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I’ve gone from being the warmest person in the world to freezing all the time.
is this a symptom?
It's one of the weird things that happened to me this summer.
Interesting Moley! I seem to have stopped doing it so much now but I have been cold all year
There have been updates in the last few weeks on managing post viral fatigue with COVID. This is useful https://www.rcot.co.uk/file/6696/download?token=XiA9qFCs
One of the changes has been from graded return to activity, to paced return after several leading doctors found that by doing graded exercise they ended up back in bed. Some examples of paced activity can be found here: https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/your-road-to-recovery/managing-daily-activities/ and here https://www.rcot.co.uk/conserving-energy
I think it’s useful for all of us used to be very fit and active to consider. So it might be instead of doing a ride at 60% HR for an hour, you initially do two 15 min turbo rides with an hours break in between. We followed this idea whilst putting the winter wheels on the van the other day - it took 4 hours with lunch and breaks, but we are able to do stuff the next day rather than be a write off. I seem to be functioning at constant low level tiredness rather than a fatigued heap.
This talk of feeling cold when generally running warm pre-Covid, I've kind of noticed it, but I'd rationalized it as a combination of...
Reduced metabolic rate from spending less overall time exercising and at generally a lower intensity
Feeling even more fatigued than normal pre-Covid and when I'm tired, I often feel cold and crave carbs
My guess is that the temperatuer regulation thing is maybe mild autonomic dysfunction - in nine-and-a-half months of long covid, I've had some quite nasty autonomic and nerve damage stuff.
Anyway, I'm still nowhere near fixed, but I can at least walk more than 400m now and do some gentle resistance training, plus I can complete the Guardian quick crossword again and remember Theresa May's name, not something I ever thought I'd be grateful for. I know from FB that there are plenty of people in a far worse state than I am and it's heartbreaking seeing people who've had the virus more recently starting to go through the same debilitating process, journey, whatever it is.
What I would say with hindsight is that rest is your friend. I have no fewer than four mates who copped varying degrees of long covid, at least one of them hit by crushing fatigue a month after he thought he'd recovered. All of us undoubtedly tried to do too much, too soon.
Full-on, carefully calculated pacing is great in theory, but not so easy if covid has turned your brain to mush. I abbreviate it to the guideline from the osteo-based Perrin Technique which says basically to do no more than half what you think you can comfortably manage.
Also, although mainstream science is still playing catch-up with long covid and whether there's viral persistence or not, for example, there's some interesting stuff out there around histamine intolerance, NAD+ levels and treating them by using various supplements and/or inducing autophagy - cell renewal in a nut-shell - either by fasting or carefully chosen supplements. Seems to be helping a quite a few people, me included.
Anyway, good luck with it all. I would just like to finally get shot of this thing and get my life back.
Tested positive on the 28th but symptoms have been quite mild, mainly loss of taste and a bit fatigued. I've been tracking my heart rate and oxygen saturation using a consumer unit and its been constantly showing 60 for the heart rate and 98% for the oxygen. Tried it again this morning when I woke up after a bit of a restless night and heart rate was 108 and 95% for the oxygen. Currently 98 pulse and 97% oxygen so I'm getting checked out by the doc in an hour as a precaution .
Bump. You OK?
Also Saxonrider. How are you doing?
Anyone caught it twice yet? I've got similar symptoms to March (was not tested then) and am off for a test tomorrow morning.
Whole family got it over Christmas. My daughter brought it home from college - she had a -ve test before coming home, but someone from her bubble was sneaking out (they are doing two apartment on a single floor groups at her college).
She started feeling bad on Christmas Eve, I started boxing day, my wife the day after, my youngest about then too.
We got tested on the 28th at a drive-through center (we are in the USA), results came back +ve the next day.
We have had the full spectrum - my youngest (16) barely had any symptoms, I was pretty mild - like a bad cold plus a bit of a fever, my wife is still not 100% and has the dry cough, my eldest daughter (18) ended up in the ICU/Intensive Care. She was in hospital for 7 days, and at one point her blood oxygen dropped into the 80's, and they were talking about moving her to the hospital in the nearby city for experimental treatment. She's fine now, seems to have recovered really well.
So that's my COVID Christmas story. It even stopped me riding my new bike (and the medical bills might limit the upgrades).
Better half had appointment last week, following on from the return of her breathing issues in October (returned negative postal test, but they think it might have been a false positive now) and another prolonged ~5 weeks off work before half day phased return until Xmas, having gone through similar from last March.
She's been signed off sick effectively shielding because they worry about how her immune system would cope with getting this "Kent" strain, but I'm allowed to work, albeit I now have to immediately change out of work clothes when I get home. Seems silly that I'm still increasing her risks, given my job.
