Covid for 4 weeks & still bed ridden. Anyone else had prolonged severe illness without hospitalization
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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
judith1960 Res35
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Hi
I'm now up to week 10 still with symptoms
WEEK 1-3
Fatigue
Headache excruciating
Shivery/Fever
Pain....couldn't lie down sleep
Migraine with floaters
Vision
Balance
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Diahhoria
Urticaria
Cough dry
Breathing probs...tight chested
Psoriatic arthritis got worse
Dizzy/wobbly when standing (and walking to bathroom in the night)
ON WAKING TODAY
Headache
Dry/slightly sore throat
Abdomen slight
Bones pain particularly spine in bed laid front side down
A fortnight ago Doctor did a Covid 19 test
it came back negative but he said he wasnt surprised with it being so late to when it began
Hope you all recover asap
Lulu2020 judith1960
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Sounds like the rest of us Judith, long slow process but from above seems the symptoms are improving - the specialist said another 6/8 weeks for me yesterday and I am coming up to week 9 so if he is right will be around 4 month recovery period. So long as we all fully recover am not too worried how long it takes.
Have a good day and hoping things continue to improve.
Lx
susan48029 Lulu2020
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I'm week 9 today
diane1914 Res35
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Hello everyone.... So happy I found this forum though I wish I found it weeks ago!!!! I'm on week 12 or 13 (not sure which week as I think i had virus from early March and wasn't given a test. Symptoms started as a cold and no taste but was told then that these weren't symptoms of covid as I had no temperature and no cough) 2 weeks with symptoms of cold then suddenly strange taste in my mouth no smell, fatigue and very tight chest. I had 3 very hard weeks with breathing but didn't need oxygen and never went to hospital. My husband phoned 111 and told him that I'm OK to stay at home unless breathing get worse. On week 5 or 6 I started to feel better... But I was very worried as to why it took me so long as everyone else was taking 2 weeks to get better. So I went for walks with my children and started to get on top of my housework and suddenly I started to get sore throat again (burning) sore chest back ache and shortness of breath, heart racing and also for one day I had chills diarrhoea and stomach pain. I was a little scared, phoned GP and told me to rest and drink plenty of fluid. And so I did. I tried to research about recovery from covid but t it scared me even more!! However I found a few tips which I think helped me. I found these breathing techniques from Dr Sarfaraz Munshi from queen's hospital London on Facebook so I started to to them 2 times a day... 1 morning and 1 after noon. I stopped going for long walks... I do 15 min slow walk and everytime I do an hour housework then I rest for 1hour. I started taking vitamin D and a multivitamin (one day vit D and1 day multivit). Sitting in garden in sun whilst resting I think done me alot of good. I think resting really helped me even though some days I felt really good I still didn't overdo it. These last 7 days I been sleeping 6 to 7 hours a night and no dreams. My breathing is very good in fact I ran upstairs as I forgot and no issues with breathlessness.!!!!! Hurray I am coughing a bit more now especially in morning and sometimes I'm getting a little headache but no other symptoms have come back. I'm still not over doing it as I think my body still needs time to recover but overall I feel alot better. I also do some of these breathing techniques from NHS Forth Valley (clearing your chest with breathing exercises) on you tube. the one you sit down relax breath in then out... Hope it helps. Thank you so much for everyone on this forum... And please stay positive.. Thank you
Lulu2020 diane1914
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Hi Diane
So pleased to hear about your recovery - you are a few weeks ahead of most of us on here but yes we have all been in a dark place from time to time and the symptoms do seem to come back especially if you overdo it. I am going into week 9 and things are slowly improving mainly the breathing and feeling of lungs being inflammed.
Thanks for your positive message it is exactly what we all need to hear and wishing you a continued recovery and I think the breathing exercises definitely help.
Good advice also to take it easy even on the good days as we have all had set backs on the way from overdoing.
All the very best,
Lx
Res35 diane1914
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Hi Dianne,
Am glad you found us!
When I started this thread I could find nothing and no one else who had my experience of this and it was in desperation that I wrote here.
I'm not usually a forum person and very much an introvert so writing this topic and trying to reach out was very uncharacteristic!
So glad I did though as we have all found one another.
Half the time I've been too ill with the symptoms to fully engage in writing back to every one but this last week or two felt things were really looking up.
Have a had a very bad day again today..But I'm hoping it's just another little relapse and will pass. It gets very draining so many weeks in doesn't it!
Hope you continue to feel better!
