Long COVID joint pain and brain fog, Paxlovid and vaccines helped briefly then relapse
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Mar 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have LC, but that was diagnosed mainly by observation and the fact it came on a couple months after getting Covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Still disabled from fibromyalgia and fatigue, but it's a big improvement.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
Since then I've been feeling worse than prior to the vaccine
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
low-level symptoms like joint pain and brain fog since my first COVID infection in Jan 2022
In context ↗
Read from 30 of their posts and comments; links to the 19 this page draws on
Summary
Crest 93979 had fibromyalgia, CFS and OCD before long COVID; COVID in January 2022 and later infections worsened joint pain and brain fog. Paxlovid brought dramatic but temporary relief of joint pain, brain fog and anxiety, and some COVID vaccinations helped for a few weeks before symptoms returned or worsened. Low-dose naltrexone eased anxiety and insomnia but not brain fog and worsened joint pain, and pain and fatigue later worsened.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- therapy · Helped
I managed to bring the depression, anxiety, and OCD under control through medication and therapy in the past 5 years or so.
In context ↗ - mindfulness session · Not said
only during a mindfulness session
In context ↗ - LDN · Helped
Curiously it calms me and relieves some of the anxiety of my OCD and insomnia.
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · Helped a lot
In April I took Paxlovid ... and experienced a dramatic reduction in joint pain after 3 or 4 days on it, and reduction in brain fog by the time I was 10 days on it.
In context ↗ - mercury fillings removal · Not said
I got my mercury fillings safely removed before a I tried an ALA-based supplement.
In context ↗ - ALA-based supplement · Worse
Unfortunately I had a bad headache from the supplement and had to stop.
In context ↗ - COVID vaccine · Helped
the vaccine really helped my long COVID (got the vaccine last month; got 50% better from LC symptoms)
In context ↗ - fluvoxamine · Helped
I take fluvoxamine too and it helps a lot, but there's still a lot of anxiety left over
In context ↗ - Feldenkrais Method · Helped
Feldenkrais calms OCD as well as changing tension patterns in my body.
In context ↗ - Alexander Technique lessons · Worse
AT is actually counterproductive and after a while started to really trigger my OCD
In context ↗ - Celebrex · Worse
I took a few days and had much worse fibromyalgia or whatever is causing my usual state of muscle pain
In context ↗ - vitamin B12 · Worse
In the past I've noticed B12 making music pain worse, but I just don't think about it that often.
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals · Vaccination
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. The chart starts 2.8 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 2 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | first COVID infection, low-level joint pain and brain fog beginlow-level symptoms like joint pain and brain fog since my first COVID infection in Jan 2022In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| November 2024 | third COVID infection greatly increases brain fog, joint pain and feeling sickafter getting infected last November, brain fog, joint paint, and generally feeling sick greatly increased.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2025 | Paxlovid course clears joint pain and reduces brain foga dramatic reduction in joint pain after 3 or 4 days on it, and reduction in brain fog by the time I was 10 days on itIn context ↗ | Moderate | Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir |
| May 2025 | symptoms return within weeks of stopping PaxlovidUnfortunately, the improved only lasted a couple weeks after stopping it.In context ↗ | Moderate | Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir |
| spring 2025 | COVID vaccination gives 50% improvement in long COVID symptomsgot the vaccine last month; got 50% better from LC symptomsIn context ↗ | Moderate | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| September 2025 | another Paxlovid course makes them calmer with less anxietyOne of the striking changes after 10 days is that I'm calmer.In context ↗ | Moderate | Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir |
| December 2025 | newer COVID vaccine makes them feel way better for a couple of weeksI got the newer vaccine in December 2025 and felt way, way better for a couple weeks.In context ↗ | Not stated | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| January 2026 | pain and fatigue worse than before the December vaccineSince then I've been feeling worse than prior to the vaccineIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| February 2026 | severe muscle pain and brain fog; low-dose naltrexone eases anxiety and insomnia onlyThings have gotten worse with LC.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Low-dose naltrexone“I tried 4.5 mg daily and got joint pain, which continued to get worse over the first week, until I just couldn't tolerate it any more and gave up” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“Paxlovid actually causes me muscle pain so I'm worse in some ways while taking it” In context ↗ Side effects
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“because the muscle pain and insomnia bothers me at night, I'm taking a half dose at night” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- “I had a bad headache from the supplement and had to stop” In context ↗ Side effects
- Celecoxib (Celebrex)“I took a few days and had much worse fibromyalgia ... Started again today and my muscles are hurting like hell” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin B12“In the past I've noticed B12 making music pain worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Low-dose naltrexone“On 2, it clearly causes joint pain and makes my scoliosis worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “AT is actually counterproductive and after a while started to really trigger my OCD” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
Brain fog is still as foggy as ever.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I have fibromyalgia already
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I've been dealing with depression and anxiety for years, long before covid.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
It's a large improvement to my typical morning insomnia.
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I get a low-level virus - that is, flu-like pain, sniffles, eyes burning - that lasts a few weeks
In context ↗
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