Long COVID with leg weakness and fatigue, now much better after laminectomy
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Jul 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
My last case, I shit you not, my LC symptoms improved for quite a while
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
my legs are totally screwed and I’m very limited nowadays
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
surgery just fixed almost all of my pain ... that seems to be somewhat improving
- Began after: COVID
That all pretty much stayed like that until summer of 2023 when I had a really nasty covid run.
Read from 34 of their posts and comments; links to the 16 this page draws on
Summary
After a summer 2023 COVID infection they developed numbness, progressive leg weakness, twitching and fatigue, later rating themselves 8. Prednisone helped for a year but symptoms returned on stopping; exercise could pull them out of a crash and reduce pain, though too much could trigger one, and by August 2025 they rated 4. Severe lumbar stenosis was found and a 2026 laminectomy improved much pain, but oral and hand weakness persisted and was somewhat improving; permanent leg damage was expected.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Prednisone · Helped a lot
I took prednisone for a year and it helped a ton. I stopped and symptoms came back.
In context ↗ - daily supplement list from neurologist · Helped
I had a great daily supplement list given to me by my neurologist and I swear it worked. I stopped taking it when I stopped prednisone.
In context ↗ - blood patch · Helped
I had a spinal fluid leak, didn’t get closer to a diagnosis and couldn’t sit or stand for over a week until I spent the $1100 out of pocket for a blood patch.
In context ↗ - paxlovid · Helped
when I had a repeat infection I also took paxlovid and I swear my symptoms improved. I had less aches and fatigue and it seemed to last
In context ↗ - exercise · Helped
I’m even finding that consistent exercise can greatly reduce aches and pains as well as stiffness and nerve issues.
In context ↗ - Gabapentin · Helped a lot
Gabapentin helps tremendously with the nerve pain… other than that I’m not sure.
In context ↗ - melatonin · Worse
Melatonin absolutely destroyed my sleep and I found out this is quite common.
In context ↗ - laminectomy surgery · Helped a lot
I had this and it turned out to be stenosis, not post viral at all. Just had surgery and it’s a whole ton better
In context ↗ - dealing with anxiety · Helped
My twitching slowed insanely when I started dealing with anxiety.
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals · Exercise and activity · Surgery & structural
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. 2 steps have no time and sit in story order between the steps around them. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| summer of 2023 | COVID infection; numbness and leg weakness beganI immediately got numbness in my toes, leg weakness causing my knee to almost like give out, and tightness.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| after summer 2023 | severe weakness, fasciculations and foot drop; feared ALSI have pretty severe full body fasciculations and weakness so it seemed obvious that I was screwed.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| for a year after summer 2023 | prednisone reversed foot drop and helped a tonI took prednisone for a year and it helped a ton.In context ↗ | Mild | Corticosteroid pulses |
| after a year of prednisone | symptoms returned after stopping prednisoneI stopped and symptoms came back.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2025-08-30 | self-rated from 8 to 4; exercise helpedI used to be an 8 and I’d say I’m a 4 now.In context ↗ | Mild | Everyday exercise and activity |
| 2026-05-09 | leg weakness from severe lumbar stenosis became limitingmy legs are totally screwed and I’m very limited nowadaysIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2026-06 | laminectomy for lumbar stenosis; pain much betterJust had surgery and it’s a whole ton betterIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2026-07-01 | still oral and hand weakness, but somewhat improving; permanent leg damage expectedI’m technically still diagnosed with some sort of post viral illness due to the fatigue and weakness orally and in my shoulders and hands, but that seems to be somewhat improving.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Corticosteroid pulses“Temporary weight gain, irritable, sweaty, hungry, flushed/redness, always warm, some cramps” In context ↗ Side effects
- Melatonin“Melatonin absolutely destroyed my sleep ... I always always wake up in the middle of the night when I take it.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I used to get PEM so bad and now it seems to have switched off.
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
weakness orally and in my shoulders and hands
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I immediately got numbness in my toes, leg weakness
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
surgery just fixed almost all of my pain
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
My twitching slowed insanely when I started dealing with anxiety.
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
Sore throat, fever feeling, exhausted and then gone after a day.
In context ↗
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