Rufio222 diane1914
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Welcome to the club, Diane. I found the thread a few days ago and it has been extremely helpful knowing I was not alone and being able to share similar experiences. It has especially helped my worrying, which had been constant. We are on the right track!
Gazza10 Res35
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Sorry to hear your having a bad day res hopefully it's like most of us get just another blip like most of us can't wait to get to about 12 weeks now I was told by the gp 8 weeks was probably the mark but I now feel that is the improvement line and 12 will be around getting better and like lulu said around 4 months should be over the line hope you have a better day today res and can push on again Gary
jim90098 Gazza10
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Morning Gary,
As you know I am behind you in contracting little sugar and currently on day 52, 7 weeks and into the third day.
Did you have a marked improvement in week 8?
If so, what were the signs/improvements please?
If any other kind soul has read this and is further down the track than I am please do not hesitate to regale your experience too.
No much sleep last night, Gary. Asleep by 11, awake at 1. Slept between 2 and 4, then catnapped fir an hour or so. Grand total 41/2 hours!
I've tried to stay in bed but to no gain sleep wise.
Oh, I wish for those halcyon days of hours of tranquil sleep and the ability to roll over and carry on.
Hopefully those days will return for us all soon.
Jim.
Res35 Gazza10
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Thanks Gary, me too! I'd actually started to make some life plans again!😂
Anyway, yeah, hopefully 12 weeks is the magic number...Won't be wanting to get this again next winter I tell you!
jim90098 diane1914
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Diane,
That is truly wonderful news.
I really can't wait to be as near to you in the return to full health.
Unfortunately, I'm week 7 (day 53), so I am quiet a way behind you.
Fingers crossed I'll catch you up.
I would wholeheartedly concur with your recommendation of breathing exercises.
I am now an advokate of the exercises Stuart gave me, which I do twice a day(first thing on a morning being much harder than evening due to mucus build up whilst sleeping) and I also do the ICU Doctors exercises you have mentioned from Utube and the BBC news. I do those two or three times a day, I have found if there's anything to come up I just about does.
One point I should mention, which others have posted on numerous occasions hydration. When I have not consumed enough liquid mucus removal is nigh on impossible for me.
Have a great day.
Jim.
MandaMoon diane1914
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Thank you Diane, a lovely positive post. Just what I needed to help me believe things will get better xx
stuart68c jim90098
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Hi Jim, sorry your sleep was sub-standard again,even in normal times we'd feel terrible with such deprivation.
Is your mind racing or is it some other thing that's preventing you? Hope that's not a silly question.
You're probably familiar with my recent days but as I'm now on day 65 I'll try to fill you in on what it has been like.
As you know, at around week six I started to improve and had around a week of feeling pretty good - breathlessness and cough almost non existent. The only thing I had was tiredness from the slightest exertion.
At end of week seven, the whole thing magically came back. Started with cough and by a few hours later breathlessness and headache. Like being back to the beginning again.
Had a week of that and feeling desperate.
By the end of week eight I had my worst day, but that day I had to go to the hospital and involved physical and mental effort.
From my experience, any mental /emotional stress or prolonged physical exertion will make me take a turn for the worse. So it wasn't a surprise I felt so bad.
Into the beginning of week nine I had a period of improvement. For five days I started to feel better. Breathing was easier and cough gradually lessened. Generally felt more comfortable.
By Thursday of last week I had a downturn. My cough and breathlessness increased and my spirits very low. Two days of that to the end of week nine.
But yesterday, the beginning of week ten, I felt much better. Much less symptoms. Hardly coughed, apart from when I did my exercises. I was even able to go for a walk with no adverse affects. I have slept 7 hours and this morning I feel..... OK. (touch wood)
As you can see Jim it's been up and down but there have been quite a few good days and the bad ones are getting less. I probably shouldn't tempt fate as every time I say something positive it seems to come back and bite me, but i should be allowed to be positive. We all should ! 😊
Hope this hasn't been a long meandering bore of a read.
Anyway get well soon Jim. I'm sure sunny days lie ahead.
Stuart
jim90098 stuart68c
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Morning Stuart,
The insomnia isn't the worse part of little sugar but a good snooze would be happily accepted and received.
As for my mood, there's a change today in comparison to yesterday. The words of advice from all parties of whom are aware have helped no end.
With regard to your point on physical and mental stress you've hit the nail on the head. I'll take you back to my grass cutting incident(2/5/20) and the carpet episode(11/5/20). Both of which I surmise have been detrimental to my recovery, which I think is shown in how long it has taken me to have any improvement.
