Anxiety after having covid

[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.