If you have it, have had it, are pretty sure you have it, tell us about it?

[Brainaddict]

also there's the option that its a bit of both.
yes i have the same thought process with lungs - it feels like there's something in there, so that cant be psychosomatic surely. but then that comes and goes too, so that casts doubt.
im going to try to tell my body that it might be over reacting a bit and that the threat has passed and see if it listens!!

So this is possibly one of the more woo methods I've been using, but alongside my lung physio I've also been trying to do deep, slow breathing throughout the day whenever I become aware of my breath. The theory is it helps your autonomic nervous system kick in and calm stress responses. There's possibly some real evidence for it but also advocated by a lot of fairly woo people. Anyway, I feel like it has been helpful, and what the hell, it's free and harmless, unlike much of the woo stuff out there. It's useful to focus on really filling your diaphragm, and some advocates say the nose is better than mouth. Loads of videos on breathing techniques, though unbelievably some people will still try and charge you to learn...

 

[ska invita]

God damn , every day brings something new
Today Ive started getting pins and needles in my feet and calves which has got to the point just now that i can barely stand up!
Anyone else had this?

ffs

 

[Oula]

Sorry to hear that ska invita.that sounds horrible. I haven't had that.

I thought I was completely better but for the last few days I've been really stressed and slept badly and all my joints hurt again. They'd been done for 2 or 3 weeks. What is this? Is it linked to stress or lack of sleep? Or my period? Had anyone else had this? It's horrible.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

God damn , every day brings something new
Today Ive started getting pins and needles in my feet and calves which has got to the point just now that i can barely stand up!
Anyone else had this?

ffs

yeah I had that - bloody annoying
it subsided over a while but I still get it a little bit when I'm very tired

Have you spoken with your GP again ska?
they are [anecdotally] a lot better now because they can refer to long covid clinics and they know the after effects of covid are a documented thing

Oula again, anecdotally, lots of peop;e who've had covid report that they have a flare of symptoms in the lead up to getting their period

 

[Edie]

ska invita do you have fatigue or shortness of breath? Awareness of your own heartbeat, and pins and needles, may both be symptoms of anxiety. Feeling as if your heart is skipping a beat, or fluttering a bit, is also usually normal (esp when you’re anxious). I’d try and not super focus on every twinge or change- as it magnifies things!

A normal resting heart rate is between 60-100. No ones is ‘the same’ at rest, even hour to hour, and anxiety and concentrating on it can definitely raise it. For example my resting heart rate according to my Fitbit is 58. But right now it’s 70. About five minutes ago I went upstairs and I had a coffee half an hour ago. When I casually walk the dog it’s just over 100. Sometimes it misses a beat or seems to best really fast and light. That’s all... normal.

Post covid- I still on occasion cough up cloudy phlegm (inflammatory) in the morning. Ive no shortness of breath or fatigue though.

 

[ska invita]

Have you spoken with your GP again ska?
they are [anecdotally] a lot better now because they can refer to long covid clinics and they know the after effects of covid are a documented thing

thank you!
ive had another 111 doctor chat, but basically they said you've got normal symptoms, not at a level to worry about
heart may have felt like a race horse but it was at a safe BPM. Could beg for an ECG but not worth it.
im happy enough at the moment, though each new symptom comes as a bit of a shock,

 

[Miss-Shelf]

thank you!
ive had another 111 doctor chat, but basically they said you've got normal symptoms, not at a level to worry about
heart may have felt like a race horse but it was at a safe BPM. Could beg for an ECG but not worth it.
im happy enough at the moment, though each new symptom comes as a bit of a shock,

it took a while for my heart to stop going odd
It doesn't do it now
It is so odd to get new symptoms which are hard to pinpoint - like the pins and needles thing
I felt so odd because many people didn't believe me and I doubted myself but I also wasn't well for quite a while with these odd things
It made a massive difference for some people to believe me

It might be worth telling your GP - not to get treatment now but in case things flare up or go on and on.
Quite a few times I said 'oh I;m 95% better' and then I'd go through a period of feeling quite unwell and fatigued

I sort of really do think I'm mostly better now

with my GP I used to ring them every 3 or 4 weeks just to update them
they didn't believe me and said it was anxiety so I changed doctors because I needed them to believe me to get adjustments at work through HR
I didn't even have to lay it on thick for my new doctor and within 3 minutes she'd referred me to the new long covid clinic
The clinic itself was not as great as I might have wanted as they didn't accept a lot of the symptoms but they referred me on for a lung test which I'm going for tomorrow
I haven't really got a lung issue any more and I feel it's a bit of a waste of NHS resources but I'm going anyway because at the time of referral I was feeling very unwell again with pain and fatigue and I thought I'd accept what they offered as a route to other clinics like the fatigue clinic
I don't feel I need any of it anymore but we'll see...

