Anxiety after having covid

[elizabethalice]

Hello, I had mild-ish covid at the start of the year (I was definitely unwell and had a few days where making food etc was a struggle, but was recovering after about a week). Over the last few weeks, I've been building my strength up and this week I've done a walk every day, and hit 10k steps on 3 days (which was my goal for the week). I hike a lot in normal times so I'm hoping to improve my fitness to be able to do longer hikes again when lockdown is eased.

Over the last week or so, and more so the last few days, I have been getting a bit of chest tightness (only really when I take a deep breath, which tbh I'm only doing to see if my chest is tight then, my breathing is naturally normal) and some mild pain/ discomfort - I'm pretty sure its muscular. I have had this before due to anxiety, I am just noticing it a lot more now. But of course my anxious brain is worrying that there is something wrong with my heart/ lungs. HR and blood oxygen are back to normal after worsening slightly during covid.

I am going to book a doctors appointment just to get their opinion and talk about the safest way to be exercising. Im absolutely terrified of the doctors but I know it's a good idea to check in with them.

But until then, I was just wondering if anyone has any words of wisdom to help with my anxieties, knows anyone who had similar issues etc. I know chest tightness and pain is often due to anxiety, and I do get it in normal times, I just foolishly read too many scary stories before I got covid and now I've freaked myself out!

Thanks in advance

[NancyW]

Kind of relieved to read this, I am feeling chest symptoms myself. I know that when I was sick and coughing my guts out for 3 weeks, I hurt my ribs under my right breast. It felt like knife stabbing me every time I coughed. (I did this years ago and went for a chest xray so I knew what it was) .. but now, 3 months later I am still feeling weird chest aching, in my back, my breast bone, still my right ribs. A nurse friend of mine said it's most likely costocondritis and will take some time to go away. I have found my bras are so uncomfortable I am wearing a lose really lightweight lace bra so it doesn't put pressure on my rib cage. I do not have any escalation of pain or tightness when I am exercising, I feel it most when I am working at my computer. Logic is telling me it's not my heart, but it's still chest pain. I dread going to the dr, any time I do I am totally at my wits end with anxiety through the roof .. apparently I am an avoider.

Not sure that makes you feel any better but I wanted you to know you are not alone.

[ankietyjoe]

It can take several weeks to fully recover from a viral infection, especially a new one your immune system hasn't had to deal with before. Your CNS has taken a bit of a battering and it's only been a couple of weeks since you were ill?

I would just focus on full recovery over the next month or so. Light exercise, walking, plenty of sleep, eat healthily etc. Just having a couple of weeks of being sedentary really can affect your overall fitness levels. Don't try and do too much too soon.

[NancyW]

ankietyjoe. What is CNS ?

[Gary A]

Central nervous system, I believe.

[elizabethalice]

Kind of relieved to read this, I am feeling chest symptoms myself. I know that when I was sick and coughing my guts out for 3 weeks, I hurt my ribs under my right breast. It felt like knife stabbing me every time I coughed. (I did this years ago and went for a chest xray so I knew what it was) .. but now, 3 months later I am still feeling weird chest aching, in my back, my breast bone, still my right ribs. A nurse friend of mine said it's most likely costocondritis and will take some time to go away. I have found my bras are so uncomfortable I am wearing a lose really lightweight lace bra so it doesn't put pressure on my rib cage. I do not have any escalation of pain or tightness when I am exercising, I feel it most when I am working at my computer. Logic is telling me it's not my heart, but it's still chest pain. I dread going to the dr, any time I do I am totally at my wits end with anxiety through the roof .. apparently I am an avoider.

Not sure that makes you feel any better but I wanted you to know you are not alone.

Thankyou for your reply, I'm sorry you are going through it as well I know it's really scary. I've been asking around and it does seem quite common, and it's a good sign if it isn't getting worse with exercise (mine isn't either so I need to remember that!). I have bad doctors phobia too but I do have an appointment tomorrow, I will post here what they say if you like as it might help you as well :)

[elizabethalice]

It can take several weeks to fully recover from a viral infection, especially a new one your immune system hasn't had to deal with before. Your CNS has taken a bit of a battering and it's only been a couple of weeks since you were ill?

I would just focus on full recovery over the next month or so. Light exercise, walking, plenty of sleep, eat healthily etc. Just having a couple of weeks of being sedentary really can affect your overall fitness levels. Don't try and do too much too soon.

