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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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  • maciej12002
    maciej12002 Res35

    Edited

    I called today 111 as it is my 4th week of this nightmare, one set of antibiotics (which didn't do much it seems, but didn't make it worst too) and spoke to some advisor and he said that it is very common what we all go through and with some people it lingers for weeks, but they all get better at the end so there is a hope we just have to fight it and be patient. take care everyone and I hope that we'll all get better soon. Enjoy the sun it helps !!

  • ydalia18044
    ydalia18044 Res35

    Edited

    im going on what is 7 weeks feeling chest tightness and pain, a weird cough thats coming from post nasal drip i always fee like i have to clear my throat and dizziness. ive had headaches too. i keep being told that it cant be coronavirus because ive almost had this for 2 months. i have been going crazy because i do suffer from anxiety so my doctors( ive seen 6) think its anxiety but ive been so scared its the virus. i feel like the only thing thats given me some peace of mind is that no one in my house is sick which leads me to think i dont have it since the disease is so contagious

  • mariom
    mariom Res35

    Edited

    I want to thank you for this thread and all the contributions. I too have many similar details (started 23rd March, after 7 days was tight chested as hell with a specific pain in the centre, antibiotics second week due to asthma and issues with chest infections, then third week it started to improve to the point one weekend when I thought "it's gone!!!" and had a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner. Next day, felt like it had gone back 4 days and it's ever since it's been one day good one day bad. I've been through 111 and the GP and like many really, really want to avoid the hospital. I'm about to start the second lot of antibiotics.

    It's amazing how many people here have said what I feel, in the same words. When you go to sleep, and you wake up and it feels clear and calm, you have those few moments where you think it's gone or better. Then you get up and it starts. You clear your throat, your chest, spitting (excuse me) for an hour or so. Maybe it settles and the day goes on. You get to the afternoon or evening (depends how lucky you are) and the shortness of breath starts. Eventually you clear your throat again, go to bed and sleep and it's the same.

    I am lucky to not have all the symptoms - only chest, occasional pains, post nasal drip, sore throat. My wife had a low fever (around 38) for a couple of weeks so I think it's likely to be covid. I get relief from sipping water or a tea (not milky), ventolin, fresh air outside and the warm sun on my back. I also find sleeping alone helps a lot as I am less worried about disturbing my wife with my coughing and therefore don't suppress it.

    I do have a history of a bit of health anxiety which obviously doesn't help but I've been able to control it more or less after the first two weeks.

    So thank you! At least I don't feel alone with this. I'll leave a few suggestions and some hope:

    1. drink lots of water/tea. Keep a bottle by your bed. Sip away.
    2. Stay away from alcohol, seriously
    3. Walking pneumonia lasts around 6 weeks or more, so our situation is not unique to covid
    4. Sleep on your chest if you can, just not on your back. It's important to clear secretions but don't hurt yourself. Watch the colour too.
    5. Track your good days and bad, maybe on a calendar, also use the covid app.
    6. Scientists are working hard on many treatments, not just vaccines, so do your best to stay calm and as comfortable as you can - it's a marathon and we can outrun this. We'll probably be better by the time treatments come.

    Stay as safe as you can

    M

    • maciej12002
      maciej12002 mariom

      Posted

      Thank you for sharing your story with us. Please could you be so kind and answer few questions?

      1 why is it better to sleep on your chest not back?

      2 why colour of phlegm is important, does it mean anything?

      thank you kindly

    • mariom
      mariom maciej12002

      Edited

      Please do bear in mind that I'm not a doctor but here goes:

      1. sleeping on your chest is helpful if you are having issues with phlegm and clearing the muck out. Your lungs are mainly in the rear half of your torso so if you lie down and sleep or cough it can drive the phlegm deeper down (bad) instead of out (good). If you have medical advice to not sleep like this then obviously follow the doctor. In ICU they will often put patients like this to help them shift it.
      2. the colour indicates infection. if it's dark green and sticky it can mean the immune system is fighting back. My point though is if you keep track of what it looks like, you will be able to notice any changes and then inform your doctor should you feel bad. It may help them to diagnose.
    • maciej12002
      maciej12002 mariom

      Edited

      thank you kindly for your explanation, it really helps. Hope that you are well.

  • amen73317
    amen73317 Res35

    Edited

    hi everyone , spoke with the GP today . He told me that i might have post viral syndrome and it sometimes last weeks after a viral infection.

    And the past two days i've seen some improvement hope it's gonna last. GOD help us all.

    • stuart68c
      stuart68c amen73317

      Edited

      Hope you continue to improve. I had three days of improvement but feel like my breathing and cough have taken a backward step today. Hopefully temporary. One never knows what each day will be like with this virus. All the best.

    • maciej12002
      maciej12002 amen73317

      Edited

      Please could you tell us more about your symptoms? what is a post viral symptom?

    • Res35
      Res35 maciej12002

      Edited

      post viral syndrome can be common after serious viral infection like glandular fever and probably also something like Covid.

      Sometimes it sticks around and becomes it's own issue.

      I have Chronic fatigue syndrome since I had a virus as a teenager and that technically is post viral syndrome that has thing around and become it's own diagnosis.

      I dread to think if this virus will make it worse.

      With Covid though they r seeing a lot of post viral inflammation in the lungs..which may account for continued breathlessness and sore chest symptoms .

  • mariom
    mariom Res35

    Edited

    So today has been one of those deceptive clear days. Virtually normal, hardly any cough or breathlessness or energy drops, just sore throat/hoarseness. I wonder if on those days I let my guard down and drink less water, maybe exert a bit more and let myself get more tired? The pattern is odd. I hope you all had a good day.

  • maciej12002
    maciej12002 Res35

    Edited

    I just read really interested article about Covid and symbiosis between host. There was a patient who had mild symptoms for 49 days and virus level very high, well he should be dead with these numbers. But he was fine. Why 49 days because they transferred him plasma from healed patient. It looks like we have our answer, it looks like milder version of the virus, but no one knows what it means for survival rate in a longer term.

    • stuart68c
      stuart68c maciej12002

      Edited

      I just found the report on the internet. It was a patient in China I think. I don't know what to make of it. I hope that it isn't any of us as the thought of this continuing for weeks more and plasma from a recovered person being the cure doesn't make me feel too positive.

    • Res35
      Res35 maciej12002

      Edited

      Yeah, I heard about his case.

      Though 'mild' is not how i would have described my last month. Never been so ill in my life and I've always considered myself a bit sickly as always get anything respiratory going..But I guess mild is relative when it's killer virus😂

  • encarni62253
    encarni62253 Res35

    Edited

    Hi ! this is interesting because everyone seems to recover after few weeks. I am a nurse. i have been off for 5 weeks now. had 2 courses of antibiotics. my chest still very tight and i keep coughing up every day to clear my chest. i have never experienced anything like this. i am very worry.

    Encarni

    • encarni62253
      encarni62253

      Posted

      yes. i had cxray which confirmed the infection. the swab came back negative but i believe it was a false one. blood results were fine.

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