Bedbound or housebound with long COVID, now almost back to normal with rest and pacing
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- Mar 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I ve had Long Covid for 9 months or so.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I was a mixture of bed and house bound for 3 months or so. On good days I could struggle round the local park for a little walk but had lots of days where the bed and the sofa were my world and stairs were a struggle.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
But two years later am working full time. I manage myself and benefit from having learnt how to rest.
In context ↗
Read from 18 of their posts and comments; links to the 13 this page draws on
Summary
A UK man developed long COVID around December 2023, with pneumonia at the start, and was bed- or house-bound for about three months. A phased return to work in mid-2024 led to a total crash and he was dismissed. He credits careful rest and pacing, antidepressants for his mental health, and a steroid inhaler for post-viral asthma; he worked part time at a year, relapsed after joining a gym in early 2025, and by March 2026 worked full time with limited energy remaining.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Metformin · Not said
I ve been on Metformin for another condition ... I don’t think the Metformin is doing anything for me but hard to say
In context ↗ - sertraline · Helped
has prescribed sertraline which helps address PTSD symptoms ... I have found that antidepressants have definitely helped
- steroid inhaler · Helped
I ve got a steroid inhaler which has helped a lot ... I would say the medicine had a positive impact within a month to six weeks
In context ↗ - proper rest with eye mask and white noise · Helped a lot
A big difference for me was proper rest - an eye mask, sensory deprivation noise - a few times a day ... I used an eye mask and white noise twice a day which really helped
- pacing · Helped a lot
Have now learnt to pace myself better and am recovering pretty well after a year
In context ↗ - meditation and breathing exercises · Helped
I ve started doing meditation and breathing exercises which help calm my emotions
In context ↗ - Nuffield Health support · Helped
I ve got support from Nuffield Health which is helping
In context ↗ - counsellor · Helped
try another counsellor. It may not help you but all I can say is it did help me
In context ↗ - local gym exercise · Not said
able to join the local gym on advice of my physio. Am now having another relapse
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination as treatment · Not said
Felt slightly rough for 24 hours and then normal apart from the flu vaccine really making my arm hurt.
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing · Radical rest
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 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | Long COVID began, with pneumoniaI had pneumonia at the start my LC. Possibly some Covid before.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| early 2024 | bed and house bound for about three monthsI was a mixture of bed and house bound for 3 months or so. On good days I could struggle round the local park for a little walkIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| April 2024 | started to improve after four monthsI felt awful for the first four months and then started to improve, overdid it and crashed again.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| June 2024 | phased return to work over 8 weeksdid a phased return to work for 8 weeks. It exhausted me - sleeping for three hours after a couple of hours work but managed to stick it out.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| summer 2024 | total crash after pushing through the phased return; barely left the houseAfter 8 weeks had a total crash and could barely leave the house for 6 weeks.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| late 2024 | got back to functioning by taking it really slowlyafter taking it really slowly, despite some very difficult days, I took about another 4 months to get back to functioningIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| February 2025 | sustained period of feeling okay; part-time workIt’s been a year now and I ve had a sustained period of feeling okayIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| March 2025 | relapse after joining the gym on physio's adviceI was doing better 6 weeks ago and able to join the local gym on advice of my physio. Am now having another relapseIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| March 2026 | working full time, still managing limited energytwo years later am working full time. I manage myself and benefit from having learnt how to rest.In context ↗ | Near normal | Pacing and the energy envelope |
Adverse events
- Sertraline (Zoloft)“It has made me somewhat numb overall.” In context ↗ Side effects
- COVID vaccination as treatment“Felt slightly rough for 24 hours and then normal apart from the flu vaccine really making my arm hurt.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I know I ll struggle if I overdo it but also I will recover in a couple of days rather than weeks
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I am not at my usual lung capacity and still get breathless much more than I would like, but from walking upstairs or hills.
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
My body being cement is a very good metaphor.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
sleeping for three hours after a couple of hours work
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
anti depressants helped as I was struggling with my mental health and anxiety
In context ↗
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