Thanks for your reply. Yes this is all very true, I started feeling better a month ago now but it's not long in the grand scheme of things. Getting anxious at every sensation seems to be something I'm very good at! I will try to slowly build back up. Doctors appointment tomorrow so will discuss everything with them. Thanks for replying, I appreciate it :)

[flappergirl]

Hello, I had mild-ish covid at the start of the year (I was definitely unwell and had a few days where making food etc was a struggle, but was recovering after about a week). Over the last few weeks, I've been building my strength up and this week I've done a walk every day, and hit 10k steps on 3 days (which was my goal for the week). I hike a lot in normal times so I'm hoping to improve my fitness to be able to do longer hikes again when lockdown is eased.

Over the last week or so, and more so the last few days, I have been getting a bit of chest tightness (only really when I take a deep breath, which tbh I'm only doing to see if my chest is tight then, my breathing is naturally normal) and some mild pain/ discomfort - I'm pretty sure its muscular. I have had this before due to anxiety, I am just noticing it a lot more now. But of course my anxious brain is worrying that there is something wrong with my heart/ lungs. HR and blood oxygen are back to normal after worsening slightly during covid.

I am going to book a doctors appointment just to get their opinion and talk about the safest way to be exercising. Im absolutely terrified of the doctors but I know it's a good idea to check in with them.

But until then, I was just wondering if anyone has any words of wisdom to help with my anxieties, knows anyone who had similar issues etc. I know chest tightness and pain is often due to anxiety, and I do get it in normal times, I just foolishly read too many scary stories before I got covid and now I've freaked myself out!

Thanks in advance

Hi, I have had a similar experience to you, I worried after recovery about long COVID and that I was getting tired easily. Then I got chest pain which lasted about a week. It didn’t really present when I was doing more active things and I noticed it was more painful when in bed. It kept waking me in the night. In the end, I called the doctors. They sent me for an ecg which came back fine. The pain started to melt away and has now gone completely.

I think that it’s a good idea to talk to the doctor they can check you and reassure you.

Good luck with your appt! 🙂

[elizabethalice]

Hi, I have had a similar experience to you, I worried after recovery about long COVID and that I was getting tired easily. Then I got chest pain which lasted about a week. It didn’t really present when I was doing more active things and I noticed it was more painful when in bed. It kept waking me in the night. In the end, I called the doctors. They sent me for an ecg which came back fine. The pain started to melt away and has now gone completely.

I think that it’s a good idea to talk to the doctor they can check you and reassure you.

Good luck with your appt! 🙂

Thankyou, that's good to know that your ECG was normal! What was the process of getting it if you don't mind me asking - did you get it in the doctors surgery and did you find the results out instantly? Just curious to know how it all works.

Your story is really reassuring and I'm sure that it's the same for me and many others, I've been paranoid about long covid way before I even got covid and I'm always concerned about my heart so it makes sense that I'd be worried about it! But hopefully once I've spoke to the doctor I can chalk it up to anxiety and general virus recovery :)

[ankietyjoe]

Just for information.

I had a serious chest infection in 2016. Started off like a cold, but 6 weeks later I was still feeling like absolute crap. I was diagnosed with viral bronchitis. Not dangerous, but it completely floored me.

It took me around 3-4 months to recover from most of the symptoms (cough, chills, aching etc) but I didn't recover fully for about a year. This is the power of a serious infection that your body has to fight hard against.

Covid can of course take a long time to recover from fully. Don't fight it, just support your body with rest, nutrition daylight and mental calm.

[pulisa]

I had pleurisy 3 years ago and was left with shingles-type pain in my chest for months afterwards (It wasn't shingles). Joe is certainly right about the power of serious infection on the body.

[elizabethalice]

Sorry to hear you were unwell for that long Joe, and about the pleurisy Pulisa. Hope you're both well now.

You're both very right, I think I'm getting myself too worked up in the unknowns of this illness. The weird thing is I feel fine other than these weird chest symptoms (very lucky to say that I know), and today they've actually been a lot better - but yes still very early days for me and it may go up and down.

I do find these unknowns about long term effects very scary - but I guess life is unknown and I know that a lot of people all over the globe are researching the after effects of covid, so that's hopeful.

[ankietyjoe]

You need to try and detach your mental image of the longer lasting effects here being COVID.

Any infection can effect you for a long time afterwards as your body needs to recover. It's a big stress on the body, and we don't bounce back from things like that in a few days.

[pulisa]

I do feel that there is a genuine Long Covid and a post-viral element to Covid which is confused with the former, severe and enduring condition. That said, of course it's scary as you negotiate out of the virus and wonder what symptoms each day will bring..and also research into Long Covid and fear the worst.

My advice would be consult with your doctor and avoid doing online searches. Listen to your body and pace yourself. Don't catastrophise and overthink routine post viral symptoms. You've been through Covid and come out the other side. Allowing yourself to recover properly is as important as managing the illness sensibly. That means both physically and mentally.

