Coronavirus Symptoms / TMS Symptoms

I started feeling sick on March 14 and have been feeling sick (on and off) ever since. I've had a low grade fever (99.5 - 101 F) most of the time, and, during the first week, I was very tired. Now, I'm coughing a lot, especially during the night.

My symptoms match those of coronavirus, and I'm isolating. I can't get tested since resources are very limited and I'm not in a high-risk category.

It's possible that I have coronavirus.
It's also possible that I started with a typical cough, cold, or flu, and my anxiety from all of the coronavirus media has made it worse (i.e. a TMS symptom).

It's also difficult to distinguish between symptoms of illness and common TMS symptoms that I've had over the years. I mentioned above that I was very tired. But I'm also somebody who has struggled with CFS. And I've had a low grade fever. But it's not uncommon for me to develop a low-grade fever, especially when I get overwhelmed and stressed out.

The thing that makes this most difficult is that I'm a divorced dad, and I have not seen my daughter in about 2 weeks because I don't want to pass on coronavirus. The inability to get tested, the ongoing anxiety over this situation, and the rage of the my government's mismanagement of this all have the potential to create more TMS symptoms.

 

Hi @MindMood, and I'm really sorry that you're experiencing this. I immediately thought about what therapist Christi Uipi said in a fairly short interview she did for the March 18 episode of The Mind And Fitness Podcast (where she and Eddy also talked a bit about kids and COVID). You might find her advice helpful, or at least a bit comforting. In short, she said that those of us with anxiety spend most of our lives worrying about things that are not actual threats to our survival - but that THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. This thing is real, and we just have to take it seriously. She also said that there is nothing that humans hate more than uncertainty. And there ain't nothin' certain about any of this.

Believe me, we're all experiencing the stress of uncertainty and of a real threat to lives and to the economy that will have repercussions far beyond the lifespan of this virus. My symptoms are all over the place, bouncing around like crazy. But the one that was bugging me for two months is completely gone - poof ! Just like that.

As long as you remain vaguely ill rather than seriously ill, I guess the best I can say is just to hang in there, and make the most of the many free resources which are suddenly all over the place, addressing our collective anxiety. I provided one over a week ago the thread Pandemic Panic? Read This Article, and others contributed. Again, I recommend the March 18 episode of The Mind & Fitness Podcast, and also the March 20 episode of The Cure For Chronic Pain with Nichole Sachs LCSW. Curable and SoundsTrue and Calm are all offering free resources right now. I also enjoyed the latest (Mar 23) episode of The Armchair Expert where Dax Shephard interviewed Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a wide-ranging take on this along with the expert knowledge of a medical professional in a less formal venue than his normal place on CNN.

Good luck!

 

THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM, so do all you can to prepare, its a great distraction, I have been at it for two weeks, get them Coronas!!. Hi Jan

 

@MindMood I know what you're going through. Just wait it out at home and try to get some rest and relaxation.

I've also been having some sore throat sensations, weird burning chest pressure, on and off difficulty breathing for the past 13 days, but no fever/cough. However, I'm gradually coming out of it, the symptoms are fading. I don't know if it's actual Covid disappearing or if the fact that since I'm on day 13 this is giving me reassurance that the worst is behind me. So I'm less nervous now and could be TMS just going away.

But whatever it is there's not much we can do. I think just 1/4 of people tested in the US are positive for this thing. So that means you most likely don't have it and most people are developing similar symptoms. When all is said and done, I'd actually like to know if I had it.

 

I know it’s of little consolation but I have some mild symptoms. I’m not focusing too much on them but I am looking at the fears that lie beneath; are my loved ones safe? Could they fall ill and die? What the hell would my husband do if I couldn’t care for him? (I’m his carer). Could he die because he is vulnerable? And every day more and more souls leave us.

This is terrifying and humbling. There is no certainty. Yet this is a time to remember that TMS is the preoccupation and the fear. Never before has it been so important to grasp this and do our very best to acknowledge our fears, feel our emotions, release them, be grateful for our lives and our loved ones, and bless every sweet breath.

With my love,

plum x

 

I've got symptoms too. I had family that would not stop traveling around and said things like "I am not sitting in the house" as if this was all some personal attack on their freedoms. The symptoms are conveniently the same symptoms I have had from various things like cold/flu/allergies/pureTMS. It is a nightmare since not everything is TMS and this thing is serious. Not "just a flu" as is still a refrain in my area. Cases are exploding and that's WITH minimal testing so the reality is an order of magnitude worse. Listening to people in the thick of it in critical care etc it's worse than is being reported officially. The curve isn't flattening..it's climbing. The whole thing has been complicated by politics and lack of leadership and action. My family doesn't believe anything unless it comes from (**their chosen authority figures**). It infuriates me people will get sick and die because of someone's ego and incompetence. Too many people only believe in their chosen group and authority figure. I was just told today by my father it's "only three hotspots" etc and things aren't as bad here as elsewhere because Murica is always "better" in the minds of people like that.

