hours the heat starts radiating normally on my side to start. ive also had spells of being dizzy
foes this resonate with others. i have to be honest i have not bothered to contact my GP as he did not seem Interested. i did write to my isle of wight MP as three false readings from my Covid test is not good not counting all the other false tests!
Rufio222 gwen54
Posted
Gwen do not be afraid to go to the hospital if you aren't feeling well. They are not nearly as busy anymore and can check you more thoroughly.
gail28154 Res35
Edited
This forum has really put my mind at rest. That its not just 'anxiety' as i keep being told by a and e doctors.
I have had symptoms for over 3 months now, ranging from, tight chest, cough, breathlessnes, crushing chest pains radiating to my back. Tingling down my right side, heart rate going crazy with qt waves. Sore throat, lump in throat. Stomach pains, feeling of slowly being poisoned, episodes diarrhea, hot sweats in bed, then being freezing cold. Episodes of brain fog and confusion, extreme fatigue. Insomina, sore eyes and skin rashes. At one point when i was really ill my lips swelled like id had fillers.
Ive been to a and e 8 times (111 kept sending me ) just to be sent home with a diazepam and co codamol and i really felt as though i was loosing my mind, even my husband thought i was making it up. But now i don't feel alone. I am so fed up as i can't even exercise properly ( im a bit of a exercise obsessive) and i have no underlying issues apart from hayfever and a tiny bit of arthritis in my big toe, im 38 and have never ever been ill like this !!
I dread going to bed now as i never know what symptoms im going to wake up with in the morning !
MRMR gail28154
Edited
Hello Gail
Glad you found us. We all understand exactly what you are saying. Many of us have been made to feel like it's all in our head by a and e and/or GPs. On the other hand, many of them just don't know how to help people with an infection with such a wide range of ever changing symptoms.
Your symptoms are so familiar to me (and most of us on here) and are very real and distressing. If you've read the thread though, you'll hopefully have seen that we are mostly on the way to recovery, with ups and downs on the way and despite it being a long and drawn out process.
I sympathise with you re exercise and health. I'm 52, but have always been able to exercise. Healthy apart from underactive thyroid and very mild asthma, which hasn't bothered me for years.
I have been able to go for walks, but did have to stop for rest on my last one, as I became quite breathless. I'm not overweight and usually walk a lot with no problems.
Do keep posting Gail. This group has been so helpful to me.
I hope you have a better day. You WILL get there.
Mary x
MRMR gail28154
Edited
Hi Gwen
Welcome to the 'club'.
Your story is very familiar to us and this group can really sympathise with you and understand what you are going through. Do keep coming back to share how you are getting on; we have been supporting each other with advice about managing symptoms or just by listening and reassuring. If you've read the threads, you will have seen we are getting there, slowly and with some blips along the way, but definitely improving.
You WILL be OK.
Mary x
Graceyspacey gail28154
Posted
Gosh Gail, I'm so sorry. It all sounds so so similar to me and the timing, except I didn't have the rash, lip swelling or hot sweats, but Ive had everything else. Ive had 6-7 paramedics out and 3-4 trips to A&E (One for an allergic reaction to an SNRI). It must all be so worrying for you. I so relate to the going to bed. I'm waking with what seems like hyperventilation , but I'm not so sure. I don't know why it wont stop. I'll eventually fall asleep say 2am, wake 4hrs later , have high HR, stay awake for half hour to an hour so it comes down. Go back to sleep, an hour or two later the same thing. By this time I'm so tired I try and fall asleep again to only wake a 3rd time another hour or two later with another high HR. Its really really getting me down and I cant get why its happening and I just want to rest, relax and sleep . I cant seem to get any help for it, except the blinkin beta blockers, which don't seem to be helping fully (& making me feel so much pain and discomfort and weird side effects).
