Getting back into it after having Covid

[itselenax]

Hi all! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and new year. As you might tell from the title, I had Covid a few weeks ago (tested positive on the 18th) and so wasn't able to leave my house for 10 days. To be honest with you, even after I was able to leave the house it was a struggle and I definitely wasn't doing any running - so I went about 3 weeks without doing a single run. My lungs were/are absolutely ruined, I couldn't stop coughing and they ached all the time. The first day I was allowed to leave the house, though, I was determined to start getting my fitness back. I worked hard to get this far and didn't want it all slipping away. So me and my mum went for walks everyday from the 28th, doing 6-10,000 steps each day. At first I was really winded after about 10 minutes (I don't think the cold helped at all) but eventually it started feeling like normal again so yesterday I made the brave leap into my first run! I managed to persuade my mum to start C25K so it was her first run yesterday (she had Covid too), and we both smashed it! I did 2 x 10 minutes of running with a break in the middle, and while my lungs ached the rest of the day it was nice to know that my ability to run hadn't completely deserted me.

I'm diving right back into running and look forward to hearing from anyone else who has had Covid. I'm interested in knowing how you managed to deal with the lasting symptoms, and how long it took you to feel 100% better again. I'm lucky because I'm 20 and fairly healthy (except asthma) and I work for the NHS so I was taking LFD tests which is how I found out I was positive in the first place. My aim is to run 2 x 10 minutes for the next week and then maybe try to push myself a little bit more the week after. Fingers crossed

[Dodgylungs Graduate]

Sorry to hear you had the dreaded Covid but good you are on the mend. In February 2020 I started to feel massively fatigued after working out at the gym. My lungs became wheezier than usual (I’ve had asthma since childhood) and I wasn’t sure whether I had contracted Covid. If I did have it, I’m lucky because it was a mild version. I may just have had whatever was going around at the time. At the time of my illness I was running regular 5Ks at the gym. During the first lockdown my lungs felt terrible and I couldn’t run outside for longer than 7 minutes. That’s when I started the C25K. Since then I’ve been running regularly but my lungs still feel weaker than before I was ill and my peak flow is down from 480 to 430 and below. I’m under the local hospital consultant and I’ve had spirometry tests and they said my lungs function is around 80%. I cough a lot and am wheezy on exercise (though I always have been). I’m on Fostair 1/600 and another drug called Braltus which they usually give to people with COPD. I’m due to go back to the hospital soon (Covid allowing) and we’ll see where we go. I sound like I have smoker’s cough even though I haven’t smoked in 25 years. I live in London and so pollution could be a factor. None of this stops me from running and I ran 6K on Sunday but if my lungs were in better shape I’d be a lot more comfortable. But nothing will stop me running.

[itselenax Graduate in reply to Dodgylungs]

Thanks for such a helpful response! Your experience sounds very similar to mine with weak lungs etc. I haven't even thought to try my peak flow but will do that tonight to check how it is, probably didn't help that at the time I contracted Covid I ran out of my inhaler - and couldn't leave the house to pick up my prescription! I'm glad to hear that you are under a consultant though, hopefully they are helping somewhat. Pollution could definitely be a factor and I do worry about that myself, I don't live in London but apparently the town I live in is very bad for pollution.

[Dodgylungs Graduate in reply to itselenax]

What kind of asthma do you have? I’m assuming it’s like mine, exercise induced? There are lots of things that can be done for asthma and on the bright side you have come out the other side of Covid. Make sure you take your preventive inhalers and ventolin too if you’re feeling particularly bad. I usually take ventolin before a run at the moment but the doctors prefer if the preventives do the work. Keep vigilant and make sure your asthma is controlled as much as you can. Exercise is good for it and I hear you regarding the pollution. Since Covid there are less cars on the road and pollution has probably significantly reduced at this time. Keep walking/running as much as your lungs allow and connect up to a health professional for monitoring.

[itselenax Graduate in reply to Dodgylungs]

Mine is primarily allergic asthma actually (goes along with hay fever and eczema) but it does get induced by exercise sometimes. Yes I will start taking my blue inhaler before any runs in the future, good idea. The only issue with connecting with a health professional - my asthma nurse hasn't got an appointment for months! I know the winter months are always busier but it does make you laugh sometimes!

[Dodgylungs Graduate in reply to itselenax]

As long as it’s not brittle asthma. Become a pest and don’t take no for an answer. You have the right to be healthy. Sometimes you have to fight to get what you need in the NHS.

[itselenax Graduate in reply to Dodgylungs]

I will look into brittle asthma - haven't heard much about it. I agree - I work for the NHS and know exactly how hard it can be! I do work for respiratory consultants luckily so I can always ask them if it's serious.

[Dodgylungs Graduate in reply to itselenax]

You would know if you had brittle asthma. Yours sounds more mild like mine where we get wheezy rather than having asthma attacks. I’ve just been for a 7K walk as a reccy for running that distance tomorrow. My breathing was a bit up and down. I remember a doctor telling me when I was younger that doing a lot of exercise can aggravate asthma but it’s also good for our cardiovascular system. The frustration of being asthmatic eh 😊