Long COVID breathlessness and depression, nearly back to normal with time and exercise
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- Jun 2022
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I got covid December 2020 and I’ve had long covid ever since.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I need to carry on working at the hospital ... fatigued out of breath version I became
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I still get symptoms it’s just that it’s not a constant and it’s not taking over my life anymore.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got covid December 2020 and I’ve had long covid ever since.
In context ↗
Read from 6 of their posts and comments; links to the 6 this page draws on
Summary
He caught COVID in December 2020 and works at a hospital; he had long COVID for about two years, with constant breathlessness and a deep depression at the one-year mark. Prednisone and an inhaler for 15 months helped, but the steroids made him gain weight; he stopped them in early 2022. He credits time, diet and lifestyle changes and an exercise programme; by June 2022 his long COVID had largely cleared, symptoms no longer constant.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Prednisone · Helped
They 100% helped no doubt in my case.
In context ↗ - oral inhaler · Not said
Prednisone and oral inhaler exactly like you said :) 15 months I was on them
In context ↗ - changed diet · Helped
Changed my diet
In context ↗ - exercise programme · Helped
got on an exercise programme with Anti inflammatory medications which I’m thankfully off now, but it all worked
In context ↗ - daily steamy showers or baths · Helped
I found daily steamy showers or baths keep my chest in line
In context ↗ - time · Helped
my long covid had largely cleared up because of time
In context ↗
Approaches: Diet · Other drugs and medicines · Physiotherapy and rehab
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 12 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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2020 | caught COVIDI got covid December 2020 and I’ve had long covid ever since.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| December 2021 | deep depression, worsening breathlessness, still workingAt the one year anniversary I fell into a deep deep depression ... It got worse and worse and worse and worse ... I need to carry on working at the hospitalIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| April 2022 | off steroids two months, less breathless, can play with daughtersI’m not out of breath all the time and I can play with my daughters without it killing me.In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| June 2022 | long COVID largely cleared up over timemy long covid had largely cleared up because of time ... I’m feeling good a lot lot more than I’m feeling bad. | Near normal |
Adverse events
- Corticosteroid pulses“I was taking steroids daily to keep it under control and they made me gain Weight which made me feel worse.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Corticosteroid pulses“sometimes it gives me energy and sometimes I feel like I have an electric shock and I’m shaking all day.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Corticosteroid pulses“Felt like a set back whenever they would increase it but I would improve because of it.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Breathlessness
I’m not out of breath all the time
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
At the one year anniversary I fell into a deep deep depression
In context ↗
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