Near bedbound with long COVID for over a year, now much better after low-dose tirzepatide
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 15 months
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I got horrifying LC after an infection in May 2024.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I’ve gone from near bed bound to being able to do most chores, go to work part time from home
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I don't have my previous life back but I HAVE a life. ... 50-60% improvement is really worth it.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
When I got LC in Nov 2020, time helped. Took about 7months to recover.
In context ↗
Read from 36 of their posts and comments; links to the 14 this page draws on
Summary
First had long COVID in November 2020 and recovered in about seven months; a reinfection in October 2021 followed the same course. A May 2024 infection left them near bed-bound for over a year until low-dose tirzepatide in late summer 2025 gave immediate relief. They now work part time from home and report about 50-60% improvement, and are in a flare. Two years of LDN did little and badly worsened insomnia.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Tirzepatide · Helped a lot
It is the only thing that worked for me. I would say brought me to 50% improvement.
In context ↗ - LDN · Worse
Took LDN for two years. It mildly helped with joint pains and majorly worsened my already awful LC-induced insomnia. It did nothing for about 95% of my LC symptoms.
In context ↗ - ketamine · Worse
it did nothing for my LC. In fact, it made me feel even more emotionally unstable.
In context ↗ - propranolol · Helped
I was on concor for ages and it did nothing. Then I looked up research and switched to propranolol. Its helped a lot more.
In context ↗ - H1 antihistamines (Zyrtec) · No change
It's stuff like LDN/H1/H2 anti histamines where I don't see any tangible differences - I still take them but may ease them out eventually.
In context ↗ - Zolpidem · Worse
Took Zolpidem for a while but that is a nightmare drug (literally, lol).
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
now I just take a 3mg melatonin and a 1-2 mg tizanidine. It works. No side effects.
In context ↗ - tizanidine · Helped
Quite happy with Tizanidine.
In context ↗ - walks and pilates · Not said
Now I'm starting with walks and pilates - it strengthen and tones muscles and helps with flexibility without triggering the PEM.
In context ↗ - Ramadan fasting · Helped
it's the time of the year when my health is at its best and Long Covid at its weakest ... it really has helped me with LC
Approaches: GLP-1 drugs · Diet
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-11 | long COVID after COVID infectionWhen I got LC in Nov 2020, time helped. Took about 7months to recover.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2021 | recovered after about seven monthsTook about 7months to recover.In context ↗ | Recovered | |
| 2021-10 | COVID reinfection brought long COVID backGot Covid again in Oct 2021 and took another 7 months.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2022 | recovered again after about seven months | Recovered | |
| 2024-05 | severe long COVID after a May 2024 infectionThen I got horrifying LC after an infection in May 2024.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2025-11 | big improvement on tirzepatide, about 70-80% of their life backMy PEM has improved to the point that I've gone from near bed bound to being able to do most chores, go to work part time from home, do lighter workouts, go for walksIn context ↗ | Mild | Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) |
| 2026-08 | about 50-60% improvement, in a bad flarebrought me to 50% improvement. I went from completely debilitated to being able to work from home and doing VERY light socializing once every 2 weeks or so. (Although going through a bad flare right now)In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Low-dose naltrexone“Only recently realized that it has significantly worsened my sleep, which was already bad so I was blaming it all on long covid. I stopped it a few weeks ago and I still have sleep issues but they’re nowhere as severe.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Low-dose naltrexone“I had side effects, including jaw throbbing migraines for days. But because I was told this was the only medication for LC, I stuck with it.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Ketamine“Honestly, it did nothing for my LC. In fact, it made me feel even more emotionally unstable. ... it just messed me up for those three months.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- “I've been taking lots of sleep meds and HATED the side effects of each of them.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Zolpidem (Ambien)“Took Zolpidem for a while but that is a nightmare drug (literally, lol).” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Tirzepatide which has helped me fight back the PEM
In context ↗ - Brain fog
improved brain fog
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
majorly worsened my already awful LC-induced insomnia
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
It mildly helped with joint pains
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Housebound then mostly bedbound with long COVID, now much better; GLP-1 helped cognition
Housebound then mostly bedbound with ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS and cognitive symptoms for years after long COVID in late 2020. Pacing, keto and low-histamine diet, probiotics, fasting and weekly IVIG in a trial lifted them to about five hours up a day in 2024, but…
-
Long COVID brain fog and head pressure, somewhat better after time and low-dose naltrexone
After waking up feeling off in late 2024, they developed long COVID with head pressure, brain fog, lightheadedness and depersonalisation. Time, HBOT and low-dose naltrexone, 4.5 mg nightly for five months, eased the head pressure most, and weekly 36-hour dry…
-
Disabled by long COVID, now much better after water and dry fasting
A 23-year-old tattoo artist became disabled with long covid after his sixth infection in December 2023, with PEM, brain fog, breathlessness, insomnia and sexual dysfunction. A 7-day water fast followed by a 3.5-day dry fast in early 2024 lifted him from…
-
Long COVID and post-exertional malaise, off work and limited, somewhat better on fasting
Pebble 71487 has had long COVID since early 2021 and kept working for years by pushing through post-exertional malaise, until symptoms worsened massively in late 2025 and they went off sick. Fasting and eating one meal a day gave partial relief. They were…