Viral Meningitis - anyone else?
Discussion
Thought I'd open up to this forum on this as the subject is dragging me down now.
For the record I'm a 26 year old male, generally fit and healthy, a trip to the docs is rare for me.
Anyway about 2-3 weeks ago I began to get searing headaches, nothing that tablets would touch, I'd get dizzy and wouldn't be able to walk well, I had a stiff neck and a stiff back and feverish symptoms. After regular painkillers wouldn't touch any of it I took a trip to my GP's and was sent straight to hospital for tests. After two days in hospital feeling no better I was sent home diagnosed with a viral infection/fever and just to rest.
In the evening I went home I took a turn for the worse, head felt like it was going to explode, couldn't stand up and could barely move. I was taken back to hospital in the early hours of the morning. Bloods taken AGAIN (arms looked like a pin cushion by now) and it was decided to do a lumbar puncture which subsequently discovered an infection they believed to be viral meningitis and a bleed on the brain. I had an MRI scan which came back all ok. The next day I was let out of hospital with medication (valcaliovir or something) and I learnt I tested positive for HSV.
It has been 10 days since leaving hospital, I feel no better really... The major headaches have gone but are slowly returning. I have no energy and I sleep and rest most of the day. I can barely move to get up to do something and I often feel dizzy and breathless. My gp says this is normal but I am not sure.
Has anyone else on here had this? Just wondering how long or short your recovery was? What helped you get fit again?
Thanks
Liam
For the record I'm a 26 year old male, generally fit and healthy, a trip to the docs is rare for me.
Anyway about 2-3 weeks ago I began to get searing headaches, nothing that tablets would touch, I'd get dizzy and wouldn't be able to walk well, I had a stiff neck and a stiff back and feverish symptoms. After regular painkillers wouldn't touch any of it I took a trip to my GP's and was sent straight to hospital for tests. After two days in hospital feeling no better I was sent home diagnosed with a viral infection/fever and just to rest.
In the evening I went home I took a turn for the worse, head felt like it was going to explode, couldn't stand up and could barely move. I was taken back to hospital in the early hours of the morning. Bloods taken AGAIN (arms looked like a pin cushion by now) and it was decided to do a lumbar puncture which subsequently discovered an infection they believed to be viral meningitis and a bleed on the brain. I had an MRI scan which came back all ok. The next day I was let out of hospital with medication (valcaliovir or something) and I learnt I tested positive for HSV.
It has been 10 days since leaving hospital, I feel no better really... The major headaches have gone but are slowly returning. I have no energy and I sleep and rest most of the day. I can barely move to get up to do something and I often feel dizzy and breathless. My gp says this is normal but I am not sure.
Has anyone else on here had this? Just wondering how long or short your recovery was? What helped you get fit again?
Thanks
Liam
Mum had it when I was quite young. Dad was working away at the time and I remember taking a few days off school just to look after her.
Admitted to hospital eventually and was there for nearly a fortnight. She could barely speak coherently never mind type so hopefully your's isn't as bad - she was left with a damaged immune system and chronic fatigue since.
Admitted to hospital eventually and was there for nearly a fortnight. She could barely speak coherently never mind type so hopefully your's isn't as bad - she was left with a damaged immune system and chronic fatigue since.
Art0ir said:
Mum had it when I was quite young. Dad was working away at the time and I remember taking a few days off school just to look after her.
Admitted to hospital eventually and was there for nearly a fortnight. She could barely speak coherently never mind type so hopefully your's isn't as bad - she was left with a damaged immune system and chronic fatigue since.
Sorry to hear about your Mum Admitted to hospital eventually and was there for nearly a fortnight. She could barely speak coherently never mind type so hopefully your's isn't as bad - she was left with a damaged immune system and chronic fatigue since.
When I was admitted to hospital the second time I didn't know what planet I was on, my body didn't feel connected to my brain, i had double vision, could just about stand up to walk to the car. It's a horrible horrible virus. I am worried about the fatigue, I really hope it goes away As far as i understand bacterial meningitis can be life threatening, nasty stuff
Willy Nilly said:
As I understand viral meningitis is meningitis light. Dread to think what bacterial is like.
It's an incredibly unhelpful attitude (not pointing the finger at you, the medical professions are as much to blame for this prevailing idea) to describe it as such. The recovery period can last years and many such as my own mother have been left permanently ill because of it.I've had it and an infection that followed, never felt so much pain before, during and shortly after. It didnt help that the hospital I was in was a teaching hospital, so the doc thought it'd be a good idea to let one of the students do the lumbar puncture. After a few goes with what felt like a Dremmel he sent me to the anesthetists who sorted it quickly and it was painless
I wasnt prepared for the aches that came afterwards right down into my bones, could barely walk for about a fortnight and doing anything was hard work. I was OK with driving, but anything more the really short distances tired me out.
