Long COVID with air hunger and chest tightness, somewhat better on a low-histamine diet
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 15 months
- Last post
- Jun 2021
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I really think I had a GI manifestation of Covid as I’ve never felt this bad for so long in my life.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I could not deal with ANYTHING happening. I felt like I basically had to go catatonic because I just could not process anything on top of what I was already experiencing physically.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I’ve been taking Pepcid, Xyzal, and oral Cromolyn and have seen some improvement. Still not where I want to be but my chest is much less tight than it was and am now mainly dealing with my stomach.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
This all started for me suddenly last March. I suspect Covid, tbh.
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Crane 69465 fell ill in March 2020, likely with COVID, with air hunger and chest tightness, then appetite loss and months of reflux and nausea plus a couple weeks of vomiting and adrenaline-like anxiety. Lexapro and asthma inhalers did not help; a low-histamine diet, Spiriva, Xifaxan for SIBO and Pepcid, Xyzal and oral cromolyn gave some improvement. By June 2021 the chest tightness was much reduced but stomach problems continued.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Ventolin · Worse
I felt so awful on Ventolin, Wixela, Qvar.
In context ↗ - Spiriva Respimat · Helped
I’ve only taken it a couple of times but it has seemed to take the clamp off my chest.
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · Helped
I’m eating low histamine as well which has also helped over time.
In context ↗ - Lexapro · Worse
I added Lexapro to that mix and it was a hot mess. I tried adjusting to a low dose for four months but it didn’t help.
In context ↗ - zinc with copper · Not said
I’ve also been supplementing zinc with copper since I found I was at the very bottom of the normal range
In context ↗ - Bentyl (dicyclomine) · Helped
Bentyl (dicyclomine) another anticholinergic helped take the clamp off my gut.
In context ↗ - Xyzal · Helped
I’ve been taking Pepcid, Xyzal, and oral Cromolyn and have seen some improvement.
In context ↗ - Periactin · Not said
Currently doing Xyzal, Periactin, Pepcid, and Oral Cromolyn and hoping to calm mast cells and lower my histamine bucket.
In context ↗ - Xifaxan · Helped
Did two weeks of Xifaxan that sort of helped but I’m still dealing with issues.
In context ↗ - PPIs · No change
It didn’t respond to PPIs, diet changes (except going low histamine eventually helped).
In context ↗ - diaphragmatic breathing and meditation · No change
There was no amount of diaphragmatic breathing or meditation I could do to reduce it.
In context ↗ - cold water face wash · Helped
I get a little relief if I go wash my face in really cold water.
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · H2 blockers · Antihistamines & MCAS · Diet
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2020 | air hunger and chest tightness beganAll my symptoms started with air hunger last MarchIn context ↗ |
| 2020 | no appetite, reflux, nausea, vomiting and constant adrenaline-like anxietyI had NO appetite from April until JanuaryIn context ↗ |
| November 2020 | adrenaline-like anxiety began to breakthat honestly didn’t start to break until NovemberIn context ↗ |
| January 2021 | appetite returnedThe day my appetite came back it was wonderfulIn context ↗ |
| 2021-06-04 | chest much less tight, stomach still problematicStill not where I want to be but my chest is much less tight than it was and am now mainly dealing with my stomach.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)“My lungs have been clear and I felt so awful on Ventolin, Wixela, Qvar.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Fluticasone / salmeterol (Advair, Wixela)“My lungs have been clear and I felt so awful on Ventolin, Wixela, Qvar.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Beclometasone (Qvar)“My lungs have been clear and I felt so awful on Ventolin, Wixela, Qvar.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Tiotropium (Spiriva)“It helped take a bit of the clamp of my chest. However it made my voice more hoarse.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“I added Lexapro to that mix and it was a hot mess. I tried adjusting to a low dose for four months but it didn’t help. I finally started to feel a bit better when I got off.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Breathlessness
I had constant chest tightness and air hunger for four months
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I had early satiety, burning, reflux, nausea, and a couple weeks of vomiting in May
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I had TERRIBLE physiological anxiety all last spring and summer
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I’ve very recently tested high for plasma histamine levels
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Very severe ME/CFS, now somewhat better and mostly bedbound after treating comorbidities
A COVID infection gave them mild ME/CFS; a second infection left them bedbound on and off and eventually very severe, with severe light and sound sensitivity. Low-dose naltrexone, gabapentin, clonidine, sodium cromolyn and other medications plus extreme rest…
-
Couch-bound with long COVID, now much better working part-time on LDN and antihistamines
Lagoon 81196 has had long COVID for about six years, after a COVID infection. She went from couch-bound to working 16-20 hours a week at around 60% of her earlier capacity, crediting LDN, H1 and H2 antihistamines, pregabalin, cromolyn sodium and DAO, plus…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
ME/CFS, never able to work, much better with low-dose naltrexone and mast cell treatment
Cedar 26955 has had ME/CFS since 2013 and has never worked. They credit low-dose naltrexone and mast cell treatment (cetirizine, famotidine, ketotifen) with slow, partial improvement, and DNRS brain retraining with helping their mental state. By 2026 they…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
Bedbound for months with long COVID, now much better with time and rest
Dew 52587, a woman, developed long COVID in August 2022 and was bedbound for months, unable to sit up, with severe head pressure, 35–40 lb weight loss and brain fog. She credits time, rest, IV ozone/glutathione/phosphatidylcholine, acupuncture and Chinese…