We have also read numerous occasions where posters have fallen backward after exertion(me too), which is so easy to do because little sugar lulls you into a false sense of security by waking up and miraculously feeling cured.
Hopefully, the good days last!
Have a good and improving day to all.
Jim.
PS. I've just checked the weather and it looks lovely tomorrow.
mkqq jim90098
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Hi Jim,
Not sure if I asked before but do you know what is the cause for your trouble with sleep? Is it breathing? Mucus? Anxiety? etc....
Or do you think it's a symptom of Covid-19 itself?
As you might have read I also have a lot of trouble sleeping. When I go to sleep each night I usually can fall asleep without too much problems (with a little melatonin or even without), but staying asleep and going back to asleep is a big problem.
I see so many people are suffering from sleeping issues, but why is the media not reporting this as a symptom? Nowhere online or in the news do I hear that insomnia is a symptom of Covid-19.
MRMR Lulu2020
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Morning all
Lulu, I've just read another BBC article on the complexity of this disease, which got me thinking about steroids. If you think of it, could you please ask your respiratory Consultant whether Prednislone would be useful for reducing ongoing inflammation and if it is being prescribed for people like us? Thank you.
On a personal note; I felt well enough to go out yesterday with husband and kids to local nature reserve with lakes, with the intention of having a short walk. Took picnic, but had to rush back to car as it poured down (not forecast!). Ended up having a very 'British' picnic in the car, while looking glumly out at rain. Ended up going home!
☔☔
Gazza10 jim90098
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Morning Jim I'm a couple of weeks in front of you also have had sleep problems around same time as you are at now mine I feel was a lot to do with dehydration or maybe little sugar was just reminding me he still wants to pee me off I did start to run before I could walk Jim remember I went back to work big mistake so now starting to try what lulu is trying I went to the park yesterday once round was hot when came back today same again but 3 times round only a smallish park but I stopped to recover on a bench each time round now resting but OK so see how he feels tomorrow ill take him a little bit further but resting in between those days of sleep will return Jim not going to be easy but you gotta kick his back side Gary
jim90098 mkqq
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mkqq,
I've never sleep problems even when my world has partially imploded, so I would say it's definitely virus related.
I haven't been able to do anything to improve it.
My problem is mucus and blocked nose, which wakes me up.
Lets hope it improves soon for all of us.
Jim.
Lulu2020 MRMR
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Of course, have started a new list of questions for this Friday and have added it - if anyone has anything else just let me know.
Sounds positive that you felt well enough to go out for the day!
diane1914 Rufio222
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Thank you so so much.... Someone in this thread said that probably it takes 4 months and I think that's about right... Feeling better everyday and even headaches are subsiding and I'm also drinking more water (thank you lulu). Keeping positive it's very important. Thank you so much everyone....
Lulu2020 jim90098
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Morning guys
Have been thinking about everyone on here a lot and what we are all going through and have been through to date. It does make me laugh how we all know how many weeks/days/hours (almost!) we are into this nightmare - doubt any of us have been this aware of anything else before in our lives! I spose what I was thinking is it is really good to swap notes but need to remember we are all different have had varying degrees of this illness albeit none of us have been hospitalised. I have a feeling I have been "lucky" in the sense mine has been mainly respiratory I have not had the flu symptoms or temperature which must have been awful to deal with on top of everything else. We all started from different ages, fitness levels so recovery will vary for all us but I think this forum does give us a pointer of how many weeks people are taking to recover and reassurance of the ups and downs on the way.
I slept too well last night woke at 6.30 and went back to sleep till 9.30 and woke with chest feeling woolly which I now know is build up of mucous - had a 20 mins clear out in shower (eugh..). I then remembered the specialist saying to me Friday when you cough engage your stomach muscles, maybe when you are bent over a sink etc., need to get the mucous out of chest - tried this and does work but is definitely a knack - engage stomach muscles, take deep breath and then cough.
For me the sleep problems were definitely anxiety and also not being able to clear phlegm. Since Friday when this guy reassured me I am feeling far more relaxed generally - have accepted it is going to take another 6/8 weeks. I think most people have had clear chest x-rays so that is reassuring and something positive to focus on. I know not all GPs will prescribe but if you can get hold of the Mucodyne tablets I'd say they have definitely helped me with the phlegm.
I might need propping up Weds when I get the CT scan done as it is one of those they pump dye through body and the thought of it is making me nervous already - what if dye reacts with Covid, what if ... what if....what if.... AAGH!! Btw have had one years ago and it was fine!!
