[petejh]

Lung imaging using a breath-hold of hyperpolarised xenon gas inside MRI has shown up changes in the lungs of people suffering long covid. I only know about this through investment in the company (Polarean) developing the technology. The method is awaiting FDA approval for widespread commercial use but is being used in numerous lung function studies in US/UK/Europe.

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/lung-abnormalities-found-in-long-covid-patients-with-breathlessness/29798

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=Xenon+MRI&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=

https://polarean.com/state-of-lung-imaging/

[Nike Air]

How's everyone been getting on?

I've only just seen improvement, initially tested positive on something like the 8/9th of February. Only a few days ago on our holiday in Wales did I feel anything like myself again.
Went from covid to a chest and sinus infection that was extremely grim. That cleared eventually with antibiotics which then left me with blocked ears and exhaustion. The ears had been blocked for approx 4 weeks and they only cleared a few days ago too with lots of nasal rinse then later blowing up balloons with one nostril and swallowing at the same time.

Grimness 

Definitely don't want my underpants

[SA Chris]

This sounds exactly like what i have had for the last 2 weeks, but all LFTs (every 2-3 days) have all shown negative.

Tinnitus has gone into overdrive and keeping me awake.

[Nike Air]

I do think it initially weakness you and your previous illness come back, especially if they were viral.
I had a similar episode back in 2018 with suspected glandular fever.
Tbh my ears and eustachian tubes are my weakness, harps back to growing up in South Africa and constantly swimming in over-chlorinated pool which most folk had and also jumping off high Olympic diving boards.

Do your ears feel like they need to clear? Are you deaf?

[mrjonathanr]

Had COVID in October but became a bit run down. Now feeling very tired, cough, blocked nose and painful palate and blisters in mouth, makes eating / drinking tricky. Will see what the Dr says; appointment is next week.

[SA Chris]

harps back to growing up in South Africa and constantly swimming in over-chlorinated pool which most folk had and also jumping off high Olympic diving boards.

Do your ears feel like they need to clear? Are you deaf?

Same with me, South African pools, I used to get ear infections a lot. Plus 2 years National Service in Artillery didn't help, but I loud gigs and nightclubs were probably the final straw. It's been pretty low level for a long time, but for the last two weeks while I've been feeling ill it's really picked up. Not deaf though no, just feel like ears are a bit blocked.

[seankenny]

How's everyone been getting on?

A tiny bit better thanks! I have slowly been improving over the last couple of weeks, yesterday was a pretty big day for me as I went out of the house twice  That included a small walk and a drive/park visit, so really knocking out that activity. Was absolutely shattered by the evening and slept like I'd been out climbing all day. Generally feeling a bit more positive, at least in part due to finding some stories of people who've recovered from long covid and are getting back to some type of activity and training after many, many months of illness. I've been doing basically what they did, so I'm on the right track to improve even if it takes a long time.

Mostly it's just rest, rest and more rest, combined with sensible eating, a bit of intermittent fasting, breathing exercises and gentle stretching. I've also bought a Garmin smartwatch which is extremely useful in helping to get my pacing right. Have had some quite interesting heart rate readings - over 160 just walking on the flat - but can use it to get a better sense of when my body is over-stressed and I need to calm things down a bit. I can go into more detail about this either on here or privately if anyone would like to know.

Hope everyone who is ill or under the weather starts to see some spring improvement.

[nai]

I've also bought a Garmin smartwatch which is extremely useful in helping to get my pacing right. Have had some quite interesting heart rate readings - over 160 just walking on the flat.

did you feel like you were doing 160? The HR readings off wrist devices can be totally whack. Mine will just have a wobbler
from time to time and report all sorts of nonsense.  Often picks up cadence on downhills and tells me I've gone beyond my max HR when I'm still "in breath".  Sometimes you can take it off your wrist and watch it report HR as long as you keep moving, have to stop to reset it. 

 

[seankenny]

I felt pretty out of whack. Sometimes just walking along the flat feels like I’m slogging along at 3500m, I’m breathless in the same way. Gets immediately better if I stop for a rest. So taking what you say into account, maybe not 160 but there is definitely something wrong.

[mrjonathanr]

Hope you feel better soon.

[seankenny]

You too!

[SA Chris]

Wrist monitors are notoriously unreliable with HR. Since i got an HRM Pro monitor, my ordinary chest one has lain in a drawer unused. It should syc with any Garmin device, if anyone wants it let me know.

Hope you guys feel better soon.

