Bedbound then housebound with long COVID, much better with pacing and therapy
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6 years
- Last post
- Jun 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’m approaching six years of LC now.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I was completely bed bound for a month, then largely housebound for a several months more.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I can now stand for more than 5 minutes without keeling over, have a normal heart rate and my PEM is so much better.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I was an early adopter, getting covid in March 2020
Read from 20 of their posts and comments; links to the 13 this page draws on
Summary
Nightjar 87347 caught COVID in March 2020, was bedbound a month and housebound for months with severe breathlessness. Breathing recovered after six months but ME/CFS and dysautonomia symptoms persisted, and returning to work in 2022 plus burnout in 2024 set her back badly. Since moving house and stopping work she has improved with pacing, sertraline, HRT and therapy, rating herself mild to moderate six years in.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- inhaler (blue one) · Not said
did use an inhaler (blue one) for a bit. Resolved after 6 months though
In context ↗ - singing · Helped
singing always helps me ... I also find singing great for mood boosting/regulation
- being outside / fresh air · Helped
also being outside (even just sitting on my back stairs if that’s all I can manage)
In context ↗ - box breathing, yoga nidra · Helped
box breathing, yoga nidra ... sertraline, HRT, therapy, yoga nidra/breathing exercises
- vitamin D · Helped a lot
keeping my vitamin D levels up has made a huge difference ... Once my vitamin levels were back to normal my appetite returned
- sertraline (SSRI) · Helped
I’ve been taking sertraline for a couple of years now which has done wonders for my mood and helps keep a lid on my anxiety
In context ↗ - therapy · Helped
Therapy is helping me to come to terms with everything and start looking forward
In context ↗ - careful pacing · Helped
with no working, careful pacing, various medications, slower pace of life, more fresh air, therapy etc. I’m feeling so much better
In context ↗ - fixing my sleep · Helped a lot
I will say that fixing my sleep has been number one game changer, along with anti-depressants and therapy
In context ↗ - stopping work / no working · Helped
with no working, careful pacing ... binning off my career I worked years for
- moving out of the city · Helped
We then moved out of the city and across the country back to my hometown, hugely exhausting in every way, but 100% worth it in the long run
In context ↗ - compression socks and electrolytes · Helped
after a few days resting up in my compression socks guzzling electrolytes I actually feel better and have slightly more capacity than before
In context ↗ - reverse diet · Not said
I basically followed reverse diet instructions - drink your calories, eat full fat, relentless snacking etc
In context ↗ - HRT · Helped
I followed this simple cure: sertraline, HRT, therapy, yoga nidra/breathing exercises
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · SSRIs · Mind-body practices · Mould avoidance · Pacing · Radical rest · Sex hormones · 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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID-19 infection; bedbound a month then houseboundgetting covid in March 2020. I was completely bed bound for a month, then largely housebound for a several months moreIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| six months after infection | breathing returned to normal, phased return to work from homeSix months after my initial infection I had a massive improvement in my symptoms, with my breathing returning to normalIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| early 2021, 9 months into LC | pregnancy worsened dizziness and palpitationssome symptoms (dizziness, palpitations) were worse plus I had unpleasant pregnancy symptoms to contend with tooIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| late 2021, maternity leave | maternity leave: resting on the sofa, food, naps, short walksmaternity leave I actually felt even better - aside from the sleep deprivationIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2022 | returned to office work with sleep deprivation and stressGoing back to work in 2022 however the proverbial really hit the fanIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2024 | redundancy and burnout; blood pressure dropped, heart rate highI couldn’t manage a 5 minute school run without needing to sit downIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| January 2026 | stopped working, pacing, medications, therapy, slower lifeI can now stand for more than 5 minutes without keeling over, have a normal heart rate and my PEM is so much betterIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| June 2026 | acceptance and pacing; mild-moderate capacitymy current capacity (mild-moderate)In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- CBT and psychotherapy“often on therapy days I couldn’t really do much else, especially if it had been an intense session” In context ↗ Other
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
my PEM is so much better
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
My main challenge was breathlessness which kind of overshadowed all the fatigue
In context ↗ - Brain fog
all the fatigue, brain fog, various pains etc
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
my ME/CFS and dysautonomia type symptoms continued
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
some symptoms (dizziness, palpitations) were worse
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
fixing my sleep has been number one game changer
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I was very depressed and anxious
In context ↗
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