Long COVID dizziness and a thumping heart, now close to normal with time and propranolol
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 22 months
- Last post
- Oct 2024
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have had LC since December 2022
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I couldn’t drive the 5 mins to work and would pass out in the car. My blood pressure and heart rate would drop.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
It’s been 90% better for about 4 months now
In context ↗
Read from 33 of their posts and comments; links to the 16 this page draws on
Summary
Acorn 43128 has had long COVID since December 2022, with dizziness, fatigue, eye strain and a thumping heart; they could not drive the five minutes to work. Prism glasses eased their vision and headaches. They credit time, a probiotic and low-dose propranolol with reaching about 90% better, though night-time head and heart symptoms persist and NAC made them worse.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- antihistamine · Not said
I take an antihistamine daily and also B12.
In context ↗ - prisms in glasses · Helped
they put some prisms in my glasses and that helped my vision a ton
In context ↗ - Bonine · Helped
Bonine helped me at first and then it stopped working.
In context ↗ - melatonin · Worse
I take melatonin but I noticed as soon as I take it, I get the weird feeling.
In context ↗ - NAC · Worse
It gave me really bad symptoms at night. Hard to describe but almost like this feeling of dying at night while I’m falling asleep.
In context ↗ - supplements · Worse
I was taking a ton of supplements to help symptoms and they were making me worse.
In context ↗ - propranolol · Helped a lot
Propranalol is a game changer
In context ↗ - inhaler · Not said
An inhaler for the asthma.
In context ↗ - probiotic · Helped
Probiotic helped me a lot. Like way more than I ever expected.
In context ↗ - low estrogen birth control · No change
I started taking it after and have had no issues.
In context ↗ - alcohol · Helped
Alcohol makes me feel better honestly. I think because my main issue is high heart rate/heavy thumping heart rate and alcohol slows that down.
In context ↗ - time · Helped a lot
And also know it gets better with time.
In context ↗
Approaches: Beta-blockers · Supplements
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 3 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | too dizzy to drive the short trip to work, near-faintingI couldn’t drive the 5 mins to work and would pass out in the car.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2023 | felt almost normal again after new prism glassesI had a week of high heart rate and a weird “quivery” feeling but that went away and I am feeling 90% normal again.In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| October 2023 | night-time head and heart symptoms returned, back to 80% betterI am 80% better but I dread going to bed every night.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| August 2024 | about 90% better on propranolol and a probiotic, with residual head sensationsI am 90% better now. My doctor prescribed me propranalol to treat the heart symptoms.In context ↗ | Near normal | Propranolol (Inderal) |
Adverse events
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)“It also made me much worse. ... It gave me really bad symptoms at night.” Made symptoms worse
- “I was taking so many supplements to help my long covid symptoms and realized it was making them worse. ... If I took supplements at night I would get horrible head zaps, insomnia, dizzy feelings etc.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Melatonin“I take melatonin but I noticed as soon as I take it, I get the weird feeling.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Heart symptoms & palpitations
I can feel my heart beat in my head, ears, neck etc.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
It goes on for hours. I can’t sleep. I dread the night time now.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
it took a huge strain off my eyes and the headaches are gone now
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
This really helps with the shortness of breath
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
It also helps with anxiety (which I never had until having covid)
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I’ve noticed this helped with general uncomfortable tightness in my stomach
In context ↗
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