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
amen73317 Res35
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i'm glad that i found this forum. i'm in the same boat. i've been sick since the 25/03/2020 . it started with chest pain , diarrhoea,loss of appetite and mouth ulcer . then after a week i was fine for a couple of days and thought that i turned a corner just for the symptoms to come back . now i've got muscle pain and fatigue , my neck hurt my back hurt my legs hurt . i am really tired of being sick on and off.
michelle2310 amen73317
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really feel for you, its awful is'nt it!
Res35 amen73317
Posted
It seems to be one of those virus that doesn't follow a linear path. I have been up and down and up and down like a frickin yo yo.
Had two 'better'days in a row now but seem to have caught another virus ( which of course can happen when your totally depleted) woke up with bright red throat and tonsils. Can't believe it.
Think must have picked something up at the doctors cause not been anywhere but health centres for weeks now.
Have told my GP, wouldnt usually for a res throat, would leave it a week at least, but off the back of having had Covid I dont want to leave any base uncovered as who knows if I've got the immune system to fight new infections.
Don't want to survive the Dragon and get felled by the sword so to speak.
michelle2310 Res35
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thats how i feel, i'm on my third lot ot anibiotics for my throat after getting over covid or whatever i had! doc wants to try steriods next , but they lower the immune system and i don't want to take the chance! He says my other option is getting my throat looked at in a walk in centre, but if my original infection was'nt corona i might pick it up! This is where we're all stuck st the minute
Guest amen73317
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Hi
Glad I found this forum. Thought I was going mad. My husband & I think we contracted Covid 19 early March. He had the sore throat & I have dreadful fever, loss of smell & taste, headaches on & off for 2 weeks. Since then I've had on and off fatigue and muscle and joint pains ranging from mild to terrible. In between I've had good days. I thought I was going mad and it was all psychosomatic or some viral fatigue. At present I've had sciatica like pains on my left starting in my back and going down my leg and into my ankle. It seems to be attacking everywhere that I've had a previous injury. I don't smoke or drink and am pretty healthy otherwise. I'm sick of feeling ill all the time!
MRMR Guest
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You're not going mad- far from it. Your experience is typical, in that it's not typical! I think most of us on here have had a very stressful roller-coaster ride with this. One day (or even hour) different from the last one. You're among friends here and this forum has really helped me feel that I'm not alone.
Take care xx
stuart68c Res35
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According to my mother, this morning a virologist was on the TV saying there are a lot of chest infections around other than covid 19. Of all the NHS staff self isolating due to symptoms, when tested only 30% were found to have Covid19. The rest had other chest infections/complaints. I hope I haven't got that info slightly wrong, and spreading misinformation but I thought it might be of interest.
Res35 stuart68c
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Yeah, it's true.
Thing is though the tests are still fairly inaccurate. Apparently due to too little viral mucous being found in nose and throat with Covid and more in lungs so there are also a lot of false negatives.
I'm someone who has had a lot of chest infections in past and ive never before had breathlessness with them nor have they gone on this long.
Given I've had two sets of antibiotics also I doubt if it was a chest infection I'd still be ill. Doctor said she was certain in my case was Covid die to the duration of illness. She said they were seeing covid cases go on and on for weeks😕.
julie35925 Res35
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I have been to drs who have given me antibiotics as a precaution, but nothing else they can do or say. It does seem there are more people out there with it lasting for weeks. It has to get better soon
Res35 julie35925
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I actually, without wanting to jinx it, feel a lot better on the corona symptoms last 48hrs. I'm not out of bed yet but feel more human and 2 days is longer than any other period of apparent recovery I've had.
Usually it's a couple hours not a couple days so fingers crossed things keep heading more forward than back.
I do think I've caught another virus last few days, but it feels more comfortably normal in terms of symptoms than what I've been having.
Who thought classic pharyngitis would feel so reassuring😂.
maybe this is the corner I've been hoping to turn..Guess will see over next couple days if it continues on a good streak.
michelle2310 Res35
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That would be great, just take your time when your up and about, i've been out of bed for a few days now, and if i feel a little better i try to do a little to much.
stuart68c Res35
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That's great! I am out of bed too these last two days. I am lucky enough to be able to sit in a garden and absorb some sunshine. I actually feel more human too and the warmth of the sun feels so healing. Here's hoping to better days! 🙂
Lulu2020 Res35
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Hi Res35
I too am now being treated for pharyngitis - never felt so worn out and weary in my life - surely this must all get better soon. Not too bad first thing especially if slept well but by 6.30 p.m. throat sore, breathing hurts in right lung and right side of throat (been same side the whole time) and generally under the weather. Have had a couple of better days recently but then when I go into the 6.30 decline I literally can't see the woods for the trees and start to feel the C-19 must still be bubbling away - I am 6 weeks in now - two weeks mild symptoms and then it kicked off on April 5 so 4 weeks of properly feeling ill.
I too am scared to jinx it so if anyone asks I just have to say I am have a better day. I really hope you have turned a corner there has to be some relief from this both physically and mentally - every night the anxiety comes flooding back it is so hard to keep it in check. Take care, wishing you more good days.
xalatoh Res35
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due to the new information being released that confirms covid-19 has most likely been spreading in the USA since january, i know that my entire family has had it. we were all sick with high fever, chest pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and of course cough for about 3-4 weeks in early january, and all tested negative for flu multiple times. 4/6 of us even got our flu shots. i have asthma (being controlled by a steroid) as well as EBV, but am otherwise in great physical shape at 21 y/o. although i never had symptoms that prompted a hospital visit (whereas my 18 y/o sister was in the hospital twice with shortness of breath and dizziness, also in great shape with no other conditions than hyperthyroidism), i was severely fatigued and had on-off fever until the beginning of march, wherein i developed sinus-infection like symptoms and was prescribed azithromycin. after the antibiotic, i felt totally normal again. i still have some occasional chest pain, but nothing unbearable. during those weeks, however, i could barely even finish my workout routine, and was napping for hours by the early afternoon. i also had pretty bad mental fog that felt akin to PMS. some days i felt like i was getting better, and other days i could barely drag myself out of bed. it felt a LOT like when i had severe mono for six months straight when i was younger.
i know you said you've already been on antibiotics, but if you haven't tried azithromycin already i'd recommend at least giving it a shot. pretty sure that's what helped me recover. best wishes!
marie2466 xalatoh
Posted
That was one of the antibiotics I was given, my gp and our 111 service then diagnosed suspected corona virus as they said if it was a chest infection it would have shown signs of improvement. It didn't work for me but I would definitely try it if it hasn't been given.