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.