Long COVID
Severe → recoveredIll 6 months before improving or writing
Unable to work with long COVID, now recovered; beta blockers and diet helped
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6 months
- Last post
- Sep 2022
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
found coming off them worse than my experience so far with long covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
Laid on the floor most of the day and couldn't make food, watch TV or talk much.
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
progressed to being in the best shape of my life around month 9. Jogging, hiking rowing, lost 35 pounds etc. No symptoms.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Infected Jan 15/22, boosted Nov 24/21
In context ↗
Read from 17 of their posts and comments; links to the 11 this page draws on
Summary
A 38-year-old who caught COVID in January 2022 spent much of the day on the floor, unable to work, cook or talk much, with panic, insomnia, depersonalisation and a racing heart on standing. Beta blockers, trazodone, melatonin and a whole-foods diet helped their symptoms; they returned to 12-hour hospital shifts in May and by month 9 were jogging and hiking with no symptoms, which they called spontaneous.
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What they tried
Also tried
whole foods/DASH/low inflammation type diet· Helpedatenolol· Helpedhealthy sleep habits· HelpedTrazodone· HelpedDymista· Helpeddaily steps, resistance bands and rowing· Worsemagnesium citrate· Worsemelatonin· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- whole foods/DASH/low inflammation type diet · Helped
I find having a healthy diet, focusing on healthy sleep habits and a supportive and calm environment helps dull the pain.
In context ↗ - atenolol · Helped
A beta blocker has helped. I used to be addicted to benzos and found coming off them worse than my experience so far with long covid.
In context ↗ - daily steps, resistance bands and rowing · Worse
Tried to do rowing a week ago. Heart rate got to 130+ at setting 1 on a concept2 with a 3:40 pace and had to stop in 3 minutes. Had to lie down for 2.5 days
In context ↗ - Trazodone · Helped
Trazodone for sleep. I still don't link my sleep cycles together effectively, but can fall back asleep and get a few hours total.
In context ↗ - melatonin · Not said
Beta blockers can interfere with melatonin production so I supplement right before bed.
In context ↗ - Dymista · Helped
Dymista got rid of my post covid post nasal drip in like a week. Hasn't come back
In context ↗ - magnesium citrate · Worse
when I took magnesium citrate I had diarrhea
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. The chart starts 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2022 | COVID-19 infectionInfected Jan 15/22, boosted Nov 24/21In context ↗ | Not stated |
| month 1.5-2 (early March 2022) | no sleep, constant DP/DR, panic, off work, on the floor most of the dayMonth 1.5-2 I was had nights of no sleep, mixed with nights of 1.5-2hIn context ↗ | Severe |
| March 31, 2022 (11 weeks in) | crash after 3 minutes on a rowing machine, laid up 2.5 daysHad to lie down for 2.5 daysIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| April 13, 2022 (about 12 weeks in) | walking up to 8,100 steps a day and PEM less severeUp to around 8100 daily at 12 ish weeks. I don't get PEM as badIn context ↗ | Mild |
| May 21, 2022 (125 days) | back to 12-hour hospital shifts, no PEM, 12,000-15,000 steps a dayI don't have PEM any more. I am up to 12,000-15,000 steps a day.In context ↗ | Near normal |
| September 23, 2022 | spontaneous improvement from month 6; jogging, hiking and rowing with no symptomsSpontaneously around month 6 started to slowly feel better which progressed to being in the best shape of my life around month 9. Jogging, hiking rowing, lost 35 pounds etc. No symptoms.In context ↗ | Recovered |
Adverse events
- Magnesium“when I took magnesium citrate I had diarrhea” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Atenolol (Tenormin)“I'm prescribed 25mg atenolol daily but found that dose to make me too dizzy standing up” In context ↗ Low blood pressure or fainting
- Atenolol (Tenormin)“6.25mg stops the palpitations and resolved most of the symptoms for half a day but makes me more tachycardic between doses” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogHeart symptoms & palpitationsPOTS & dysautonomiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Had to lie down for 2.5 days
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
nights of no sleep, mixed with nights of 1.5-2h
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Would wake her up in a panic asking if she thought I should go to the hospital
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I did have high heart rate standing but my surges are much less frequent
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
6.25mg stops the palpitations
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I had DP/DR nearly constantly.
In context ↗