[Nike Air]

Had COVID in October but became a bit run down. Now feeling very tired, cough, blocked nose and painful palate and blisters in mouth, makes eating / drinking tricky. Will see what the Dr says; appointment is next week.

That sounds grim and a drawn out affair, hope the DR can help.

[Nike Air]

How's everyone been getting on?

A tiny bit better thanks! I have slowly been improving over the last couple of weeks, yesterday was a pretty big day for me as I went out of the house twice  That included a small walk and a drive/park visit, so really knocking out that activity. Was absolutely shattered by the evening and slept like I'd been out climbing all day. Generally feeling a bit more positive, at least in part due to finding some stories of people who've recovered from long covid and are getting back to some type of activity and training after many, many months of illness. I've been doing basically what they did, so I'm on the right track to improve even if it takes a long time.

Mostly it's just rest, rest and more rest, combined with sensible eating, a bit of intermittent fasting, breathing exercises and gentle stretching. I've also bought a Garmin smartwatch which is extremely useful in helping to get my pacing right. Have had some quite interesting heart rate readings - over 160 just walking on the flat - but can use it to get a better sense of when my body is over-stressed and I need to calm things down a bit. I can go into more detail about this either on here or privately if anyone would like to know.

Hope everyone who is ill or under the weather starts to see some spring improvement.

Ah man that too sounds rough, well done staying positive.

I've found taking loads of Vitamin D has helped and so has trying to sit in the sun as much as I can.
Food wise I've been eating alot of fermented foods, some bought and some made at home. Drinking Miso soup has also felt like it's made a difference. Heard good things about Vitamin K2 so I thought I'd give it a go.

[kelvin]

Yeah, Miso seems to hit the spot. We seem to have done much the same as you dietary wise, my partner seems to have recovered better tho - I still get waves of tiredness and my skin is still on fire, way over sensitive.

Stick with it Sean - slowly slowly.

[seankenny]

I have my own homemade kefir in the fridge and miso is also great. Whilst I’m at it a side of sashimi seems to help too… 

[SA Chris]

Flew back from Austria Saturday, started feeling ropey Sunday afternoon, worse today, just tested +. Must have been on flight or in crowded terminal, in spite of FFP2 masks. See how this goes...

[Fultonius]

Sheeiiite. Did you at least get some good snooooooowboarding?

[SA Chris]

Skied every day, conditions from amazing to full Scottish.

No snow deep enough i felt the need to hire a snowboard, my decent one is in Les Gets, and wasn't bothered about packing my rock board. Plus St Anton isn't great for on piste boarding, a lot of long flat bits.

[Paul B]

Flew back from Austria Saturday, started feeling ropey Sunday afternoon, worse today, just tested +. Must have been on flight or in crowded terminal, in spite of FFP2 masks. See how this goes...

We flew back from Gran Canaria a little over a week ago with similar and I was buzzed on either the Mon or Tues about a close contact but nothing showed on an LFT. However, Nat has just tested positive after what I'd class as our first social event since all of this kicked off. One of our mentors was retiring and we ended up in Leeds on Fri (with alcohol etc.). As a pair we've been incredibly risk averse.

She's not been particularly well in general over the past month so it was quite hard initially to see if the symptoms (extreme tiredness plus others) were due to this or what went before. TBH initially we both feared it might just have been what hangovers feel like after your 35th birthday!

[SA Chris]

Pretty sure it was the crowded terminal; the coach and plane were pretty well ventilated. It's a tiny terminal at Innsbruck and far too many people being dropped off too far in advance of flights, so impossible to socially distance. I was sat shoulder to shoulder with other people all with masks off as we were eating and drinking while waiting for the flight. Loads of flights cancelled or delayed so it was packed out.

[SA Chris]

Anyone have tinnitus issues with COVID? Mine was moderate, but has escalated to pretty bad, really hoping it drops off when oi get better.

[Falling Down]

Yep - see my post on page 1 or 2.

Hope you feel better soon Chris.

[SA Chris]

Has it got better since? Mine was manageable (a result of too much artillery fire and nightclubs with crap sound systems) but feels pretty bad right now. In spite of it I'm sleeping a solid 8 hours plus which never usually happens, 6 at a stretch is usually the best I get.

[Nike Air]

It was my last obvious symptom to go and so I probably had it for 7/8 weeks, pretty much the whole time I was at my worst.

Sleep didn't make a lot of difference but a funky nasal rinse did.

https://www.boots.com/sterimar-hypertonic-congestion-relief-100ml-10081013

So I'm still not 100 percent better since I got ill at the start of February, seem to be left with wrist and ankle pain but with a bit of experimentation I seem to be winning, mostly.