Long COVID
Mild → somewhat betterIll 4 years before improving or writing
Long COVID neck tightness and buzzing, somewhat better after dry needling and massage
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Mar 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Three years ago this month I started with LC.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I know I am one of the lucky ones, I can still live my life, at least I'm not in terrible pain.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
Overall I am better. The tightness in my neck and vibrations throughout my body are not as bad as they were.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Three weeks after a mild COVID-19 infection extreme neck and shoulder tightness around the collar bone area started.
- Says they never had: Headaches & migraine
I don't have headaches.
Read from 120 of their posts and comments; links to the 37 this page draws on
Summary
After mild COVID in January 2021, she developed long COVID three weeks later with severe neck and shoulder tightness; buzzing in all limbs began months later, along with brain fog and dizziness. Dry needling and massage helped the tightness subside. Symptoms eased around months 10–11, but tightness returned in May 2022 and a November 2022 reinfection brought back resolved symptoms. By March 2023 she was better but not normal, with neck tightness and vibrations worsened by exercise.
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What they tried
Also tried
Advil (ibuprofen)· HelpedTurmeric (with ginger)· HelpedTurmeric (with ginger)· Helpedrolling ball neck massager· Helped · wore offcortisone / trigger point injections· Helped · wore offMagnesium Glycinate· Helpeddry needling· Helped · wore offultrasound treatments· HelpedB12· HelpedMagnesium Malate· Helpedwalks outside and sun· HelpedNAC· Helpedgentle Pilates· Helpedgentle stretching· Helped6-day steroid pack (Medrol)· No changeAllegra· No changeheated neck wrap and heating pad· No changeTurmeric/Resveratrol supplement· No changeChlorpheniramine maleate· No changeB1 thiamine· No changegabapentin· WorseNature Made Wellblends Calm & Relax· WorseZyrtec· WorseBaclofen· Worsecollagen powder· WorseAgmatine· Much worseVoltaren gel· Not saidmuscle relaxer· Not saidnasal rinse· Not saidMagnesium Lotion· Not saidmulti-vitamin· Not saidconsciously relaxing neck and shoulder muscles· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Advil (ibuprofen) · Helped
In early August I started taking two Advil before going to bed. This does help the neck and shoulder tightness and discomfort lessen when I wake up in the morning.
In context ↗ - 6-day steroid pack (Medrol) · No change
I've tried oral steroids a couple of times for the extreme tightness in my neck and upper traps and see no difference.
In context ↗ - Voltaren gel · Not said
I'm trying rubbing in Voltaren a nasid gel. Maybe it helps a little, not enough.
In context ↗ - Allegra · No change
I tried two weeks of Allegra and didn't notice a difference.
In context ↗ - heated neck wrap and heating pad · No change
Neck heating pad in the morning – have been doing this for a while, feels good but doesn't do much.
In context ↗ - Turmeric (with ginger) · Helped
Currently I'm taking Tumeric late morning and before bed. I think that is helping a little.
In context ↗ - Turmeric/Resveratrol supplement · No change
I haven't noticed any change so far.
In context ↗ - gabapentin · Worse
I took one pill (low dose) before bed, felt really weird woke up with blurry vision in the night and the next morning I had a blood vessel in one eye pop.
In context ↗ - rolling ball neck massager · Helped
It seemed to release those muscles a little, and then I began using a rolling ball neck massager on my neck and traps daily but only for five minutes at a time.
In context ↗ - cortisone / trigger point injections · Helped
Two cortisone injections in my left upper shoulder did give relief for a few weeks, but can't keep getting those.
In context ↗ - muscle relaxer · Not said
muscle relaxer (only a couple of times)
In context ↗ - Agmatine · Much worse
The vibration, tingling feeling started after I tried the supplement Agmatine. I had only taking three doses when I felt odd tingling in my feet so I stopped immediately.
In context ↗ - Magnesium Glycinate · Helped
It helped with the tension in my traps, but after five days of taking it I had terrible brain fog and a feeling of being unbalanced so I had to stop.
In context ↗ - dry needling · Helped
I went to a physical therapy center and had three sessions. It seemed to release those muscles a little
In context ↗ - Chlorpheniramine maleate · No change
I tried for a week. Saw no difference at all so stopped taking it.
In context ↗ - ultrasound treatments · Helped
I had two ultrasound treatments on my traps from a chiropractor recently with gentle massage to the knots afterward. It may have loosened up the knots a bit in my traps.
In context ↗ - nasal rinse · Not said
My husband regularly rinses his nose and had the bottles and solution so I've been doing that yesterday and today, three times a day.
In context ↗ - B12 · Helped
I actually wanted to try injections but that required a doctor visit so I just bought the supplement. It helped some almost immediately.
In context ↗ - Magnesium Malate · Helped
I've been taking Magnesium Malate at night before bed, just a small amount or I feel weird/foggy. I think it helps some.
In context ↗ - Magnesium Lotion · Not said
Magnesium Lotion rubbed on shoulders twice a day for two months, not sure, may help a tiny bit
In context ↗ - multi-vitamin · Not said
I was only taking a multi-vitamin which he told me to stop. He said many multi vitamins have too much B6.
