Covid Again... More nervous than I expected!

[ErinKC]

Hi friends. Well, it's 2023 and here I am with my second bout of Covid! I thought I was going to manage well, but my anxiety has been spiking this afternoon. All this past week I've been having these weird pressure/tension headaches. My ears would fill up when I stood up and it felt like there was a band being tightened over my temples. I even went to my doctor on Thursday to have my ears checked thinking maybe I had an ear infection.

Then, yesterday I started getting a scratchy throat and this morning I woke up with a cough. So, I took a test and it was positive. That headache has only gotten worse. My ears feel full and it's that band-like tension. And on the left side on and off it almost feels like the muscle over my temple is contracting/spasming - like someone is pressing on it or something.

I'm not sure if the week prior was some kind of prodrome for Covid coming on or if the headaches are totally unrelated. It is allergy season. But, man the anxiety just plowed me over! I think it's been coming on all week for some reason. I haven't had a lot of anxiety in a long time. But man, this has been a week, and now Covid. UGH.

I'm also sad because my daughter's birthday part was scheduled for tomorrow and her actual birthday is Tuesday and we had all these plans. She's struggling a lot today because of all the disappointment, but being as tough as she can.

Has anyone else had these bad pressure/tension headaches with Covid? Just looking for some good vibes, reassurance, etc...

I've had three Covid vaccines (last one November 2021) and then Covid in July 2022. So, I have some immunity, but I didn't get the bivalent booster.

This is my three weeks off between my spring semester and summer classes and man I'm just so BUMMED!!!

[Catkins]

It's hard to say if the headaches are Covid or pollen. It seems so unpredictable what the symptoms of Covid are these days.

Rest as m7ch as you can and you and your daughter can do something special for her birthday when you start to feel a bit better.

[jackieann3]

Hi my worst was my headaches and congestion when I had covid and my ears are still blocked 5 weeks after being negative, I've been breathing in steam every day to try and clear it , my anxiety was high when I had it but as I got better so did the anxiety,plenty of rest and fluids .

[alpacagirl]

I had Covid for Christmas and the headaches were the first thing for me. I too had a bad tension/pressure type headache along with a high fever. For 48hrs all I could do was lie in bed, couldn't even enjoy a book or Netflix it was such a horrible headache. My son was the same. We just lay around and whined . My daughter's boyfriend has just come down with it along with a few other kids after school camp. So it's a waiting game around here...

[WiredIncorrectly]

I had it in December and January. Was very rough. There's a new bout going around which my bother has just had. I'm expecting it to hit my area any time soon.

[Carnation]

Erin, I hope this might help with what you are going through.
I had sinuses issues / hay-fever just before I caught a virus. I wasn't sure if it was related but it was the worst hay-fever I've experienced. After the worst of the virus had passed my sinuses are worse! Facial pain, blocked nose, cloudy eyes, ears muffled and the left ear blocked. It sometimes pops but doesn't clear. Head feels full and then there's the coughing from it all. It doesn't want to clear and I don't know if it is from the virus or just a sinus issue. I've had this for a month now. So I feel for you x

[ErinKC]

Thanks for the responses! My other drama is whether to take Paxlovid or not. I took it the last time I had Covid and hated every second. It gave me so much anxiety every time I took it and it made my mouth taste horrific for the whole time.

But, I’m 40 and my BMI is 33, so on the low end of obese. I keep panicking that it’s stupid of me to forgo this medication designed to prevent severe disease and death just because it’s kind of unpleasant. But at the same time, I don’t feel toooooo bad right now and think I’ll get more rest if I don’t feel so yucky from the meds.

Of course, the doctor left it up to me because I’m “young and healthy.” My normal doctor is out of town, which sucks. So her covering doctor is who I spoke with.

[ErinKC]

I’m struggling a bit today. I’m actually feeling pretty good. Hardly any symptoms. My doctor didn’t think paxlovid was necessary. But my anxiety is so high. I had a really hard day. My daughter is really struggling with me being sick. And we had a major, major family scream fest this morning. I just felt like maybe I had some heart palpitations, which I’m sure are just anxiety. But I just hate how unpredictable this virus is. I feel like I’m fine, but I keep thinking at any moment something bad will happen. Ugh.

[BlueIris]

For the record, I'm properly obese and I've had two bouts of covid, both of which were about the equivalent of a mild bout of flu. Granted, the second one left me with some long-term fatigue issues but I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about with not taking the paxlovid.

[ErinKC]

Thanks, Blue! I decided this morning to just take it. I was still bright red positive on the start of day 4. When I took the pax I was negative by day 5. So I thought, why not take something that will stop the virus replicating in my body even if I don’t feel terrible. So hopefully it’s not as awful this time. My mouth doesn’t taste TOO bad yet after the first dose. Man am I sick of Covid!!