After feeling rough myself for a second time (return of chest tightness, aches and pains, extreme fatigue) from late September until the end of October, touch wood, physically I'm starting to feel more normal. Bit of mental fatigue, but that's likely to be all SAD related, Jan and Feb are always my hardest winter months to get through.
Whole family got it over Christmas. My daughter brought it home from college – she had a -ve test before coming home, but someone from her bubble was sneaking out (they are doing two apartment on a single floor groups at her college).
She started feeling bad on Christmas Eve, I started boxing day, my wife the day after, my youngest about then too.
We got tested on the 28th at a drive-through center (we are in the USA), results came back +ve the next day.
We have had the full spectrum – my youngest (16) barely had any symptoms, I was pretty mild – like a bad cold plus a bit of a fever, my wife is still not 100% and has the dry cough, my eldest daughter (18) ended up in the ICU/Intensive Care. She was in hospital for 7 days, and at one point her blood oxygen dropped into the 80’s, and they were talking about moving her to the hospital in the nearby city for experimental treatment. She’s fine now, seems to have recovered really well.
So that’s my COVID Christmas story. It even stopped me riding my new bike (and the medical bills might limit the upgrades).
Yikes, that's scary. Glad to hear things seem OK now. Any lingering effects?
Anyone know roughly how long test results are waiting to come through at the moment?
48hrs after posting back a home test for me.
Thats prety good, I went to a drive in hopefully quicker
Less than 24 hours for me last week.
gray
Full Member
Bump. You OK?
Much better thanks gray. Doctor put me on antibiotics and my average resting heart rate has gradually come down from 85 on Wednesday to 61 yesterday.
Had another positive Covid test on Saturday which meant my biopsy planned for tomorrow was in doubt, but when I explained my first positive test was 28/12 they decided to go ahead which is a relief. Still an outside chance it will be cancelled but when they start cancelling cancer biopsy procedures we really are in deep trouble.
Glad to hear it! Best of luck with the biopsy and related stuff.
Anyone know roughly how long test results are waiting to come through
A friend had one this morning after being exposed to a known positive case, and was told it should be within 72 hours.
A friend had one this morning after being exposed to a known positive case, and was told it should be within 72 hours.
I thought that you should only get tested if you have symptoms? Your friend should be self-isolating, not visiting testing centres.
Business partner's wife had it pretty bad (almost hospitalised but she just managed to fight it off at home). He's had it too, as have two of our staff (there's ten of us so that's 30% confirmed cases (and we are all WFH since last March). Our neighbour's entire family of four came down with it - as above mentioned experiences, some got it worse than others with the very fit dad being the worst-hit.
Just found out last week that another of our team at work has lost her mum to it (underlying health conditions and in her 80s).
One of my department tested positive on Sunday and we all worked with him on Friday, all wearing masks gloves etc.
All my department have been contacted by the NHS Test & Trace to self isolate, the company is digging its heels in saying corporate procedure was followed so we shouldn't have to self isolate?
Me
Good luck anagallis. Keep the fluids and paracetamol up.
@phinbob scary. Glad your daughter is ok.
I’m now 7 weeks on from my mild case. Still have headaches, tiredness, rib pain and feel like I’m breathing in a box (think my ribs have got stiff). At the weekend I developed a swelling in my leg which thankfully after 3 hospital visits was shown to not be a DVT or infection, but looks to be a random post COVID thing. Just had my FT hours cut down to 16 per week by occupational health doctor. Waiting for call from surgery today and hoping for long COVID clinic referral. I’m lucky that I can get out for walks etc, but wow this is frustrating. Trying to eat healthy (which must be working as all my blood tests were fine over the weekend), sleep sensibly, keep walking and rest including switching off a lot of social media.
I'm trying to gauge my return to health. On day 17 since first symptoms now.
Have made steady progress since my acute phase lasting the first 7 days. I'm at a point now where I can work 8hr days outside (keeping effort levels low), ride a bike for 90mins at very low intensity and feel better during and after it.
I have an occasional cough but it's just from my lungs overproducing fluid a bit, headache pretty well gone, but still feel a bit unwell, sort of a mild hangover feeling.
I'm resting a lot more than usual, working a 4 day week this week, and only planning on doing rides when I feel like it, keeping the effort levels very low.
Energy levels feel fine.
Would you agree it's looking good for me? If I hope to start doing base training, so lots of zone 2 riding from the beginning of Feb, would you think that's a sensible expectation?
I've no idea if my experience is common, but I tried doing max effort up short hills (~7mins) shortly after having mild symptoms in late March, something like a couple per ride. My power stats were better than expected, but the post-ride fatigue was insane, needing ~4 days to recover instead of usually being one. The tight rib ache lasted for weeks.
