Long COVID brain fog and fatigue, improved then worse; pacing and antihistamines helped
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 15 months
- Last post
- Nov 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
the infection that gave me my first long covid symptoms
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
this happened to me for two of my infections(sadly there’s been a few, despite me trying my best!)
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
one reinfection worsened me considerably but the next actually seemed to help my cognitive symptoms, albeit at the cost of increasing heart palpitations etc.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
the infection that gave me my first long covid symptoms
In context ↗
Read from 8 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
Spruce 63302 developed long COVID symptoms either about three months after a confirmed infection in May 2022 or after a later infection, with brain fog, fatigue and MCAS-related symptoms. Time and pacing, antihistamines and a low-histamine diet helped. Two months after their worst infection they could do almost everything unless very tired, but later reinfections had mixed effects: one worsened them considerably, while the next helped cognitive symptoms but increased heart palpitations.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- pacing · Helped
time and pacing was the key for me too
In context ↗ - cold showers · Helped
found being in the warm (not hot water) followed by body temp shower followed by 30 seconds of freezing cold helped a fair bit
In context ↗ - anti-histamines · Helped
Being on anti-histamines and limiting my diet to a low histamine one has seemed to lower how often it’s happening!
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · Helped
limiting my diet to a low histamine one has seemed to lower how often it’s happening!
In context ↗ - flu shot · Not said
Mine was completely fine! Even avoided the arm ache I usually get
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing
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 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | long COVID symptoms began three months after a first confirmed infectionthe infection that gave me my first long covid symptomsIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| early 2023 | worst infection; unable to watch shows or listen to musicI’m two months out from my worst/latest infectionIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2023-04-05 | could do pretty much everything unless very tiredcan pretty much do everything now unless I’m very tiredIn context ↗ | Near normal | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2023-11-24 | reinfection worsened them considerablyone reinfection worsened me considerablyIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2023-11-24 | next reinfection eased cognitive symptoms but increased palpitationsthe next actually seemed to help my cognitive symptoms, albeit at the cost of increasing heart palpitations etc.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Cryotherapy and cold exposure“got awful headaches so stopped :/” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
head seems to have remained a bit clearer brain fog wise
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
this happened to me for two of my infections
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
increasing heart palpitations etc.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I was told it was to do with the MCAS
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Mine is on the left but otherwise sounds similar
In context ↗
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