TLDR
I'm sorry you've got odd symptoms
I believe you
It does get better

 

[ska invita]

it took a while for my heart to stop going odd
It doesn't do it now
It is so odd to get new symptoms which are hard to pinpoint - like the pins and needles thing
I felt so odd because many people didn't believe me and I doubted myself but I also wasn't well for quite a while with these odd things
It made a massive difference for some people to believe me

It might be worth telling your GP - not to get treatment now but in case things flare up or go on and on.
Quite a few times I said 'oh I;m 95% better' and then I'd go through a period of feeling quite unwell and fatigued

I sort of really do think I'm mostly better now

with my GP I used to ring them every 3 or 4 weeks just to update them
they didn't believe me and said it was anxiety so I changed doctors because I needed them to believe me to get adjustments at work through HR
I didn't even have to lay it on thick for my new doctor and within 3 minutes she'd referred me to the new long covid clinic
The clinic itself was not as great as I might have wanted as they didn't accept a lot of the symptoms but they referred me on for a lung test which I'm going for tomorrow
I haven't really got a lung issue any more and I feel it's a bit of a waste of NHS resources but I'm going anyway because at the time of referral I was feeling very unwell again with pain and fatigue and I thought I'd accept what they offered as a route to other clinics like the fatigue clinic
I don't feel I need any of it anymore but we'll see...

TLDR
I'm sorry you've got odd symptoms
I believe you
It does get better

how long has it been for you since day 1? I really hope you're holding up okay! what a slog it must be

 

[Miss-Shelf]

how long has it been for you since day 1? I really hope you're holding up okay! what a slog it must be

I got first symptoms on 19th April last year
I have not been that ill - thankfully I was able to go back to work because it was work from home
I got quite unwell when I started commuting into work again so I got permission to work from home and take rests as needed
quite a few colleagues have been through similar type of situation by now and HR were really helpful
work has been quite stressful because of redundancies so some of being unwell was also probably due to that
I think I was able to get into the mindset of just going with the flow of it but I am relieved to by better and to have more energy again

 

[zahir]

TLDR
I'm sorry you've got odd symptoms
I believe you
It does get better

This.

Scepticism from people working for the NHS really doesn't help.

 

[Riklet]

im really sorry youre goibg thru this ska.
I would like to echo the other very helpful supportive stuff others have said.
new weird shit is fo sho part of the journey. and it really is a weird wacky personalised journey - no two long covids seem completely the same.

I have been ill since early March and only just doing a bit better now. But I have had various big ups and downs so ive lowered my expectations and disconnected a bit. It does take time, however much support you are getting. I have found counselling very helpful but im limited in terms of energy with screens and videocalls etc.

I have been referred to long covid clinic and chron fatigue service but im not in with them yet as I havent finished the massive forms and tbh Im busy just getting by and staying sane.

Im eating lots of marmite for b vits and not going to take niacin etc yet as I am on SSRIs due to the stress/anxiety/distress/depression which have come with my shitty illness. Also still taking chinese herbal medicine. Spent 3 months by myself right at the start which did me no good. Finally sleeping better and doing much better psychologically. Hoping to move out from my parents again if i keep improving.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I'm sorry you're been going through this Riklet
I hope you get to the long covid clinic soon and get some support

 

[Streathamite]

Has anyone found anything that you can take that helps ease breathing difficulties? As opposed to breathing exercises that is.

Cant tell if asthma inhaler (salbutamol) is doing anything much.

I am a lifelong asthmatic, and my doctor recently put me on Fostair, an inhaler, which seems to be having a positive effect. You coulod do worse than discuss this treatment with your GP

 

[editor]

I've just tested positive using an antigen home testing kit. I'll double check tomorrow.
I'm double vaxxed too but had been in contact with an anti vaxx, Covid-distributing friend recently before they had symptoms.

If I do have it (and I think I do), it's been mercifully mild so far - two nights of aching, some hot sweats, a bit of coughing and food tasting bland. Feel pretty much alright now. No high temperature and a bit of coughing. Let's hope I'm over the worst

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I've just tested positive using an antigen home testing kit. I'll double check tomorrow.
I'm double vaxxed too but had been in contact with an anti vaxx, Covid-distributing friend recently before they had symptoms.

If I do have it (and I think I do), it's been mercifully mild so far - two nights of aching, some hot sweats, a bit of coughing and food tasting bland. Feel pretty much alright now. No high temperature and a bit of coughing. Let's hope I'm over the worst

hope you're ok

does the latest government guidance specify how large a wet fish* you can hit anti-vax super-spreaders with?

