Please help

[mary8]

Hi, I am a 60 year old female and I suffer dreadfully from health anxiety. I have had a really nasty cold for the past 10 days. The first couple of days I didn't feel very well, then I started to improve. But 5 days ago it came back again but much worse. I have a hacking cough, which has now made my stomach sore from straining, an aching head and generally feeling unwell with little energy or appetite. I went to my GP on Friday as I was worried I might have a chest infection. He checked my chest, throat and ears and everything was infection free. He explained that I had a virus rather than an infection and that I should rest up, drink lots of fluids and keep dosed up on paracetamol. This I have been doing since Friday but I still don't feel any better. I am now getting myself into such a state of worry and don't know when I will ever feel well again. Has anyone else had a cold virus that has gone on for days? I would so appreciate any comments please. Thank you for reading my post.

[glassgirlw]

Yep....I just got over one. Mine started as fever, chills, aches, sore throat -- that part lasted 5 days. Then I developed the deep painful hacking cough. That was three weeks ago and this last weekend was the first I felt normal. Just keep drinking a ton of water. I don't know what is available in the UK but I diffused eucalyptus in my essential oil diffuser. That and lots of steam helped me.

[Chris 614]

Oh my god, I could have written this same post. I have been sick with an upper respiratory infection for eight days now and I'm sure it will never end and I will feel like crap forever! The doctor said mine was a virus, so no medication necessary. A couple of days ago I thought I was turning a corner and would start to recover...but no...today I've been coughing and blowing my nose like crazy. My doctor's office said this thing is lasting about three weeks. My ears are plugged up, my head feels fuzzy, I'm tired...for the past couple of days my stomach muscles and back were extremely sore from coughing...they feel better today though. It's hard to think straight sometimes because I feel crappy. And very difficult to do things because I'm tired. I was assured that this was normal...but I just want to feel like I'm getting better!

I'm 56 and female. It sounds like we have the same illness. Hope we feel better soon!

[Chris 614]

Hi Mary,

Hope you are feeling a little better today. I can feel some improvement in my energy level, so that's positive. Hope you noticed a positive change.

[WiseMonkey]

Hi we're in New Zealand, it's summer but ...
Yes my boyfriend keeps getting a reoccurrence of the same cold, now it's turned to viral bronchitis so no meds from his Dr either. Some days he feels better then it hits again! He seems to be picking up colds from work which has air con (this circulates the germs nicely)!! He's got this awful cough, aches and pains and headache and night sweats. I'm worried about him of course, but his blood work is fine.

If it was my Dr he'd be on some high dose antibiotics, sometimes it needs a good hit.

Hope you feel better soon

[mary8]

Thank you all so much for your replies, they have really helped. I am feeeling a little better now although I have developed a pain on one side of my head, caused by all the coughing I think. Still feel a bit anxious that I'm not completely better and the cough drives me mad at night so not much sleep. Fingers crossed that in a couple of days I will start to feel 'normal' again xx

[Miznuvem0412]

I had a viral
Infection for almost 2 months . It was annoying but it cleared up eventually

[Dave1]

Hi there,

The NHS website says don't go to the doctor with a chest cough unless it lasts for more than three weeks. (acute bronchitis page).

[Chris 614]

I'm still going through it too. I'm better than I was a week ago, but still congested and tired and coughing. This thing really drags on. Anxiety doesn't help...just makes me more tired. I'm ready to feel normal again!

[NoraB]

Hi, I am a 60 year old female and I suffer dreadfully from health anxiety. I have had a really nasty cold for the past 10 days. The first couple of days I didn't feel very well, then I started to improve. But 5 days ago it came back again but much worse. I have a hacking cough, which has now made my stomach sore from straining, an aching head and generally feeling unwell with little energy or appetite. I went to my GP on Friday as I was worried I might have a chest infection. He checked my chest, throat and ears and everything was infection free. He explained that I had a virus rather than an infection and that I should rest up, drink lots of fluids and keep dosed up on paracetamol. This I have been doing since Friday but I still don't feel any better. I am now getting myself into such a state of worry and don't know when I will ever feel well again. Has anyone else had a cold virus that has gone on for days? I would so appreciate any comments please. Thank you for reading my post.

Hi Mary,

These winter viruses can linger on for weeks. Normally, we understand that and just get on with keeping well but when you have anxiety, the mind overthinks stuff. I also think that anxiety has an effect on the immune system which might keep the virus lingering on longer than they normally would so it's worth working on those anxiety levels. Also, taking a high strength Vit C supplement might help shift it. Keep warm and dosed up and just accept it for what it is and you will soon get better.

[MyNameIsTerry]

We've all had it in our house over Xmas.

My mum had hers earlier with mine but it has come back again worse like yours, Mary. She gets it like sometimes and it lingers. She's mid seventies now but has had colds like that since her sixties.

She's even had coughs lasting months before but she also has asthma. If you get a persistent cough there are many things they can be, my mum won't even bother with a doctor for ages because she's so used to them.

Just keep getting lots of vitamin C. It will help. Rest up, plenty of fluids and let your body sort itself out.

With having asthma our GP's have always told us to look for signs of chest infection like yellow/green mucus. If it's clear, they always said it's not a sign. They told us that many years ago because our asthma needed antibiotics when there was an infection. I'm luckily beating such things these days with just extra vitamin C.

[mary8]

Thank you again for your replies, I really do appreciate your help. Chris, I hope you are fully recovered soon. I must say, I am feeling much better now. Although the cough, especially at night, is still quite bad and I also get this pain in one side of my head each morning, I think it is coming from my neck. I have had problems before with a trapped nerve and do suffer from arthritis is my neck.
Chris, thank you for the advice about vitamin C supplements, my daughter suggested I starting taking them too.
Thank you all again xx