Long COVID
Severe → near normalIll 5 months before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Barely able to breathe, eat or sleep with long COVID, now near normal with Chinese herbs
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 5 months
- Last post
- Sep 2024
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I caught omicron in december, been struggling since.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
after 4 months of barely functioning, constantly having allergies/struggling to breathe/eat/sleep daily
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
It's taken me around 10 months with a good practicioner to return to 90+~% for long covid.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I caught omicron in december, been struggling since
Read from 67 of their posts and comments; links to the 30 this page draws on
Summary
Alpine 32817 caught COVID in December 2021 and within four months was barely able to breathe, eat or sleep, with asthma, food and skin allergies and gut problems. Regulated Chinese herbal medicine, started four months in, relieved symptoms within hours and restored about 90% of function over ten months. An August 2022 reinfection set them back; a January 2023 Pfizer booster further eased cough and fatigue.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Glycine· Helpedlow histamine diet· HelpedAveeno hand cream / moisturiser· Helpedpu'er tea with 5 rose buds and dried tangerine peel· Helpedprolozone injections· Helpeddiaphragmatic breathing· Helpedsalt intake· Helped54-hour water fast· Helpedphospholipids· Helpedacupuncture· Helpedprolotherapy injections· Helpedcreatine· Helpedcompression socks/boots· Helpedavoiding refined sugar and refined carbs· Helpedavoiding refined sugar and refined carbs· Helpedfexofenadine (antihistamines)· Worsebrown steroid preventer asthma inhaler· Worsevitamin D pills· Not saidvitamin C pills· Not saidzinc pills· Not saidprobiotics· Not saidphysiotherapy· Not saidanti-nausea tablets· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Glycine · Helped
Glycine has been the best for me, even through long covid.
In context ↗ - fexofenadine (antihistamines) · Worse
I used them for 2-3 months due to food allergies. Made my face break into spots, mouth felt weird/like there was cotton wool, taste slightly altered, and overall just felt more off.
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · Helped
Now controlled via low histamine diet thanks to this sub, but im still reduced to only a few foods I can eat
In context ↗ - vitamin D pills · Not said
I also take Glycine, Creatine, VitD for my fatigue and pain.
In context ↗ - vitamin C pills · Not said
vitamin D/C/Zinc pills
In context ↗ - probiotics · Not said
I've just started probiotics to see if it helps in any way
In context ↗ - Aveeno hand cream / moisturiser · Helped
I usually use aveeno or some other moisturizer that can stop the itching
In context ↗ - traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) · Helped a lot
The TCM slowly fixed 90% of it, booster helped with the remainder, L-Glutamine is also helping with whatevers left
In context ↗ - pu'er tea with 5 rose buds and dried tangerine peel · Helped
I drank this daily for 2 years, with 5 rose buds and some dried tangerine peel. It helped lessen my cough and improve my breathing.
In context ↗ - physiotherapy · Not said
Thankfully i've still been able to do physiotherapy to manage hypermobility
In context ↗ - prolozone injections · Helped
lower back pain that stayed for months (I got it injected with 3-4 rounds of prolozone and it's been gone since)
In context ↗ - anti-nausea tablets · Not said
Had to be prescribed anti nausea tablets
In context ↗ - diaphragmatic breathing · Helped
Something that helped me w shortness of breath was diaphragmic breathing
In context ↗ - salt intake · Helped
Salt intake has worked for me as well; agree w the ask doctor etc. about it first.
In context ↗ - brown steroid preventer asthma inhaler · Worse
I became allergic to the stuff in the brown steroid preventer asthma inhaler
In context ↗ - 54-hour water fast · Helped
I started to feel slightly better around 30h, and felt inflammation and pain go around the 39-42h mark. Definitely helped me.
In context ↗ - phospholipids · Helped
I'm also taking phospholipids for my depression, still researching the links but it's the best supplement for my mental health so far.
In context ↗ - acupuncture · Helped
Acupuncture has helped with my nerve issues before, but it's always been in the limbs for me and not the head.
