Long COVID with panic attacks, tic and brain fog, much better after guanfacine
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 9 months
- Last post
- Jun 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Following a mild infection last august (2022) I struggled with panic attacks
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I moved back in with my family and was out of work for 6 months.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
My memory and verbal processing are not what they were before, but I feel much more in control of my life.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Following a mild infection last august (2022)
- Says they never had: Post-exertional malaise
I don’t get PEM thankfully.
Summary
A 25-year-old woman developed panic attacks, derealization, brain fog, verbal processing problems, a motor tic and breathing difficulties after a mild COVID infection in August 2022; she was out of work for six months. Guanfacine 1 mg brought immediate relief — her tic and panic stopped and she could hold a conversation — though a month in her memory and verbal processing were still below her previous level. She reported no PEM.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- therapy · Not said
I was in therapy, upped my SSRI, started Vyvanse, used propranolol PRN and white knuckled it through the winter and spring.
In context ↗ - NAC · Not said
I saw the small study that came out about treating brain fog with NAC and guanfacine and decided to give it a shot.
In context ↗ - guanfacine · Helped a lot
The relief was immediate. My tic went away with my panic and I could hold a conversation.
In context ↗
Approaches: Other drugs and medicines
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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2022 | long COVID after a mild infection: panic attacks, derealization, brain fog, motor tic, breathing difficulties; out of workFollowing a mild infection last august (2022) I struggled with panic attacks, derealization, brain fog, verbal processing difficulties, a motor tic, and accompanying breathing difficulties.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| May 2023 | started guanfacine; panic and tic stopped, could hold a conversationThe relief was immediate. My tic went away with my panic and I could hold a conversation.In context ↗ | Mild | Guanfacine |
| June 2023 | a month in, side effects gone, feeling much more in controlMy memory and verbal processing are not what they were before, but I feel much more in control of my life.In context ↗ | Mild | Guanfacine |
Adverse events
- Guanfacine“For the first two weeks I was fatigued, emotionally flat and a little dizzy. I'm a month in and the side effects have gone away.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Anxiety & low mood
I struggled with panic attacks, derealization
In context ↗ - Brain fog
My memory and verbal processing are not what they were before
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
accompanying breathing difficulties
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
I lost taste and smell for a month and an half after my first infection in nov 21
In context ↗
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