I’ve had covid for 12 days. Started while abroad and thought it was just a cold. After a stressful end to the holiday arrived home, felt worse so did a test. I doubled my dose of Pred to 15 mgms (SDR) and have remained at that dose. I am not getting any worse but am not improving. Husband has had to cancel trip to look after me. I am sleeping a lot, keeping hydrated and taking Paracetamol when necessary. My excellent GP has retired and her replacement is rude and uninformed so feel it’s a waste of time contacting him. My back and ribs are sore but no trouble breathing. Have coughing fits then don’t cough for hours. Complete lack of energy. Headaches. Had been sent a Registered testing kit earlier this year as I am seen as vulnerable and may be eligible for treatment so have sent that off but heard nothing yet.
I am concerned about staying on 15 mgms Pred for much longer. Sorry - can’t think straight and feel dreadful!
I would appreciate any advice you wonderful people can give me.
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Plantmad
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Oh how awful for you! I had very bad covid in 2020 BEFORE I had PMR. I stayed at home for 11 days had no energy and did not realise how I’ll I actually was. Daughter sent ambulance to me and I ended up in critical care for 11 days and was told after I was not expected to recover. It was the worst experience of my life! I’m very grateful I’m still here to tell the tale. Anyway around 12/18 months later I was diagnosed with PMR and my arthritis had hot exceptionally worse. Now this is either in my opinion down to having covid so bad or the covid jabs. What I am saying is go very very careful and if it lingers go yo A&E… my sats had dropped to 74%. Please do not ignore covid as I did in the hope to “sleep it off” it’s not worth the risk!! Hope you feel better soon
If the delay was 12 to 18 months, it is unlikely the Covid could be blamed. As for the vaccines - as you know, ANY vaccine can trigger PMR and most of us on the forum developed PMR long before Covid or it vaccine was a potential factor.
I actually did not know vaccines could trigger PMR. I spoke to my Dr and he was in Agreement that it could of been triggered by covid it’s self or the vaccine
It is unlikely you would get the antivirals now - they should be started in the first 5 days. Despite eligibility, you don't automatically get them either, How long have you been at 15mg? I assume not the full 12 days if you only tested when you got home?
My much younger and very fit daughter (the week before Covid she'd cycled 20+ miles along the Yorkshire coast) was flat out for 2 weeks with Covid and when she tried to return to work on testing negative was sent almost straight home for another 2 weeks. Weeks on she is still knackered - but how much that is the left-over Covid and how much working in a manic ED in the NHS is impossible to say.
Thank you for replying PMRPro. I did wonder if it was too late for the antivirals! I have taken 15 mgms for 13 days. I was stranded in Switzerland as passport stolen, nowhere to stay, British Embassy closed at the weekend and what I thought was a cold. Concerned I’ve now been at 15 mgms for too long to reduce immediately back to 7.5 mgms. I’m obviously being too impatient to feel well again. Also now wondering if Prednisolone has further suppressed my immune system but could be confused about that.
I hope your daughter soon regains her previous fitness - can’t be easy working in ED these days (if ever!).
The consultant used the word relentless the other day - and that was in the AMAU, not directly in the ED. One out, one in and one waiting ...
You can take the higher dose for up to 14 days or so and still drop straight back. After that, two steps is a better idea but can still be fairly quick. At the start of pred I took 2 weeks each of 15/10/5 and stop and it was OK other than the PMR symptoms coming back of course. You are just returning to the baseline which for other conditions would be zero but for long term patients is your previous dose.
Worse places to be stranded I suppose but not having a passport is not a nice feeling and does complicate finding accommodation since Brexit. I had 3 months without a passport in the summer - just renewal where you can't jump the queue. When I first looked it said 2-4 weeks - by the time I'd gathered the necessary (including a certified copy of my residence permit) it was up to 4 MONTHS, I assume you know you should really have a photocopy of your passport to carry with you and leave the actual document somewhere safe when out and about?
Thanks for all that. I will return to 7.5 mgms tomorrow and be patient with the covid! Not having a passport was certainly a learning curve. I did have a photo of my passport on my phone but couldn’t find it - no idea why?!! The passport had been in a zipped pocket in my bag as I thought it would be safer than leaving it at the hotel - WRONG! I have no idea how they got it as I am so careful. Stressful at the time, but yes, you’re right, Switzerland is not the worst place to be stranded.
I do have an eclectic selection, but hasten to add not in “my collection” -but Plantmad comments reminded me of it many years ago -so mr Google helped as always😂🤣
hello, it might be a good idea to get an oximeter if you don’t have one. That was the only help my surgery offered me - I already had one - and they said if the measurement goes below 95, to ring 111. Hope you feel better soon but don’t do too much too early
I’m sorry to hear about you GP replacement. If you’re in the UK you can raise a concern firstly with the practice and if no help go straight to your local health board.
I would provide links to everything PMR/GCA related and just say you are not getting the help and support that you should be entitled to.
Hi I’m day 13 of COVID and had upped my steroids as well as precaution. However having been to GP yesterday as was not feeling any better it’s turned out that I have chest infection now and even this morning on day 2 of penicillin I’m feeling better so would say even if not coughing a lot / no temperature it’s worth checking with a doctor.
I’m sorry to hear that the bug has hit you. I am not sure what to do about your pred dosage. I would always defer to DL and Pro, although my inclination is to also follow my feelings. Like you I also got it and was surprised to feel really bad, when others I know were and still do say oh it’s just a cold. The thing I would add is that you could ring 111 or the covid number (which I have forgotten, but maybe 119) if you are having trouble breathing they can arrange for one of those oxymeters that clips on your finger to be sent to you. As you are on the at risk list they may also call you regularly to monitor your oxygen level. Good luck, and enjoy that coffee !
Thanks for replying. I’m feeling a bit better this morning and no trouble breathing, but thanks for the advice. I did enjoy my tipple - might have another later!
I had covid in October. It hit me harder than the rest of the family. I raised my dose from 2mg to 5mg for 14 days. (They won’t give extra pred in the US so I that was the most zi could spare.) I declined the antiviral I was offered because my doctor said many people get a rebound effect from it. She also said that given my compromised immune system, if I started to improve and then got worse again, to call back and they would put me on antibiotics as I was at high risk for secondary infections. That is exactly what happened. I felt slightly better at the 13/14 day mark and then got a second terrible fever so they put me on the antibiotic. It took a full 3 -3.5 weeks before I didn’t get winded and dizzy walking. And from there, another 1-1.5 weeks for the cough to completely resolve, though it was mostly while sleeping at that point. My child’s doctor said that with a regular cold, it can take 6-8 weeks for cough symptoms to completely resolve and with covid it can take longer. So, give yourself time and plenty of rest. Let your body heal and know it’s just going to take time. If at any point you worsen again, call your doctor! Drop that dose back down and see how you do. I think I dropped back to 2mg but during that last few weeks if I had a sore night I would do an occasional 2.5mg. After I fully recovered, I was able to drop to 1.5mg.
Thank you for your reply. I am feeling slightly better today and have just had a negative test (hooray!). Your advice has been well-noted and I intend to take it easy until I feel well again. I hope you are fully recovered now.
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