In context ↗ - walks outside and sun · Helped
Walks outside help me, as well as laying out in the sun by a pool when possible.
In context ↗ - consciously relaxing neck and shoulder muscles · Not said
I also started at that time consciously trying to relax the muscles in the neck/shoulder area - pretty much constantly all day.
In context ↗ - B1 thiamine · No change
I've been taking half a tablet of B1 to help with buzzing but not seeing a change.
In context ↗ - NAC · Helped
took for four days, felt a little better but having insomnia so stopped.
In context ↗ - Nature Made Wellblends Calm & Relax · Worse
Nature Made Wellblends Calm & Relax – one dose. Tossed and turned all night, felt drugged, caused abdominal gas and discomfort.
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Worse
I just took Zyrtec for the first time last night. Definitely made me sleepy. I woke up feeling like I've had a bunch of caffeine which is really weird - like jittery.
In context ↗ - gentle Pilates · Helped
I finally started doing some YouTube Pilate videos starting with very easy, slow ones. ... I do feel a bit stronger.
In context ↗ - gentle stretching · Helped
I've been doing some very gentle stretching recently, very slow movements. I think that has helped a little.
In context ↗ - Baclofen · Worse
It did seem to help my neck and upper trap tightness, but on the third day my ankles had a numb sensastion, not just the vibrations. So I guess I won't take that again.
In context ↗ - collagen powder · Worse
I took 10 grams daily in my coffee until about a month ago when I increased it to 15 grams ... For the last week or two I've been feeling unbalanced and brain foggy
In context ↗
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 |
|---|---|---|
| February 11, 2021 | Long COVID symptoms began with acute neck pain and tightnessFebruary 11, 2021 - Acute severe pain up back of neck. Beginning of extreme tightness in neck and upper shoulders.In context ↗ | Mild |
| mid July 2021 | Buzzing and tingling began in all limbsMid July 2021 - Buzzing/Tingling feeling begins all over, all limbsIn context ↗ | Mild |
| late November 2021 | Neck and shoulder tightness subsidedLate November 2021 - Neck and shoulder tightness finally subsidesIn context ↗ | Near normal |
| May 14, 2022 | Neck and shoulder tightness returnedMay 14, 2022 - Neck and shoulder tightness returnsIn context ↗ | Mild |
| November 2022 | COVID reinfection brought back resolved symptomsThen I got reinfected 11/25/22. It's all come back. It's like the clock started over.In context ↗ | Mild |
| December 2022 | Reinfection-related symptoms easedBoth of those went away in about a month.In context ↗ | Mild |
| May 2024 | Off-balance feeling and brain fog returned after increasing collagenI can't pinpoint anything I've done other than I started upping the amount of collagen powderIn context ↗ | Mild |
| March 2025 | Overall better but still has neck tightness and body-wide vibrations; exercise worsened vibrationsOverall I am better. The tightness in my neck and vibrations throughout my body are not as bad as they were. I still have both symptoms though.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- “I had an inflammatory response to the first dose of Shingrix two years ago that caused chronic inflammation and pain in my lower back and hips for eight months.” In context ↗ Autoimmune or inflammatory flare
- “I've tried Advil, heat, Voltaren gel, even a neck massage device but that just lit it up worse.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)“I took one pill (low dose) before bed, felt really weird woke up with blurry vision in the night and the next morning I had a blood vessel in one eye pop.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Fexofenadine (Allegra)“I did try Allegra initially but it didn't help and my eyes were starting to bother me - I think drying out from it.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Magnesium“Helped relax shoulders, gave me terrible brain fog and feeling of instability.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Magnesium“I took one capsule the first night, took two the second night, but the next day my stomach ached. ... Although I have a mild esophagus irritation feeling now I don’t normally have.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Magnesium“Any more affects me cognitively the next day. Recently stopped that as I don’t think it’s doing much and I was getting some leg cramps.” In context ↗ Side effects
- “Tossed and turned all night, felt drugged” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- “caused abdominal gas and discomfort” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)“took for four days, felt a little better but having insomnia so stopped” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“Made me sleepy, kind of drugged feeling the next morning and jittery.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Baclofen“on the third day my ankles had a numb sensastion, not just the vibrations.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Collagen“For the last week or two I've been feeling unbalanced and brain foggy, like when a weather front comes through (this happened to me when I tried magnesium glycinate too).” In context ↗ Side effects
- Pilates“I've been exercising the last two months and the vibrations have intensified again, especially at night.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Stretching“Stretching that most times seemed to aggravate it.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogHair lossHeart symptoms & palpitationsMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Buzzing/vibrations ramp up after I do any kind of exercise, even just moderate walking.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
Most brain fog has subsided but I definitely don’t feel as sharp as I was
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I think they are waking me up during the night though, I don't sleep as well.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
The tightness in my neck and vibrations throughout my body are not as bad as they were. I still have both symptoms though.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
heart flutters and tenderness in my heart area
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
I don't want to get any weaker (muscle strength)
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I still have vibrations and buzzing in my limbs
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I wake up in the morning feel very down/depressed and hopeless
In context ↗ - Hair loss
to help with hair loss and weak nails
In context ↗