[elizabethalice]

Thankyou both, yes I wouldn't say my symptoms at the moment are long covid, I can happily do a days work and a walk without too much trouble. Of course, my anxiety tries to tell me otherwise but I try to keep on top of it!

My plan of action is to speak to the doctor tomorrow and follow whatever advice they give. I do want to keep up with light exercise as it's so good for my mental health but I will go through it all with the doctor and get their opinion. And I'll try to avoid the news!

[flappergirl]

Thankyou, that's good to know that your ECG was normal! What was the process of getting it if you don't mind me asking - did you get it in the doctors surgery and did you find the results out instantly? Just curious to know how it all works.

Your story is really reassuring and I'm sure that it's the same for me and many others, I've been paranoid about long covid way before I even got covid and I'm always concerned about my heart so it makes sense that I'd be worried about it! But hopefully once I've spoke to the doctor I can chalk it up to anxiety and general virus recovery :)

The doctor did a phone appt with me and then they did an ecg a couple of days later at the surgery. They looked it over and said it was all fine. Also booked me in for blood tests which have all come back ok (apart from cholesterol, so not COVID related). Hope you got on ok at your appt.

I guess feeling better will take time. I am so much better than I was but still get tired sooner than usual and have achy limbs and joints. I have had viruses before that took a while to get past, norovirus was a particularly nasty one, felt odd for a couple of months. Wishing you best of health

[NancyW]

Any update elizabethalice?

[elizabethalice]

Hello, i spoke to the doctor yesterday and he said it's most likely muscular inflammation around my ribcage which they are having with lots of covid patients but he recommended an ECG just to check there was no heart inflammation but he didn't suspect it.

I had the ECG today, a nurse did it but she said it looked fine to her and I'd hear back from the doctor if it wasn't. I'm sure she'd notice if there were any bad problems so that's good at least!

And I had a blood test for a few things including some non covid related things - I mentioned that I get heart palpitations to the doctor and he wanted to test for an overactive thyroid and anemia. I get the results back in a week, but not too concerned about those as I know they're easily treatable conditions.

My car broke down on the way back from the doctors so I've actually spent all day out of the house - took a while to get sorted- and I interestingly didn't notice any pain all day!

So feel ok about it all and hopefully next week it'll resolve as nothing but muscular inflammation and general recovery.

Hope everyones ok :)

[elizabethalice]

I have had viruses before that took a while to get past, norovirus was a particularly nasty one, felt odd for a couple of months. Wishing you best of health

I had swine flu about 12 years ago, that was nasty - I had that much worse than my case of covid.

Come to think of it, I was still in school and I had 3 weeks off and then was signed off PE for the rest of the term as I'd just be so tired afterwards! That's the only other time I've had this kind of illness I think, and although it took a few months I was back to my full self not going after!

[pulisa]

You've got a very sensible approach to this, elizabethalice. There's nothing to suggest that you should be concerned about lasting ill effects from Covid.

[elizabethalice]

Thanks Pulisa. Just heard from the docs that ECG is normal as well as most of my bloods, but I do have 'a very mild abnormality' of ALP levels which could indicate a liver issue, however the doctor thinks that it is due to recovering from covid and wants to have a follow up appointment/ maybe another blood test in 2 weeks. Of course this sends me in a new anxious spiral but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I have heaps more energy now and chest pains have subsided. It's also my birthday today so I'm trying to not worry about it and have a good day!

[pulisa]

Happy Birthday!! Try not to speculate about this very mild ALP elevation. Do you think the GP would be saying this if this really indicated a liver issue? Have a repeat blood test in 2 weeks and see how the level is then? Try to avoid googling because you'll end up with severe liver disease courtesy of the internet. Acknowledge the anxiety but it'll be much better for you to sit it out for those 2 weeks without catastrophising.

Have a great birthday evening!

[ScaredyMcScaredface]

Happy birthday!!! Hope you had a day full of your favorite things!

[elizabethalice]

Thanks for the birthday wishes both of you! A very different birthday this year, but I had a nice day :)

Pulisa, you are absolutely right. In my rational mind I know that that is all true, it's just something the doctor wants to keep an eye on and is probably common in people who have had covid, just not everyone gets tested. Plus I actually feel really good at the moment (much more energy) - so I know that that wouldn't be the case if there was anything serious wrong!

Just have to battle with my anxious mind sometimes. I've had a lot of therapy and I know how to deal with it, but I just have to be really careful to keep focused on my rational thoughts as anxiety can so easily take over! So far, so good.

[pulisa]

Well done. You've got this sussed!