Long COVID fatigue, brain fog and light sensitivity, somewhat better with rest and pacing
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Not stated
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- Aug 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
feeling like crap from WDs while also feeling like crap from LC is no fun!
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
It's improved a bit since, over a couple of years, but it can still be pretty bad at times.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Got infected March 2020 and tried to push back into exercise straight after.
In context ↗
Read from 8 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
Canyon 96293 caught COVID in March 2020 and tried to push straight back into exercise, then developed fatigue and brain fog that a doctor told them to push through. Supplements and dietary changes did nothing; resting and pacing slowly helped. A later crash made light sensitivity much worse, and by 2023 they had improved but could still be badly affected at times.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- exercise and pushing through · Much worse
The first Dr I spoke to advised me to just keep pushing through and exercise and keep going for runs etc, which just made everything significantly worse
In context ↗ - supplements · No change
I've tried all the millions of different supplements/dietary changes and the only thing that's really made a noticeable difference for me is resting.
In context ↗ - resting and proper pacing · Helped
the only thing that's really made a noticeable difference for me is resting ... things have been (slowly) getting better with proper pacing
In context ↗ - Hue lights (dimmed red light) · Helped
Having Hue lights has helped loads, I've found dimmed red light much more tolerable
In context ↗ - nicotine gum and lower strength vaping · No change
I slowly tapered down using gum and lower strength vaping (instead of nic salts).
In context ↗ - meditation and nervous system techniques · Not said
I was meditating with the intent to "calm myself down" etc. ... Once I managed to try these things without purpose, I become far less angry and irritated (and in turn had a lot more success)
In context ↗ - the book "the mindful way through depression" · Helped
I found the book "the mindful way through depression" very helpful in changing my mindset.
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing
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 18 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 2 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID infection, then pushed straight back into exerciseGot infected March 2020 and tried to push back into exercise straight after.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| August 2020 | slowly able to do more, bad days less badslowly I know I'm able to do more and the bad days aren't quite as badIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2021 | got progressively worse while trying to exercise through itI got progressively worse over the first year and a half or so too.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| August 2022 | slowly improving with resting and pacingat least things have been (slowly) getting better with proper pacingIn context ↗ | Moderate | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2023 | bad crash; light and noise sensitivity came back much worsethen I had a bad crash and it came back much worseIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| May 2023 | improved a bit over a couple of years, still bad at timesIt's improved a bit since, over a couple of years, but it can still be pretty bad at times.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Everyday exercise and activity“The first Dr I spoke to advised me to just keep pushing through and exercise and keep going for runs etc, which just made everything significantly worse...” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Everyday exercise and activity“Had a wonderful Dr I saw early on, who convinced me to exercise more and push through the discomfort. Definitely made things a lot worse!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Meditation, yoga, breathwork“I would always get irritated when I wouldn't achieve my goals ... I'd end up more stressed than when i started.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
Then started having issues with fatigue/brain fog.
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
who convinced me to exercise more and push through the discomfort. Definitely made things a lot worse!
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
Mine went away for a few months, then I had a bad crash and it came back much worse.
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Unable to walk around house with long COVID, much better after pacing and antihistamines
A Canadian man with long COVID for about three years was unable to walk around the house for the first two years, with constant migraines, brain fog and PEM. From year three, pacing, rest, stress reduction, H1/H2 antihistamines, hydroxyzine for sleep,…
-
Mostly bedbound and housebound with ME/CFS, pacing and rest helped before a relapse
Valley 16092 has had ME/CFS and fibromyalgia for about 25 years; stress and lifelong health problems led to a crash from 60-hour workweeks. They never became severe but have been mostly bedbound and housebound, and pacing, rest and comorbidity medication…
-
Mostly housebound with ME/CFS, now a little better on Klonopin and low-dose naltrexone
Joseph, 47, in Los Angeles, developed ME/CFS in January 2024, about 18 days after a second COVID infection. He declined from mild to the bad end of moderate over six months, becoming mostly housebound. Klonopin, low-dose naltrexone, midodrine and propranolol…
-
Long COVID brain fog, somewhat better with nicotine patch and naltrexone
Pebble 25278 developed long COVID with brain fog, distorted smell, headaches, nerve pain and trouble sleeping. A quarter of a 10 mg nicotine patch restored much of their speech and thinking, and low-dose naltrexone further raised their cognitive and physical…