In context ↗ - prolotherapy injections · Helped
I wasn't able to exercise until I had prolotherapy injections
In context ↗ - creatine · Helped
Creatine helps me w muscular/joint fatigue
In context ↗ - compression socks/boots · Helped
Compression stuff has helped me, compression boots etc.
In context ↗ - avoiding refined sugar and refined carbs · Helped
I can't eat most refined carbs or my fatigue + joint pain worsens the next day
In context ↗ - Pfizer bivalent booster · Helped
it reduced my coughing/phlegm even further, and helped with fatigue
In context ↗ - L-Glutamine · Helped
L-Glutamine is also helping with whatevers left, so now the remnants are perfectly manageable.
In context ↗ - Lianhua Qingwen · Helped
in my long covid experience, has helped me with certain symptoms
In context ↗
Approaches: Alternative therapies · Amino acids and carnitine · 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 4 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | COVID-19 (omicron); mild cold then post-viral symptomsthe actual cold part was very mild (fully vaxxed), and I thought I made it through unscathed but then the post viral stuff took me outIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| April 2022 | barely functioning: struggling to breathe, eat and sleep, allergic reactions to everythingafter 4 months of barely functioning, constantly having allergies/struggling to breathe/eat/sleep dailyIn context ↗ | Severe |
| June 2022 | able to exercise, asthma attacks stopped, gut issues and headaches gone; cough and food allergies leftI'm able to exercise etc. No longer have asthma (Haven't had asthma attack since 5 months ago)In context ↗ | Mild |
| August 2022 | COVID reinfection set back cough, phlegm, MCAS sensitivity and headachesI've gotten more headaches and coughing/phlegm/MCAS sensitivity has been set back, but as long as I'm sticking to the meds and diet I'm slowly improving againIn context ↗ | Mild |
| October 2022 | crashed after trying a new food (duck); one-sided face, jaw, neck and head painThe symptoms started about an hour after I tried the new food (duck), and has persisted for about 3 days.In context ↗ | Mild |
| March 2023 | about 90% function on Chinese medicine, stopped the herbs, working on remaining food allergiesIt's taken me around 10 months with a good practicioner to return to 90+~% for long covid.In context ↗ | Near normal |
| September 2024 | functioning normally, still easing cough and breathing with pu'er teaI drank this daily for 2 years, with 5 rose buds and some dried tangerine peel. It helped lessen my cough and improve my breathing.In context ↗ | Near normal |
Adverse events
- Chinese herbal medicine (TCM formulas)“had practicioners in the west (who also got their qualifications in china but years ago) mess up my body” In context ↗ Other
- Chinese herbal medicine (TCM formulas), Herbal remedies (unspecified)“drinking the black tea alone triggers my MCAS sensitivities, but in conjunction with the other ingredients, I'm absolutely fine” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “my lips were swelling, it made me wheeze” In context ↗ Allergic reaction / anaphylaxis
- Fexofenadine (Allegra)“Made my face break into spots, mouth felt weird/like there was cotton wool, taste slightly altered, and overall just felt more off” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsGut problemsHeadaches & migraineLoss of smell or tasteMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaSleep problemsTinnitus
Their words about their symptoms
- Breathlessness
asthma (wheezing/SoB)
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
food allergies/very slight phlegm, cough (false allergies? intolerances? etc.) are the only remaining symptom
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
increased joint/muscle pain and aches
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I now have blood pooling from POTS after long covid
In context ↗ - Gut problems
They fixed my gut issues so those herbs were taken out
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
other random new symptoms that emerge such as insomnia
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
sense of taste blunted and/or tasted off
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
I've had ringing in one ear, hearing double
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I'm also taking phospholipids for my depression
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I suspect there might have been very mild brain fog as my short term memory was ridiculously bad
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
sore throat, tonsils agitated
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
nerve/muscle random pain
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
My joints loosened and muscle fatigue was widespread.
In context ↗
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