Long COVID with brain fog, POTS and PEM, now nearly back to normal with pacing and time
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 18 months
- Last post
- Jan 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have long COVID since last summer.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I had to simply cancel concerts and rest
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I can function 95% normal.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got COVID at the end of last June.
Read from 31 of their posts and comments; links to the 17 this page draws on
Summary
They caught COVID in June 2022 and had long COVID with brain fog, POTS, PEM, tachycardia and severe anxiety, while working from home. Therapy for CPTSD, beta blockers, hydroxyzine, iron and cognitive remediation therapy helped parts of it. By late 2023 they felt like themselves on normal days, though anxiety returned before their period. By October 2025 they credited pacing and time, with occasional milder crashes, and in January 2026 they reported 95% normal function.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- antibiotics · Not said
I needed 2 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it.
In context ↗ - inhaled corticosteroids · Worse
inhaled corticosteroids I had for cough and asthma were bad for vocal folds
In context ↗ - running · Much worse
I crashed like hell the day after: tachycardia, tremor, anxiety, PEM etc.
In context ↗ - hydroxyzine · Helped
Hydroxyzine (which is also an anti-histaminic) helped a lot, especially to sleep.
In context ↗ - beta blockers (bisoprolol) · Helped
For me I think beta blockers helped a lot ... Bisoprolol works for me.
- singing / choir rehearsals · Helped
I am a choir singer and felt particularly relieved from rehearsals when I was able to attend them.
In context ↗ - psychologist / therapist (CBT, ACT) · Helped
I see a therapist to address my former issues and it helps a lot.
In context ↗ - iron supplements · Helped
Iron supplements also helped because I had a low ferritin
In context ↗ - ivabradine · Worse
I'm now on Ivabradine and it controls well tachycardia. ... Ivabradine fucks my eyes which are already fucked by LC...
- Lactoferrin · Helped
No more brain fog since I started Lactoferrin
In context ↗ - a little exercise (home trainer or walk) with HR monitoring · Helped
It helps, at least mentally :)
In context ↗ - yoga · Not said
I can do yoga too, I think it's a good way to work on muscles without fatigue
In context ↗ - conscient breathing · Helped
Singing (very good for vagus nerve regulation), conscient breathing, reading, talking to specific people
In context ↗ - cognitive remediation therapy · Helped a lot
It has helped me A LOT, before that I had brain fog, memory loss, difficulty finding my words
In context ↗ - Lumosity / Neuronation apps · Helped
I still exercise several times a week with apps like Lumosity or Neuronation, it helps a lot too.
In context ↗ - time off work to rest · Helped
Got a lot of time off from work to be able to rest enough.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
Pacing and time, mostly. I still have crashes sometimes but they are less and less frequent and debilitating.
In context ↗ - time · Helped a lot
Mostly time (I got it in June 2022).
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · 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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | COVID-19 infection, mildI got COVID at the end of last June. Very mild, just a running nose and a bit of fatigue.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| summer 2022 | bacterial lung infection with dyspnoea and asthma attacksThen I got a nasty bacterial infection in my lungs. I needed 2 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it. I started to have dyspnea and asthma attacks.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| summer 2022 | crashed the day after a 2 mile run; long COVID symptoms set inimmediately after but I crashed like hell the day after: tachycardia, tremor, anxiety, PEM etc.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| January 2023 | severe relapse after an emotional shockwith a severe relapse due to an emotional shock 7 months inIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| April 2023 | crashed for over two months after a family fightI had a crash for more than 2 month after a huge family fight.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| June 2023 | around 80-90% of normal, brain fog goneI'd say I'm around 80-90%. I can function pretty normally on a daily basis (I work from home) but I am still easily tiredIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| August 2023 | much better, singing voice backNow I'm 14 months in, much better (fingers crossed to avoid a relapse) and my voice is OK.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| December 2023 | no symptoms on a normal day, anxiety before periodFortunately, I don't have symptoms anymore, on a normal day I feel like myselfIn context ↗ | Near normal | |
| May 2024 | OK for a few months after a year and a half of illnessthankfully I'm OK for a few months now after 1 year and a half of hellIn context ↗ | Near normal | Time and spontaneous remission |
| October 2025 | fewer, milder crashes with pacing and timePacing and time, mostly. I still have crashes sometimes but they are less and less frequent and debilitating.In context ↗ | Near normal | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| January 2026 | functioning 95% normalI'm in a much better place now! I can function 95% normal.In context ↗ | Near normal | Time and spontaneous remission |
Adverse events
- Ivabradine“Ivabradine fucks my eyes which are already fucked by LC...” In context ↗ Side effects
- Corticosteroid pulses“inhaled corticosteroids I had for cough and asthma were bad for vocal folds” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
I struggle with exhaustion, brain fog, tachycardia, anxiety and especially awful mood swings.
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
I still have crashes sometimes but they are less and less frequent and debilitating.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Other symptoms began 3 months after initial infection (tachycardia, POTS, PEM, brain fog etc.).
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
For me I think beta blockers helped a lot, I'm now on Ivabradine and it controls well tachycardia.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Went through anxiety, depression, and blank mind in turns.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
Ivabradine fucks my eyes which are already fucked by LC...
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I went back to rehearsals 3 months later, still coughing and with half a lung of breathing capacity.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Hydroxyzine (which is also an anti-histaminic) helped a lot, especially to sleep.
In context ↗
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