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Covid for 4 weeks & still bed ridden. Anyone else had prolonged severe illness without hospitalization

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Res35
Res35

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

5383 Replies

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  • viv72815
    viv72815 Res35

    Edited

    good morning everyone, i hope you all had a better night than me. after 2 pretty good days i had the appetite for steak and chips last night. not sure if i ate too much but was up 4 times last night with the dreaded diarrhea. could i ask you all if anyone is suffering with the same symptoms as me. i am now on day 50.

    i have a tight burning sensation that varies in intensity. it started inbetween my shoulder blades a few weeks ago but is now moving up and down my back. it causes me to go light headed when i lean back.

    i had diarrhea at the beginning which was bad but this week it has returned but not the colour it was i am pleased to say.

    no cough

    no blocked nose

    slight headaches occasionally.

    skin on chest feels sore to touch

    some nights waking on the hour if i am lucky enough to sleep

    appetite comes and goes

    thankyou for reading and i would be grateful of any answers

    • steph88359
      steph88359 viv72815

      Edited

      Hi Viv sorry to hear about your awful night you poor thing. I've had diarrhea on and off but its got better now. Never had sickness or a cough. I've been managing to sleep 6 hrs with the help of paracetomol just before bedtime. Appetite does come and go but it's defo better now. I've had the pain between shoulder blades last week but maybe its the inflammation on our lungs as my back feels very tender. I hope you have a better day.

    • MRMR
      MRMR viv72815

      Edited

      Hello Viv

      Sorry to hear of your symptoms. I'm 8 weeks plus (possibly. Can't really pinpoint exact length of time) and thought I was on home straight, but had a bit of a backward step. Became more tight chested and wheezy day before yesterday and feel very tired, so only able to sit on sofa. Inhalers not making any difference. Also have weird burning feel in lower abdomen but poo OK (sorry!). I'm not anything like as bad as I have been, so hoping it will improve. I am though, very, very anxious all day and every day, which is my main concern. I feel hyper vigilant all the time, which is exhausting and takes its own toll.

      It's a lovely day, so will sit in garden soon

      Mary xx

    • stuart68c
      stuart68c MRMR

      Edited

      Really sorry to hear you're having rotten time of it. Having suffered with anxiety and stress myself these last few years I can tell you how crippling it can be and the effects it can have on your system, especially gut. The anxiety affects on our brain are connected through our nervous system right down through our body.

      With all the symptoms you're suffering with and the prolonged nature of our illness it is no wonder that so many of us are having problems with anxiety. I'm not saying it is causing your/our symptoms but it can accentuate and make things worse. Mine was so bad that I ended up with IBS a year ago.

      Sometimes my breathlessness is hard to distinguish from the symptoms I used to have when I was suffering with stress and panic attacks which is probably why so many docs try and pass off our problems as 'anxiety'.

      I don't have a magic cure of advice for you but recognising how our stress and anxiety levels can have a detrimental effect on our illness is important. If you can find things that relax you or take your mind off stuff it might help. Easy to say I know. Hope you don't mind me stating what might already be obvious to you. Take care and get well soon.

    • viv72815
      viv72815 steph88359

      Edited

      thank you steph

      i am struggling a little at the moment so ill and low and no one to help. trying to stay positive but its hard x

    • viv72815
      viv72815 MRMR

      Edited

      thank you mary

      enjoy your garden x

    • stef8
      stef8 MRMR

      Edited

      Hi Mary, how is your daughter now? I have that weird burning in my lower tummy/pelvic area! its so weird. what do you think it is? i get the burning in my chest too and then it radiates down.

    • MRMR
      MRMR stef8

      Edited

      Hi Stef

      No idea what the burning is. I try not to think too much about it tbh.

      My daughter spent 2 nights in local hospital on kids' isolation ward (aka Covid ward) for observation only.all tests Ok thank goodness. They think it's same extended post viral thing as me, although I also think they think I'm neurotic and over anxious. I'm certainly very anxious, but her symptoms are real. My husband just drove us to the local woods and we had 15 minute walk. She and her sister got breathless and headachy, but otherwise ok. Will go very gently with exercise.

