Long COVID brain fog and crashes; improved on antibiotics and probiotic, then relapsed
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Aug 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
After 3 years of long covid, I could braid it just fine
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I was back to feeling feverish most days, could only get up for several hours.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
LC came back a few weeks later, out of the blue, with a crash.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
After 3 years of long covid, I could braid it just fine
In context ↗
Read from 11 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Sequoia 29441 had long COVID for about four years, with brain fog, crashes after exertion and shortness of breath. High-dose antibiotics after surgery plus an expensive probiotic made most symptoms vanish for about eight weeks, and they could work eight-hour days; the symptoms returned after they phased the probiotic out. Loratadine kept their brain fog at bay. A wrong form of CoQ10 later left them feverish and able to get up only for hours.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Loratadine · Helped
I have been taking Loratadine (the weaker "sibling" of desloratadine) for 5 years now, against brain fog.
In context ↗ - 2 antibiotics (high doses) · Not said
There was an accident during surgery and I had to take high doses of 2 antibiotics for several weeks.
In context ↗ - expensive probiotic (70 euros for 30 days) · Helped a lot
I started taking it when the antibiotics were done. 4 weeks later most of my LC symptoms (which I track with Visible) disappeared and I could work 8 hour days of mental work for the first time in over 3 years.
In context ↗ - ubichinol · Helped
Cortisol and everything mitochondria-related is low (e.g. Q10). So I supplement with ubichinol 3x/day
In context ↗ - double espresso · Helped
drink a double espresso at 10 am. That pushes me until ca 2 pm, but doesn‘t interfere with sleep.
In context ↗ - fishoil (higher dose than previously) · Not said
I take a lot of supplements for LC and perimenopause, so hard to pinpoint what changed.
In context ↗ - L-arginine with vitC · Not said
New supps are fishoil (higher dose than previously), L-arginine with vitC, higher dose of VitD plus VSL3 probiotic every few months.
In context ↗ - hair repair treatment at home (boiled linseed gel and coconut oil) · Not said
It‘s made from boiled linseed (gel) and a bit of coconut oil. I‘ve been using that monthly for the past 8 months.
In context ↗ - 5-htp · Helped
I had this too, got much better when I prioritized sleep. (5htp > serotonin, melatonin to fall asleep, 500mg magnesium with slow release to stay asleep, light therapy in the morning to shift sleep back to normal)
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
melatonin to fall asleep, 500mg magnesium with slow release to stay asleep
In context ↗ - 500mg magnesium with slow release · Helped
500mg magnesium with slow release to stay asleep
In context ↗ - light therapy in the morning · Helped
light therapy in the morning to shift sleep back to normal
In context ↗ - low-carb diet · Not said
I try to eat low-carb so instead of sugar I eat too much dairy (natural sugar content) and fruit.
In context ↗ - pre-emptive pacing · Helped
I do pre-emptive pacing. So I lie down before activity and after activity, whether I feel fatigue or not. That improved my crash rate significantly.
In context ↗ - guided breath work and/or meditation · Helped
Once a day, usually early afternoon, I try to throw in **10-18 minutes of guided breath work and/or meditation**. I don't manage every day, but I force myself to do it every day that is high-energy. I feel a noticeable difference.
In context ↗
Approaches: Mind-body practices · Pacing · Supplements
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | long COVID onset | |
| 2024 | most LC symptoms disappeared after antibiotics and a high-dose probiotic4 weeks later most of my LC symptoms (which I track with Visible) disappeared and I could work 8 hour days of mental work for the first time in over 3 years.In context ↗ | Probiotics and fermented foods |
| 2024 | LC returned with a crash after phasing out the probioticLC came back a few weeks later, out of the blue, with a crash.In context ↗ | |
| 2025 | functionality plummeted after taking the wrong CoQ10 for four weeksTook that for 4 weeks and my functionality plummeted.In context ↗ | |
| 2025-08-14 | still pacing, feverish most days, up only several hoursI was back to feeling feverish most days, could only get up for several hours.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- CoQ10 / ubiquinol“Took that for 4 weeks and my functionality plummeted. ... I was back to feeling feverish most days, could only get up for several hours.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Usually, I crash if I combine different things from the 2nd list
In context ↗ - Brain fog
the brainfog comes back with a vengeance
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
got much better when I prioritized sleep
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
One of my LC problems is shortness of breath.
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I was back to feeling feverish most days
In context ↗ - Hair loss
One day, it stopped falling out.
In context ↗
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