Long COVID
Moderate → relapsedIll 6 years before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID brain fog, near-full recovery after Moderna and antihistamines, then relapse
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6 years
- Last post
- Apr 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I now have long covid AND me/cfs
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I was moderate severe, now I'm light moderate so long as I'm careful.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
after healing almost completely from the first time and relapsing back to moderate once already
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
My initial infection was feb/mar 2020, and it was brutal I had no idea what was wrong with me.
In context ↗
Read from 44 of their posts and comments; links to the 32 this page draws on
Summary
Ridge 21110 fell ill with COVID in early 2020. Moderna shots brought near-full recovery, and antihistamines later cleared brain fog and other symptoms. An early 2024 illness, probably COVID, with a long sinus infection set them back worse than the original illness; they were later 'moderate severe'. By 2025 they called themselves 'mild/mod' with POTS largely gone, but PEM, insomnia and anxiety remained.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Claritin (loratadine)· Helped a lotAllegra· HelpedBenadryl (diphenhydramine)· Helpedantihistamine nasal spray· Helpedgluten-free diet· HelpedCymbalta (duloxetine)· HelpedTrazodone· Helpedsalt and electrolytes· HelpedPfizer vaccine· No changemelatonin· No changeother OTC sleep aids and prescribed sleep medications· No changeZyrtec· WorseNAC· WorsePepcid· Not saidnicotine patches· Not saidEscitalopram (Lexapro)· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Claritin (loratadine) · Helped a lot
Claritin, or another antihistamine, is what worked for me, my dizziness and soreness was gone too, in just a day or two
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Worse
zyrtec makes me more lethargic and didn't touch my brainfog
In context ↗ - Allegra · Helped
I'm on Allegra now only on suggestion by my doc, I take that in the morning with pepcid and claritin at night
In context ↗ - Benadryl (diphenhydramine) · Helped
Benadryl has been the only thing that's worked to knock me out
In context ↗ - antihistamine nasal spray · Helped
of all things antihistamine nasal spray seems to keep it at bay?
In context ↗ - Pepcid · Not said
I take that in the morning with pepcid and claritin at night
In context ↗ - gluten-free diet · Helped
I have cut out gluten, it knocked me out, made me very lethargic and worsened brainfog/cognitive issues.
In context ↗ - Moderna vaccine (first shots and booster) · Helped a lot
First Vax and booster (moderna) just about cured me, going from moderate to almost nothing, at least until a recent reinfection
In context ↗ - Novavax · Helped
Got Novavax a few months ago and felt great for a few days but the effects didn't last.
In context ↗ - Pfizer vaccine · No change
novavax and I think Pfizer? But no change one way or another with those
In context ↗ - NAC · Worse
It made my histamine issues 10x worse and any amount of gluten put me to sleep
In context ↗ - CoQ10 · Helped
I do however take coq10 now and it gives me the same energy without the histamine issues.
In context ↗ - vitamin D · Helped
Vit d and coq10 has helped me, I can really feel it if I've missed a day or two.
In context ↗ - Cymbalta (duloxetine) · Helped
I'm on Cymbalta actually, though I'm on it for depression/anxiety, I will say it works for me on that!
In context ↗ - Wellbutrin · Helped
I'm on an snri (cymbalta) and Wellbutrin, and they have helped me a lot!
In context ↗ - Trazodone · Helped
On Trazadone, with does keep me asleep! If I can GET to sleep.
In context ↗ - gabapentin · Helped
I take it for anxiety, and for that it was phenomenal, nothing else has worked as well.
In context ↗ - melatonin · No change
Meletonin does nothing
In context ↗ - other OTC sleep aids and prescribed sleep medications · No change
none of the other otc sleep aids or handful of medications my doctor prescribed made a dent in my insomnia
In context ↗ - salt and electrolytes · Helped
if I'm feeling a certain type of ick I start eating salted sunflower seeds or drink electrolytes
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
could finally pace effectively. I was moderate severe, now I'm light moderate so long as I'm careful.
In context ↗ - nicotine patches · Not said
I only peel off half the backing at a time, some backings come split some I have to cut.
In context ↗ - Escitalopram (Lexapro) · Not said
it made all my hair fall out. A rare side effect, just poor luck, itched like hell everywhere when it all started growing back.
In context ↗
Approaches: Other antidepressants · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing · Supplements · 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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| February/March 2020 | COVID onset, brutalMy initial infection was feb/mar 2020, and it was brutal I had no idea what was wrong with me.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| mid-2020 (about 6 months in) | started antidepressants; calmer and able to paceWhen I got on an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety about 6 months in, I had some peace and clarity to start looking at treatments criticallyIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| early 2021 | Moderna shots; 'just about cured'First Vax and booster (moderna) just about cured me, going from moderate to almost nothingIn context ↗ | Near normal | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| year 3 to 4 (2022-2023) | 80-90% and slowly improvingI was doing well in year 3 and 4, 80-90% and improving slowlyIn context ↗ | Near normal | |
| January/February 2024 | COVID reinfection plus weeks of sinus infectionthen I got sick early 2024 and it set me back even worse than I had it originallyIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| March 2024 | antihistamines cleared brain fog and exhaustionIt was an immediate night and day difference, no brain fog, I wasn't passing out as soon as I got home from workIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| December 2024 | set back by a 'hell flu' in DecemberI had some kind of hell flu this past december and though it set me back some tooIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| February 2025 | POTS largely resolved, less bad off than a year beforeI actually appear to be relatively cured of pots, I've had it for yearsIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| April 2025 | mild/mod, occasional PEM after overdoing itevery once in a while it creeps back up on me even now that I'm mild/modIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Loratadine (Claritin)“my nose feel like a solid block of mucus and my ears are constantly popping, I'm snoring so much my throat is raw!” In context ↗ Side effects
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“zyrtec makes me more lethargic and didn't touch my brainfog” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“it made all my hair fall out. A rare side effect, just poor luck, itched like hell everywhere when it all started growing back.” In context ↗ Side effects
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)“It made my histamine issues 10x worse and any amount of gluten put me to sleep” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Trazodone (Desyrel)“Too much trazodone did make me super weak and extra lethargic the day after” In context ↗ Side effects
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)“It did make me real tired when I was taking it in the morning though, so I take it at night.” In context ↗ Side effects
- “It was like particularly sharp cramps for me, and a day of my normal 'worst day of the cycle' cramp wise after.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessHair lossHeadaches & migraineLight & noise sensitivityLoss of smell or tasteMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
the pem is still there
In context ↗ - Brain fog
this brainfog and fatigue is getting to me badly
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I actually appear to be relatively cured of pots, I've had it for years
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Most of my issues ended up being mcas so various antihistamines have helped.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I've tried so many things and can't figure out how to just sleep through the night
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
pretty bad muscle weakness and overall soreness/pain
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I would get super nauseous and would eventually cause a migraine
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
light and sound sensitivity that will trigger migraines
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
inability to take a full breath
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
pretty bad muscle weakness
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
my anxiety is so sky high I also have to take Gabapentin
In context ↗ - Hair loss
Yes q_q it could be one of my medications though
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
no loss of taste/smell like the first time
In context ↗
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