From 4am this morning my HR has gone up down and all around from 107 to 59!!! I'm on a beta blocker the last week due to more severe SVT's, so I'm not sure it should be doing that?! Ive had the most horrible night. Have you taken the diazepam and codeine? I took one diazepam weeks ago and had the most awful night, felt like my chest was dropping inside. I read that because it slows HR down and sedates if your unwell with a virus it can exacerbate things. I cant take codeine as it does strange things to me, so have steered clear. My gatsro wants me to try lorazapam instead to settle me down, but I'm really not sure. I really wish our GP's had been given more directives on how to help us. Like you I'm so sick of being told its anxiety, but it could be the darn "little sugar" (as Gary has coined), that's caused it in our CNS. There's some moments in each day where I feel despondent and tearful and panicked and think will this ever end. Most of the time I'm looking for answers, doing umpteen online mindfulness courses to get through and Praying hard we all get gradually better.
gail28154 Graceyspacey
Edited
hi Gracey,
I only took the Diazepam once as it made me feel awful and with the co codamol i only take half a tablet when im desperate as i dont like the effect of them ( they make me drowsy) !
I know it sounds silly but i keep thinking what if it comes back and puts me in hospital on a ventilator, can it re emerge and make people really ill ? its the not knowing that is scary
beautifulday Res35
Edited
hi there, new to this forum.
Had Covid 19 symptoms starting on 16 March. Symptoms were high temperature, sore throat,cough, breathlessness,loss of taste and smell for 6 days, severe fatigue, cold and hot sweats, feeling as if I had been poisoned, bad pains upper back and chest. Took around 2 weeks to start feeling better, exhaustion lasted 4 weeks. Had a small relapse in May, but generally feeling back to normal, doing 5 mile walks without difficulty.
On Friday started feeling peculier with a temperature and fatigue, dizziness and aches again, but no sore throat or cough yet. As we had met up with family (outside), decided I had better self isolate again and have sent for a home test, should get it within 48 hours hopefully. Convinced I had the virus back in March as I have never felt like that before, even when getting normal flu. Am thinking that this is some sort of relapse, but would I get a temperature? Seems odd.
dawn84999 beautifulday
Edited
Hi ,
Welcome to the group, definitely sounds like you had it first time round,especially with the loss of taste and smell.
I too doubted what it was till that symptom and then tested positive.
Always best to be cautious and think that taking a home test and isolating is a good idea.
We just don't understand how our immune system reacts as individuals and whether we have built antibodies as some statistics have shown even those that had tested positive a few showed no antibodies but not sure how reliable those tests were.
At least having the test you can be reassured, but quite possibly a relapse as these seem quite common , really not sure about the temperature, I know a few of us suffer with hot sweats though.
Hope you get results promptly x
Res35 beautifulday
Edited
Welcome!
My GP has said that some people are having relapsing fever in a similar sense as some are having a recurring cough.
It's great you are getting a test though.
michael68152 Res35
Edited
Res!
Are you still feeling the affects? Been thinking of you all.
It seems the forum has certainly picked-up since I left my last comment a few weeks back.
Quick update while I'm here: I suffered badly from shortness of breath for over 4 weeks, bed-bound, utterly taken out. It was a gradual improvement and sometimes I still have peculiar sensations in my chest, reminiscent of those I suffered back in April/May (but far less severe),
Fortunately, I I am now back to full-physical health, regularly running over 10km (at least once a week) and incorporating daily exercise into my regime. The anxiety still hasn't disappeared and I can feel short of breath from this alone, but it's entirely different from when I was stuck with inflamed lungs - and so much more manageable. My mental health will take a touch longer to fully recover it seems.
Hang in there guys + Res, hope you're ok.
Res35 michael68152
Edited
Thanks Michael!
So glad to hear you are feeling so much better.
Afraid in not quite there yet.
Still have a bad cough and chest tightness. Some of the neurological symptoms have lingered too , albeit milder.
Am being referred to a respiratory specialist as still have fluid in my lungs and chest still tight.
Trying to stat positive but it's tough sometimes! Nice to hear you are doing ok!
andy86166 Res35
Edited
Very interesting article in today's Guardian -
'It feels endless': four women struggling to recover from Covid-19
diane1914 andy86166
Posted
Just read the article Andy and thanks. Glad that they are picking this up hopefully there will be more and more articles like this !!!! someone hopefully will start to listen 🙄
joanne82424 andy86166
Posted
yes this is very interesting, thank you
MRMR joanne82424
Posted
There was a similar one in the Atlantic over weekend, but moderator's haven't published my post with link to it!
Thanks for this btw👍
dawn84999 MRMR
Edited
Hi Mary,
Yes I read that one too,there seems to be more out there now x
Res35 andy86166
Posted
Yes, word is getting out there!