Long COVID
Moderate → near normalIll 6 months before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID at 30% of normal, now close to normal; vaccination may have eased flare-ups
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6 months
- Last post
- Jan 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I got Covid in 2020 and it took me 6 months to feel “semi normal”.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
In late March through all of April I was at about 30% for a month straight.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
the good news is that I felt 90% recovered after “only” 2 months after I tested negative.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got infected late March 2020
Read from 65 of their posts and comments; links to the 27 this page draws on
Summary
Vale 25908, 39, fell ill with suspected COVID in late March 2020 and spent about a month at 30% of normal; brushing his teeth sent his heart rate to 130. Low-dose prednisone courses, an anti-inflammatory diet and supplements preceded slow improvement from July; he reached 90-95% by October. Mild flare-ups continued every few weeks for many months, and he thought vaccination may have helped reduce them. After a September 2024 reinfection he was 90% recovered in two months.
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What they tried
What they credit
prednisone· Helped a lot · mainTumeric powder in decaf green tea with honey· HelpedTumeric powder in decaf green tea with honey· HelpedTumeric powder in decaf green tea with honey· Helpedpsilocybin mushrooms· Helpedanti inflammatory diet· HelpedProzac· HelpedKlonopin· HelpedPfizer vaccine· Helpedspoon theory pacing· Helped
Also tried
ibuprofen· Helpedalbuterol inhaler· HelpedTaurine· HelpedQuercetin· HelpedZyrtec· Helpedepsom salt soak bath· HelpedFlonase· Not saidMucinex· Not saidSudafed· Not saidZinc· Not saidD3· Not saidVitafusion Multivitamin· Not saidGinseng Complex· Not saidFish Oil· Not saidB12· Not saidRed Reishi· Not saidmushroom powder· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- prednisone · Helped a lot
I was on prednisone for about 10 days in late June (got sick end of March) and I think it really helped me. After the course it seemed like my immune system chilled TF out.
In context ↗ - ibuprofen · Helped
ibuprofen really helped me a lot. I’d have sinus pressure, eye pressure, and insane pressure in my head and it’d reduce those symptoms for a long time.
In context ↗ - Tumeric powder in decaf green tea with honey · Helped
I also drank 2 grams of Tumeric powder in decaf green tea and honey and I think that was incredibly helpful too.
In context ↗ - psilocybin mushrooms · Helped
I took a half gram of mushrooms (they’re pretty potent though) and when those kicked in it felt like a “black cloud” lifted
In context ↗ - anti inflammatory diet · Helped
I was on an anti inflammatory diet for a couple months and that helped a lot.
In context ↗ - albuterol inhaler · Helped
But the albuterol definitely helped during my flare-ups.
In context ↗ - Taurine · Helped
Have you tried taking a Taurine supplement? That really seemed to help me keep hydrated.
In context ↗ - Quercetin · Helped
When I was at my worse during relapses, the Quercetin seemed to really help ease symptoms shortly after taking it.
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Helped
But I found Zyrtec helped too, but not nearly as well as the prednisone.
In context ↗ - Prozac · Helped
I got put on Prozac & Klonopin in November and those have helped me A LOT.
In context ↗ - Flonase · Not said
Every couple weeks or so I’ll take Flonase or Mucinex or Sudafed if it starts up again.
In context ↗ - Zinc · Not said
The supplements I took were Zinc, D3, Quercetin, Taurine, Vitafusion Multivitamin, Ginseng Complex, Fish Oil, B12, Red Reishi
In context ↗ - mushroom powder · Not said
I also had some mushroom powder with a wide variety of healthy mushrooms that I put in tea.
In context ↗ - Pfizer vaccine · Helped
I feel like the vaccine helped me stop having those random flare ups that use to set me back every few weeks.
In context ↗ - epsom salt soak bath · Helped
I just take an epsom salt soak bath, 1 albuterol puff, couple Advil and avoid “unhealthy food” and I’m better by the end of the day.
In context ↗ - spoon theory pacing · Helped
The “spoon theory” seemed to help with pacing out my activities during my recovery.
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Benzodiazepines · Diet · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing · Supplements · Vaccination
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 |
|---|---|---|
| late March 2020 | fell ill with presumed COVIDI woke up one day (after 1 day of *extreme* fatigue) and had a sore throat and a super tight chest.In context ↗ | |
| April 2020 | at about 30% of normal for a month, bedridden by simple tasksIn late March through all of April I was at about 30% for a month straight.In context ↗ | |
| June 2020 | severe flare after drinking three beersDrank 3 beers back in June 2020 (infected late March 2020) and seriously thought I was going to die.In context ↗ | |
| July 2020 | began slowly improvingAround July 2020 I started feeling as if I was *veeeery slooowly* improving.In context ↗ | Corticosteroid pulses |
| mid-October 2020 | 85-90% recovered with occasional flare-upsBy Mid October 2020 I was beginning to feel 85% - 90% recovered, although I’d still have the random flare up that’d set me back to like 60% for a few days.In context ↗ | Corticosteroid pulses |
| November 2020 | mild relapse during depression, anxiety and stressit seemed like a mild relapse was hitting againIn context ↗ | |
| May 2021 | first walk in over a year without problems after second Pfizer shottoday I went on my first walk in over a year without significant problemsIn context ↗ | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| August 2021 | essentially recovered, only half-day flare-ups every few weeksI’m essentially “recovered” and back to my pre-Covid self.In context ↗ | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| late September 2024 | COVID reinfection, long COVID symptoms returnedI got Covid again 3 weeks ago and it hit just as hard and I’m having flashbacks to my 2020 long haul nightmare.In context ↗ | |
| January 2025 | 90% recovered two months after reinfectionBut the good news is that I felt 90% recovered after “only” 2 months after I tested negative.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Corticosteroid pulses“I couldn't handle the 60 mg a day I was prescribed ... When I took one of the 20mg pills I just felt really weird. It’s hard to describe the “weirdness”. I was agitated, irritable, anxious, my stomach was upset” Side effects
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I had a bad flare up 2 days after 1st shot and I took a Zyrtec and took a nap and it was gone by the time I woke up.” In context ↗ Autoimmune or inflammatory flare
- Psilocybin (magic mushrooms)“I’ve had amazing (and a couple terrifying) experiences with them in the past.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseTemperature regulation
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
one day thinking I’m totally recovered and then crashing hard af with flair ups that night and all day the next day
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I’m hoping the brain fog and PEM subside in a couple weeks
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
Yep. I had body aches for many weeks.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I had major head and eyeball pressure and dizziness.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
shortness of breath, tight chest
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my heart pounding like a lab rat
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
my legs trembling and nearly giving out
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
that “pins & needles” thing going on in my arms and legs
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
severe anxiety with derealization
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
swollen lymphnodes, low grade fever, swollen glands
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I couldn’t drink water from the fridge without being freezing cold and shivering for a long time
In context ↗
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