After a few weeks of trying to beat the symptoms, I resorted to moderate pace rides, trying to keep heart and power below z4. ~5 weeks later, I began to feel more normal and then started gradually doing z4+ intervals again around late May.
When I had similar symptoms come on again in late September, I stopped the z4+ intervals pretty much immediately and resumed them when I felt better by early November. Although my perception is I'm probably doing more sub z4, especially during and since the Festive 500, where doing ~17.5 hours in the saddle is way more than I've done for months.
I've not scheduled anything above Z2 until April and nothing over threshold until May.
Playing the long game regardless of covid as I'm targeting the cx season next Autumn.
For the rest of this month I'll just bimble around in Z1. Quite happy to do this, just thankfull to be in a position where I can to be honest.
Anyone know roughly how long test results are waiting to come through at the moment?
Just over 14 hours from the drive through test centre near Manchester airport yesterday. Pretty impressive.
Negative btw
I'm booked in for a rapid test tomorrow morning. Large number of positives at my place of work from the weekend. I've been feeling dizzy and fatigued, and had stomach cramps for the last few days....not really sure if they're Covid symptoms though?
Anyone know roughly how long test results are waiting to come through at the moment?
Friend had one yesterday morning and has results thismorning, negative.
Mine was less than 24hrs but was the wrong result, how do I ask for a recount?
My wife is a nursing assistant on a covid ward. She hasn't had the vaccine yet and is required to take a covid test at home twice a week. Home test came back positive Thursday, test at hospital Friday with a positive result Saturday. Her symptoms where a head ache and sinus pain like a cold, now seems completely normal.
I woke up Sunday with a banging headache , didnt go all day, Monday woke up and felt absolutely knackered, kept getting dizzy and breathless doing small jobs around the house etc. Went for a test at 4.30 yesterday and got a positive result at 8 this morning. Head ache gone but get breathless still
Negative test result this morning (24 hours) but nausea, chest / rib / stomach pain and tight chest very similar to April so just acting as if I do have it as we didn't get the test until 8 days after first feeling ill. Staying in and isolating.
Since the threads on the front page - 8 month update. Fitness has been going in the right direction - over the Christmas period I got a couple of 50km rides in, two big hill days (first since January 2020) and even a couple of days skiing. It was good to feel worn out from a hard day not a few hundred m walk. Like everyone else I'm not thrilled to be in lockdown three as focusing on winter days was part of my getting through the worst bits in the summer.
Started feeling a bit out of sorts again on Sunday but I did a fair amount of skiing on Saturday. If it clears up by the end of the week I'll go for over exertion. If it gets worse or goes for a few weeks then it's back to relapse or re-infection again. Although infected three times in a year would be a bit far fetched and the symptoms dont feel like the previous two times.
Almost 2 weeks since my positive test, went out and did 20km very gently on road bike, all fine, came home and my vision went blurry, then ate some lunch and felt better, then promptly threw it all up, bloody weird.
4/5 of us in the family tested positive this week. Eldest son's bubble at school resulted in 5/7 kids getting it, he was told to isolate, had slight cough but that's it.
I started with the taste symptoms on Sunday (weirdly had an almost panic response to daughter's bath bubbles) and have had "cold" symptoms since. Coincidentally we all had a doorstep swab test by the ONS Tuesday and four of us are positive. Only the youngest isn't, and I'm the only one with symptoms (although the wife seems grumpier than usual).
We both think we had it last year at Easter, but testing wasn't fully operational so we don't know for certain.
Last week my wife had up to 40% of her staff off after testing positive or looking after kids.
I had a negative test last week. I've got all of the dizziness/blurry vision and fatigue symptoms of post Covid described above. Dog walk today, wiped me out....narrowly avoided losing my lunch!
My place of work had to close due to a Covid outbreak. 30% of staff had a positive test in an 8 day period.
Almost 2 weeks since my positive test, went out and did 20km very gently on road bike, all fine, came home and my vision went blurry, then ate some lunch and felt better, then promptly threw it all up, bloody weird.
The best advice I have is what ever you think about going to do - back it of considerably and then be even more cautious. I got caught out after my July bout - didn't think I would be able to cycle back to the house.
Since the threads on the front page – 8 month update.
Looks like my ability to count has gone - it's actually Month 10.
Update on the out of sorts - I do the ZOE study and they invited me to shove a Q-tip up my nose. Really impressed with the turn round from the drive through. In at 08:00 and results back by 21:00 - negative. That the day after I posted I got the point I slept most of the day and the following one felt pretty damn perky. Probably the least brain fogged I'd been in months. Now I just have some random joint pain and the thigh aches are back - a persistent symptom after the March and July bouts.