So much misinformation and willful ignorance out there. I have been telling people to prepare since January. I worked hard not to let the nonsense and conspiracies stress me more but it became clear quite fast this was serious and watching people drag their feet and continually not do the right thing at the right time is causing me so much stress. Why are people so selfish and stupid? It's proven every time society and systems are stressed beyond the thin veneer. Disasters, war, the best you see is a minority work together for a short time and pat each other on the back. Why are we so incapable in this country especially of being a society instead of millions of individuals? Even as members of communities die from this people are still acting foolish and denying the situation. Egos and need to feel in control always rule the day.

*Can whoever edited the post write me so that I can respond to them? I just got an anonymous alert with no name or way to reply.

 

I’ve had some chest pain and shortness of breath for weeks now. I live in a very high-risk major city and a large county that are both frequently mentioned by politicians and the coronavirus task force. A relative of mine, whom I have not had any recent physical contact with, was much more ill than me but was still told multiple times that they could not get tested unless they needed hospitalization. Otherwise, we are all mostly being told to stay home with these more “mild” symptoms until we recover. Because of that, I know that whether I have coronavirus or not, I am doing everything I can possibly be doing, per the advice of medical professionals - working remotely, staying home, soothing my body, sleeping, etc. Personally, because I do not require hospitalization, that’s how I’m dealing with the thought of being infected. It’s up to each individual and their medical team to make that determination, of course. Please be gentle with yourself and remember that it’s normal to feel anxious right now.

 

Well, @Dorado, I "liked" your post because of all the valuable and necessary things you're telling us, but I do NOT like to hear that you may indeed have this infection. Still, it sounds like you're taking good care of yourself and doing all the right things, so I will not add to the anxiety with unnecessary worry. Just get better soon, my friend!

 

When the test for Covid-19 antibodies becomes readily available, it will be interesting to see how many of us (myself included), who are fairly certain that we've had it and recovered, without treatment, had actually contracted it.

 

@Dorado Sending you oodles of love. ❤️

 

Yes, it’ll be interesting.

I’m happy to say the mild symptoms I had passed after a couple of days and I don’t think it was anything more than some seasonal stuff with a dollop of psychosomatic fretting. I’ve been suffering more from a flaring and falling away of TMS. Perfectly natural.

Hope everyone is safe and being as peaceful as possible.

 

Same here. I finally feel like I got over this thing.

Symptoms are gone after 2 and a half weeks. I'm 90% sure it was the virus.

But it could also have been some sort of acid reflux mimicking the thing induced by TMS

 

I have multiple friends and connections who have tested positive for coronavirus - the good news is that they’re all feeling better. One was able to leave a hospital yesterday after being on oxygen. Another who is suspected to have contracted the virus over Saint Patrick’s Day weekend (which my city was all over the news for demonstrating poor behavior) just told me today he has recovered (his symptoms were more mild, but still noticeable). He told me to watch my chest pain symptoms, but I’m not freaking out over it - I know I’ll be okay.

Keep the faith, everyone!

 

Whatever I had, I'm mostly over it, except for a very mild lingering cough. Even though I can't be sure, if I had to guess, I'd say that I did have coronavirus, because the symptoms matched. If that's true, I count myself as fortunate as I got off much easier than so many others.
As @sam908 mentioned above, I would really like to be tested for Covid-19 antibodies when it's available.

Now that those symptoms have subsided, I'm experiencing a spike in my other TMS symptoms. Chronic fatigue, anxiety, itchiness, arm pain, etc. Being home all-day, every-day - and being sick for a couple of weeks - has caused me to break my normal routine. I haven't been consistently journaling. I haven't been listening to TMS podcasts (because I usually do that while driving to/from work), and I have been getting very little physical activity.

Now it's time for me to get back on track. I'm going to start journaling daily again. Going to adjust my podcast (and audiobook) listening habits since I don't have a driving commute (i.e. will find time to listen at home during the day). And will exercise at home. Plus, the weather is getting warmer, so I can go for walks (keeping social-distancing in-place, 6 feet).

 

I totally get the "going off track" @MindMood . That happened to me when I had walking pneumonia two summers ago just as the smoky fires started to make our air index alarmingly dangerous. Couldn't even go outside!

During this current crisis, I have to say that nightly writing and 4X/week outdoor exercise keep the doom and gloom at bay. I am working out with my trainer, and walking with a neighbor - all 6-10 feet, of course.

Another fun distraction - a few days ago I managed to make a mask for myself - supposedly a 15-minute project that took me about 2 hours But I have to say, it's really nice, double-layered, thick jersey knit on the inside and good ties that keep it comfortably on. Wearing it when I have to go into public places, under the "my mask protects you, your mask protects me" protocol. I'm only making two trips per week for shopping and my business mail box, so it's easy to wash and dry it between trips.

 

It seems that I wasn't as close to recovery as I thought. The lingering cough and low-grade fever have persisted. At times, they've become worse, and I've experienced some reoccurrence of chest tightness.

In my previous post in this thread, I said "now it's time for me to get back on track." Due to isolation, stress, anger etc., I haven't really been back on track. And I'm sure this has slowed my recovery process.

My immune system is impacted by my TMS, and I wanted to start a conversation about this. So, I created a new post / thread.

 

Same thing here, pretty sure I don’t have the virus but I’ve been a little bit short of breath for three weeks now.