Long COVID
Mild → much betterIll 18 months before improving or writing
Long COVID with extreme fatigue and brain fog, now much better after therapy and rehab
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 18 months
- Last post
- Sep 2024
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I've been long hauling since before the vaccines were available.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I'm mainly extreme fatigue and brain fog.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I'm not 100% by any measure, but I'm a whole lot better than I was
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Tested positive for COVID on July 4th.
Read from 98 of their posts and comments; links to the 34 this page draws on
Summary
Owl 99818 caught COVID in July 2020 and long COVID symptoms returned in late 2020 with extreme fatigue and brain fog, plus headaches and tinnitus. Symptoms flared with cold weather, overexertion, early Pfizer shots and a 2022 reinfection. From 2023 they credited therapy, physical rehab and later a 1.5 mg medication with steady improvement; by 2023 they were hiking again but still symptomatic.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Breo inhaler· HelpedCBG· Helped · wore offLDN· Helpedanxiety meds· Helpedzinc· No changeNAC· No changevitamin D· No changeB-complex· No changeflush niacin· No changestamets 7 mushrooms· No changePfizer and Novavax COVID vaccines· No changeacupuncture· No changePaxlovid· No changeflu shot· No changenattokinase· No changeMCT oil· No changeHep A/B vaccine· No changealbuterol· Not saidQuercetin· Not saidZyrtec & Claritin· Not saidZyrtec & Claritin· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- zinc · No change
I've tried various supplements (mostly zinc, nac, D, B-complex, flush niacin, stamets 7 mushrooms, etc...)
In context ↗ - walking and biking · Helped
I actually benefit greatly from walking and biking. It improves my energy levels.
In context ↗ - Pfizer and Novavax COVID vaccines · No change
the vaccines didn't impact my LH symptoms one way or another
In context ↗ - Breo inhaler · Helped
Was prescribed a new inhaler (in additional to the albuterol I already used) called Breo. It helps, though good god it's expensive
In context ↗ - albuterol · Not said
in additional to the albuterol I already used
In context ↗ - Quercetin · Not said
Same. I eventually stopped taking it
In context ↗ - acupuncture · No change
I tried it for 3 or 4 months. Didn't notice any difference
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · No change
I did 10 days. Didn't help
In context ↗ - flu shot · No change
I got the flu shot 2 weeks ago (got one last year too). No difference in my LC symptoms.
In context ↗ - Zyrtec & Claritin · Not said
I've gone back and forth between them for 20+ years now due to having allergy issues.
In context ↗ - nattokinase · No change
nattokinase does nothing for many of us, me included
In context ↗ - CBG · Helped
I believe CBG has helped me
In context ↗ - mental health therapy · Helped a lot
I've spent the last 2 years working with a therapist on the mental side of things which has been tremendously helpful.
In context ↗ - MCT oil · No change
I tried this awhile back and it didn't do anything for me
In context ↗ - LDN · Helped
I started at 1.5mg last week. The first 3-4 days my fatigue was much worse and I really struggled sleeping. Since then, things have improved.
In context ↗ - anxiety meds · Helped
anxiety meds are one of the things quite helping me these days.
In context ↗ - Hep A/B vaccine · No change
as well as the Hep A/B vaccine. They've had no impact whatsoever on my long-covid.
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · Exercise and activity
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | After |
|---|---|---|
| July 2020 | COVID-19 infectionTested positive for COVID on July 4th. Recovered a couple weeks later. Symptoms came back with a vengeance in November and have been around ever since.In context ↗ | |
| November 2020 | long COVID symptoms returnedSymptoms came back with a vengeance in November and have been with me since.In context ↗ | |
| January 2021 | crashed after riding exercise bikelater in the day I felt like I was going to die and still feel absolutely terrible.In context ↗ | |
| March-April 2021 | Pfizer vaccine doses worsened symptomsI got the Pfizer dose a little over 2 weeks ago and the next day all my symptoms turned the volume up to 10.In context ↗ | |
| May 2021 | headaches, eye and jaw pain easingThe good news is that my symptoms have started getting better. My eyes are no longer extremely sore in the morning.In context ↗ | |
| July 2021 | bad respiratory infectionstarted feeling VERY sick again last week. Like all my COVID symptoms cranking back up to a 10.In context ↗ | |
| August 2022 | COVID reinfection flared all symptomsThen all my long COVID symptoms flared WAY back up for a week.In context ↗ | |
| September 2022 | months of slow, steady improvementI've been on a trajectory of slow, but steady improvement for months now.In context ↗ | |
| October 2022 | symptoms slid again as cold weather returnedRealllllllly sliding again the past week or two.In context ↗ | |
| October 2023 | back to hiking after mental and physical rehabI'm hiking again. I'm doing more and more.In context ↗ | CBT and psychotherapy |
| August-September 2024 | still improving on low-dose naltrexone, walking and bikingI've been on a recovery path too and it's an ongoing process, there are going to be setbacks but you don't let that stop your progress.In context ↗ | Low-dose naltrexone |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“The first dose really cranked my symptoms back up into high gear. Been a rough couple of weeks.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- COVID vaccination as treatment“The 2nd Pfizer shot kicked my ass. I felt worse than I'd felt in months. Took 2 weeks to really get back to feeling about the same as I did pre-shot.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I felt sick for like 18 hours after my booster. Then went back to where I'd been.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Low-dose naltrexone“The first 3-4 days my fatigue was much worse and I really struggled sleeping.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Low-dose naltrexone“The first 3-4 days my fatigue was much worse and I really struggled sleeping.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessHeadaches & migrainePain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseTinnitus
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I've had significant PEM since day one of this.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I'm mainly extreme fatigue and brain fog.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
everything flared back up again (fatigue, brain fog, headaches, tinnitus).
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I got a prescription for a Breo inhaler from my doctor and it helped quite a bit with that.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
anxiety meds are one of the things quite helping me these days.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
had all of these (cheek/jaw would randomly hurt. Eyes would be sore. Etc...)
In context ↗
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