While I still have some post-Covid issues that could also apply to SAD I've had for years, including "brain fog;" mental fatigue; achy limbs etc., I wondered if others have experienced the following as a long term symptom after Covid...
A mild ache around their floating ribs, kind of similar to an oncoming stitch, or butterflies in their stomach?
I went through a phase of drinking a lot more strong coffees more frequently to try and counter the fatigue, but I've dialled that back in recent weeks and yet this mild ache remains. The other self-diagnosis option I came up with was anxiety, like many SAD sufferers I don't manage stress well, but I don't recall having this persistant ache in other times of stress.
Trying to judge where my cycling fitness is in terms of pre-ride feel is often impossible these days, my LTHR isn't too far below my past best (167 vs 175) and my FTP isn't that far off either (291 vs 298). But today for example, my Crickles "form" is 0 and my Strava "power and relative effort" form is -1, yet during a very lazy morning on a day off work I've felt pretty drained (again) as if my form pre-Covid was more like -20 or more negative. Still having to be mindful of how many days a week I do a turbo session (race/TT/workout) including Z4+ intervals, back to back days leave me battered, when this time last year I could do multiple short sessions in a day and do three back to back days before needing a rest day.
So hard to know what's going on, work (postie) has been like Xmas or worse most days since late March 2020, maybe I'm feeling the mid winter SAD slump harder than usual because I've been out less frequently and for a shorter amount of time on days off work since the pandemic, plus there's the family situation of my better half having worse long Covid issues than myself.
... Is it bedtime yet? 😆
So I've ended up in hospital for a week. After a few days of mild taste symptoms, started with decent fever which was strangely uncontrollable by paracetamol or ibuprofen. 111 said to monitor and review. Had telephone escalation to doc as part of that.
Another day later I'd had enough and was struggling with the temp and shallow breaths. We borrowed an oximeter which showed sats at 93% but on Friday morning I woke up at 89% which was my "ohshit" moment. Few years back I had pneumonia and sepsis so aware I'm a bit vulnerable there.
End of day dropped off at A&E, prebooked into a bed. Been here since. O2 on mask, then nasal. Now air. Sats holding at 94%+ but yesterday the consultant got me to walk up and down and HR went to 180bpm in 30m! So waiting for a ct scan to find a clot, then hopefully home.
Lots of old dudes in here not looking rosy. Apparently they release home with sats of 88% which is a bit of a shocker.
Walks, no riding, when home. They're sorting some rehab.
Sounds scary Rich and glad you are on the mend. I'm still without taste and smell after a month but not at all complaining considering what you and others have been facing. Good luck with the rehab.
How's everyone getting on?
I'm 16 months into Long Covid and I'm pretty fed up. It's mostly fatigue and brain fog although over the last few months I've been getting a lot of back pain in bed - last night I slept on a thermarest on the floor!
It could be a lot worse. I'm still doing 4.5 days a week at my job. But by gum it sucks all the fun out of life 🙁
My neighbour has had it a couple of weeks longer than me. He's possibly coming out of it now, started couch to 5k last week (he was a marathon runner before). But still gets heart rate bursts up to 140 just walking around sometimes...
Daughter started showing symptoms on Sunday.. Did 2 last flow tests and both came back positive.. Pcr test and sure enough.. Positive. Glad the boss and I are both double jabbed as it doesn't look fun.
6 of us self isolating until friday
Me and my Girlfriend tested positive on Thursday. She'd had the sniffles for a couple of days....its now progressed into joint aches and loss of smell and taste.
I've currently just got a bit of a tickly cough.
We're currently doing a barn conversion so are living on site in our motorhome....40 hours in and cabin fever is already setting in! Wouldn't be so bad if the weather would pick up! She's 29, I'm 35 and we've had 1 jab fwiw.
So frustrating, my girlfriend is a wedding coordinator so has almost certainly picked it up at last weekends weddings.....we still dont do any social activities inside out of precaution. She's feeling mega guilty as we've passed it on to my Dad too....he's 67, in really poor nick, and has developed a fairly nasty cough already 😔
Hi Doris
I feel your pain and I hope things improve for you.
Funny I thought about this thread when I saw the TRT one this morning.
The first thing I was going to ask that poster was had they had Covid.
Thankfully I am now doing a lot better and most of the weird symptoms from last year (of which there were many) have retreated ,but TBH it has left me not trusting my body or fitness the way I used to. Some days I still (for no apparent reason) get ambushed with smaller versions of the old symptoms, fatigue and that vague feeling of ‘this doesn’t feel right’.
Trying to explain the details to people makes me sound like I have ME or Lyme disease (I don’t) ,so I have stopped talking about it.
So yeah, mostly ok ,but this last year and a half has been a roller coaster ride of strange.