Anyway, as usual a long ramble post (I always have too much to say!!) but we ARE getting better, yes we DO have set backs but we are in RECOVERY - we are RECOVERING!! and we know our own bodies if anything changed drastically we know when to get help but surely after all this time we are beginning to see the woods through the trees hopefully with a little sun shining through.
Have a good day everyone.
Lx
Aliq Lulu2020
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Thank you for speaking up for us lulu you are amazing. So pleased you started this thread.
Lulu2020 Aliq
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Res started it! I was so grateful he did and I found it.
Have a great day Alison.
stuart68c Lulu2020
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Great Post Lulu. You're not rambling at all (although I know how you feel I'm the same !! 😂)
They're good positive words. We'll get there!
joanne82424 Lulu2020
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Thanks for such a positive post, Lulu. That's interesting about getting phlegm up I lean over the sink and usually loads comes up, must try to engage stomach muscles though.
Good luck with your CT scan
Joannne x
mkqq jim90098
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Thanks Jim. If mucus and blocked nose is the reason why you are having difficulties sleeping then we can say it is not a neurological problem.
This is what I'm most afraid of. There are people saying trouble sleeping is because that the virus damages your vagus nerve (or something.....). This got me really worried because I was wondering if it can be fixed.
A large part of my sleeping problem is due to anxiety I think. My wet cough stopped several weeks ago and these days I have a blocked/runny nose sometimes, but no phlegm, or hardly any.
mkqq Lulu2020
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Glad to hear you slept well last night. I would give anything for a good solid night sleep.
Last night was terrible for me. Slept from 2300-0200 (woke up once in between), and then couldn't sleep until 0500. From 0500 I was drifting in and out of sleep until around 0800, with some vivid dreams.
What I'm most afraid of is that the virus damages your nervous system which causes difficulty sleeping. I really hope this is not true and my problem is purely anxiety! My wet cough stopped weeks ago so there is no more phlegm. Just a bit of blocked/runny nose these days.
MRMR mkqq
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Mkqq
Sleep disturbances can be caused by all sorts of things. You are clearly a and understandably anxious (like all of us) and this alone can significantly affect the amount and quality of our sleep (I know it's an obvious thing to say). In addition, lack of exercise affects it as well = a perfect storm of poor sleep. It's happened to me too. Try (if you can) to accept it as a temporary state that WILL improve once you start to get properly better. My daughter has been referred to one of the Hospital Psychologists after spending 2 nights in hospital with this thing recently. I felt that they genuinely understand the emotional trauma this thing causes and realise that people need support. My daughter's sleep has been affected and the psychologist feels confident she can help her with this. Her approach involves (she tells me) concentrating on managing negative thoughts and 'catastrophising' about things. I'll let you know how she gets on and any particular strategies for better sleep.
Take care and hope you have a better night tonight x
mkqq MRMR
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Thanks!
Yesterday wasn't too bad. I managed 8+ hours. Woke up twice in the first hour and managed to sleep in 2-3 hour blocks after that.
The weirdest thing for me was the first night that I couldn't sleep at all. This was almost 3 months ago, 2 days after the fever ended. It just suddenly happened out of nowhere! Then for the next 3 days it was alternating between being able to sleep and not being able to sleep at all.
At the time I was anxious if I had Corona or not but I'm not sure if it was bad enough for me to not sleep the whole night.
jim90098 mkqq
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mkqq,
Last night was my worst night in 53 days, as I slept between 5&6am.
Surprisingly I don't feel tired other than the usual virus lethargy.
Managed to clear the majority of the mucus prior to breakfast.
The suns out, no wind, so some time in the garden is in order today.
I hope everyone is well and continues to improve today.
Jim.
Lulu2020 jim90098
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Hi Jim
Hope it turns out to be a good day for you regardless of the lack of sleep. Funnily enough going back a few weeks in the midst of the illness I sometimes felt better when I hadn't slept well - no idea why that was but it was noticeable. As I said yesterday sleeping too long doesn't suit me either - so I guess it's somewhere in between maybe a good 6/7 hours in a stretch is ideal.
Enjoy the sunshine everyone - stockpile the Vit D!
Lx
jim90098 Lulu2020
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Thanks Lulu.
The sunshine should raise my mood too.
Positive messages are always gratefully received and appreciated.
Jim.
stuart68c MRMR
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Complete agree with you concerning the anxiety. Hope your daughter feels well soon. Have a good day today.
stuart68c jim90098
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I'm sorry about your sleep Jim. I hope a day of sunshine helps you today. I wish you a good sleep tonight.