No real 'cure' offered other than painkillers and if the pain got too much, hit some tramadols and everything went away. Think it was about a month before I felt fully OK again
The docs said that afterwards I might have problems with eyes or ears, not serious, but a degradation in one or the other, or none if I was lucky. My eyes went a bit downhill, but it was just an increase in prescription on my glasses (now contacts) from +2 to +2.75/3.0
I wasnt prepared for the aches that came afterwards right down into my bones, could barely walk for about a fortnight and doing anything was hard work. I was OK with driving, but anything more the really short distances tired me out.
No real 'cure' offered other than painkillers and if the pain got too much, hit some tramadols and everything went away. Think it was about a month before I felt fully OK again
The docs said that afterwards I might have problems with eyes or ears, not serious, but a degradation in one or the other, or none if I was lucky. My eyes went a bit downhill, but it was just an increase in prescription on my glasses (now contacts) from +2 to +2.75/3.0
I though they had chopped my arms off while I was in hospital. I went to sleep face down with both arms dangling over the sides of the bed and woke up and could feel either of them. f
k! Then intense pins and needles when the circulation started again...
They put me on some pretty strong pain killers that had to be taken with food which after about 1 minute made an impressive reappearance, so they put me on a full dose of paracetamol and aspirin. Then I came home and got bells palsy again
k! Then intense pins and needles when the circulation started again...They put me on some pretty strong pain killers that had to be taken with food which after about 1 minute made an impressive reappearance, so they put me on a full dose of paracetamol and aspirin. Then I came home and got bells palsy again
I didn't mind the lumbar puncture to be honest. I had a trainee doctor doing it with an experienced doctor supervising, it was his 6th lumbar puncture and for me pretty much completely painless.
I couldn't lay down while I was in hospital, the headaches were too painful so I stayed sat up whenever possible and tried to keep walking around even if i was (and still am) slow on my feet. The problems I'm still suffering with is fatigue, occasional dizziness and memory loss/concentration problems.
I couldn't lay down while I was in hospital, the headaches were too painful so I stayed sat up whenever possible and tried to keep walking around even if i was (and still am) slow on my feet. The problems I'm still suffering with is fatigue, occasional dizziness and memory loss/concentration problems.
Willy Nilly said:
As I understand viral meningitis is meningitis light. Dread to think what bacterial is like.
Pretty horrible. I'm only here now thanks to a injection of antibiotics into my arse by a very astute doctor. Similar to viral though. Tiredness, stiff neck etc. Took me over 12 months to recover properly.
edited to add, I was very lucky thanks to that doctor. I made a full recovery (although I still think my lights are still more photosensitive than before). Many aren't so lucky. It was properly touch and go for me.
johnnywb said:
Willy Nilly said:
As I understand viral meningitis is meningitis light. Dread to think what bacterial is like.
Pretty horrible. I'm only here now thanks to a injection of antibiotics into my arse by a very astute doctor. Similar to viral though. Tiredness, stiff neck etc. Took me over 12 months to recover properly.
edited to add, I was very lucky thanks to that doctor. I made a full recovery (although I still think my lights are still more photosensitive than before). Many aren't so lucky. It was properly touch and go for me.
I had been given a contact number (pre mobiles) in case anything went wrong with the cows (dad was a farmer) so began the trek to the phone. When I got there I couldn't remember any of the neighbours numbers so just rang the camp site where mum and dad were staying to call for some help. They rang one of the neighbours who had called doctor and came to see me and feed my dog. The doctors surgery had had a couple of patients die of meningitis so were a bit more alert to it and I was straight in to hospital. Instead of the ambwilans the neighbour took me in her Trooper, it seemed to take hours (about 20 minutes at 2 am) and I felt every last imperfection in the road.
It's a bit of a blur after that, but I do remember the lumbar puncture and the needle scraping a vertebrae.
I was quite stupid when I first got ill. I booked my appointment with my GP and as I was feeling so ill and couldn't walk I thought hey... I'll drive the minute long journey to the surgery. Big mistake as I came close to crashing the thing multiple times. As my GP then referred me straight to the AEU ward I had to crawl the car home, and very luckily my girlfriend's mam drove me to the hospital. I remember her having to help me across the car park as I could hardly walk.
I just wish on the first visit they had given me the lumbar puncture, instead of sending me home and then my dad bringing me back 12hrs later at 4am, and then subsequently getting further tests that determined I had viral meningitis.
I just wish on the first visit they had given me the lumbar puncture, instead of sending me home and then my dad bringing me back 12hrs later at 4am, and then subsequently getting further tests that determined I had viral meningitis.
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