      Xx

    • MRMR
      MRMR stuart68c

      Edited

      Hi Stuart

      I don't mind at all. Wise words indeed. I have had episodes of anxiety in the past. It's very common, so am very happy to be open about it. I think it's really important to open up about these things. Trouble is, as you say, docs can focus on the anxiety rather than the physical cause, although know both are inextricably linked. Well be alright 👍👍

    • stuart68c
      stuart68c MRMR

      Edited

      The irony is when the doc says it's anxiety and you know it's not you get more anxiety!!! 🙄😂 got to laugh!

      Stay well. All the best.

    • joanne82424
      joanne82424 viv72815

      Edited

      Hi Viv

      Hope your stomach has settled down and you are feeling better

      I've been having an upset stomach the last few mornings, not sure why, I don't think it's anything I've eaten. It's not as bad as it was a few weeks ago when I had really bad stomach pains, like colic, but much worse.

      I'm on week 9 now and still have problems with breathing, nose blocking, tight chest, and more, but it is all very slowly improving. I'm trying to walk a bit each day, I started with a very wobbly walk in the garden, and now I'm starting to go out walking for 10-15 minutes.

      Hope things improve for you soon

  • CTown3012
    CTown3012 Res35

    Edited

    Hi everyone!

    So glad I found this thread, at least I now know that I am not the only one still suffering after so many weeks. I think I am now on around week 8-9 (I've lost count). I didn't have the "standard" symptoms that so many were getting (although I've come to realise that the list of symptoms seem endless). I didn't have a fever or a cough. My main symptoms have consistently been a very heavy feeling on my chest, fatigue and breathlessness. I have had other symptoms at various times, pain/burning in between shoulder blades, sore throat, very dry throat, palpitations etc.

    On around week 3, my GP advised me to go to A&E as the breathlessness was really bad but after checking my BP, oxygen levels and temp I was sent back home (not tested at that point).

    When the testing became available for healthcare workers (I work in the NHS) to apply for a test, I received a home test which I did and sent back. Two days later I received the result - negative. I had been warned that the test would only show if I still had the virus and was really only accurate if done in the first 5 days of symptoms. At this point, I was about 5-6 weeks in so fully expected a negative result.

    Currently, I am having a really breathless day, the slightest bit of exertion is wiping me out and I don't feel I am taking a "full breath" if you know what I mean. I seem to have a couple of "better" (not fully) days and then I feel like I'm back to square one.

    • mkqq
      mkqq CTown3012

      Edited

      Sorry to hear that you are struggling. I'm also very low on energy and can't sleep properly after 10 weeks. These days my symptoms are fatigue, poor sleep, slight runny nose / sore throat, slight leg knee joint pain.

      When you say "slightest bit of exertion", what level of exertion are we talking about?

      I can manage activities around the house no problems, also some light exercise (situps, pushups etc...), everyday I try to do one aerobic exercise which is a 3km walk or a bike ride ~15-20km ish. I'm managing to go to work 3 days a week on average (office work) but I come home feeling like an empty battery.

    • MRMR
      MRMR CTown3012

      Edited

      Hi there

      So glad you've found the 'club' (not one anyone would choose to join!). We're here to support each other, so do let us know how you are getting on. Your symptoms are very familiar.

      Mary x

    • CTown3012
      CTown3012 mkqq

      Edited

      Hi mkqq

      I am managing to do things pottering around the house. When I say exertion I mean like doing some gardening (digging, lifting a bag of compost etc) .... I tried earlier and had to give up, I felt really faint and breathless. It's great that you are managing some light exercise, even a small amount whenever you can will hopefully help you fight this nasty virus.

    • CTown3012
      CTown3012 MRMR

      Edited

      Hi MRMR

      Thank you for your reply. It's such a relief to know there are other people I can "talk" to.

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