* - there ought to be a vegetarian alternative, but hard to think of something that would work as well...

 

[Aladdin]

I've just tested positive using an antigen home testing kit. I'll double check tomorrow.
I'm double vaxxed too but had been in contact with an anti vaxx, Covid-distributing friend recently before they had symptoms.

If I do have it (and I think I do), it's been mercifully mild so far - two nights of aching, some hot sweats, a bit of coughing and food tasting bland. Feel pretty much alright now. No high temperature and a bit of coughing. Let's hope I'm over the worst

Hope you'll be ok soon.

The fact that twice vaccinated people can still get covid is freaking me out...a lot..

 

[editor]

Hope you'll be ok soon.

The fact that twice vaccinated people can still get covid is freaking me out...a lot..

There's nothing unusual in that. What is important that it should be nowhere as bad as if I hadn't had the vaccines.

 

[Aladdin]

There's nothing unusual in that. What is important that it should be nowhere as bad as if I hadn't had the vaccines.

I know...
It still freaks me out. More to do with my immunosuppressed status than anything else though...

 

[8ball]

I've just tested positive using an antigen home testing kit. I'll double check tomorrow.
I'm double vaxxed too but had been in contact with an anti vaxx, Covid-distributing friend recently before they had symptoms.

If I do have it (and I think I do), it's been mercifully mild so far - two nights of aching, some hot sweats, a bit of coughing and food tasting bland. Feel pretty much alright now. No high temperature and a bit of coughing. Let's hope I'm over the worst

Looks like the jabs have definitely helped.
Get well soon.

 

[gentlegreen]

Damn.

second waking, 3rd paracetomol since midnight, swollen neck glands, feel a bit warm and weak...
temp 36 ish so OK

I sneezed the other day and runny nose but it's hay fever season

Here is the current ranking of COVID symptoms after 2 vaccinations:

1. Headache - check.
   Runny nose - very slight-
   Sneezing - last week I think - but exactly like mild hayfever
   Sore throat - check - intermittent since last Monday
   Loss of smell - thankfully not ...

 

[gentlegreen]

Given my lifestyle, it would have to be caught from groceries and nose-picking ...

At least I got out of 3pm haemorrhoid appointment ...

I have plenty of supplies - I suppose I'll need to get some LFTs from the chemist when I emerge from self-isolation ...
Difficult to know when it started - I had a sore throat last Monday ...

 

[1927]

* - there ought to be a vegetarian alternative, but hard to think of something that would work as well...

A cricket bat?

 

[LDC]

Given my lifestyle, it would have to be caught from groceries and nose-picking ...

At least I got out of 3pm haemorrhoid appointment ...

I have plenty of supplies - I suppose I'll need to get some LFTs from the chemist when I emerge from self-isolation ...
Difficult to know when it started - I had a sore throat last Monday ...

Have you booked a PCR test?

 

[gentlegreen]

Have you booked a PCR test?

Should I ?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've just tested positive using an antigen home testing kit. I'll double check tomorrow.
I'm double vaxxed too but had been in contact with an anti vaxx, Covid-distributing friend recently before they had symptoms.

If I do have it (and I think I do), it's been mercifully mild so far - two nights of aching, some hot sweats, a bit of coughing and food tasting bland. Feel pretty much alright now. No high temperature and a bit of coughing. Let's hope I'm over the worst

I hope you get better soon and it's all very mild. I've had a few vaxxed friends who have still caught it, all relatively young, and one with no underlying heath conditions who has been laid up in hospital on oxygen.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Should I ?

Yes.

 

[gentlegreen]

editor how bad was the headache ?
Mine has just been sufficiently annoying for one paracetamol each time I woke up with a headache - - I'm not keen on using them ...

I still think it may be bacterial - I had chronic mild sinusitis last year and figured I was needing a good virus to chase it out ...

I'm only taking it seriously because I couldn't in all good conscience attend a GP surgery for a very low priority bottom inspection and it's now on the record ...

 

[gentlegreen]

Yes.

Am I of particular interest to medical science ?
I was thinking of getting some LFTs by post - or wait for a week and collect some from the chemist ...

 

[MrSki]

Am I of particular interest to medical science ?
I was thinking of getting some LFTs by post - or wait for a week and collect some from the chemist ...

You can get a PCR delivered tomorrow & you are allowed to go out to post it back but it would seem sensible to know & then then can contract trace anyone you have been in contact with.

 

[MrSki]

I woke up at 3.30am this morning & had a temperature of 38.4 c. Did a rapid antigen test which was negative but sent off for a PCR test & phoned up work to say I am self isolating.