Long COVID with extreme fatigue; antidepressants helped, then relapse after reinfection
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have been having long covid symptoms for almost a year (March 2023 was my COVID infection
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Extreme Fatigue ... PEM (long, low threshold to get into it)
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
After these three weeks I get a full on symptomatic COVID for for the first time in two years, and back to square one after.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
March 2023 was my COVID infection, followed directly by a strep-throat in April 2023
Read from 12 of their posts and comments; links to the 10 this page draws on
Summary
Long COVID followed a March 2023 COVID infection, after two similar post-infection illnesses in 2013 and 2019. Early months brought extreme fatigue, PEM, POTS, brain fog, palpitations and depression; from December 2023 gut, allergy and histamine symptoms dominated. Antidepressants helped mood and vitamin D3/K2 helped palpitations and body aches. A pharyngitis infection and a 2025 COVID reinfection each set things back.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Vitamin D3/K2 · Helped
Vitamin D3/K2 has been very helpful with palpitations and bodyaches, and also with my mood maybe.
In context ↗ - fish oil · Not said
At that time, I have also supplemented with Vitamins D3/K2, and occasionally with fish oil.
In context ↗ - Trintellix · Helped
I have taken Trintellix in July, August and September. It helped with the depression, anxiety
In context ↗ - Natto · Worse
I do eat a packet of Natto as food every week or so. It feels as if I always get a PEM right after it
In context ↗ - vitamins B complex · Worse
vitamins B complex made me a bit energetic for short time but then gave me body aches and some anxiety after a while
In context ↗ - Liposomal Vitamin C · Worse
Liposomal Vitamin C triggered a PEM for a couple of days for me, no idea how.
In context ↗ - Mirtazapine · Helped
A low dose Mirtazapine is helping with that, at least for part of the day.
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · Worse
I tried intermittent fasting for a few days, but unfortunately I feel it agitated my GERD.
In context ↗ - fennel tea · Helped
Sometimes when I am in a bad crash, and I drink fennel tea, I tend to feel quite better mentally and be able to focus for a couple of hours or so.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
what helped the most was family being around, girlfriend as well, eating clean and slowly building my stamina through pacing
In context ↗ - Fluoxetine (Prozac) · Not said
I remember I gave a try earlier in my one, and was definitely feeling dizzy and weaker on it
In context ↗
Approaches: Other antidepressants · 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 1 month 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 |
|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | COVID infection, long COVID symptoms from April 2023I have had a COVID infection in March 2023 and been having what we call "Long Covid" since April 2023.In context ↗ | Not stated |
| April/May 2023 | PEM, fatigue, dizziness, POTS and depression hit badly, plus extreme depression, brain fog, sleep disturbance and weaknessIt was only a month after it that the PEM and CFS-like symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, POTS, and depression hit badly.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| July 2023 | Trintellix eased depression and anxiety and mental tolerance in a PEMI have taken Trintellix in July, August and September. It helped with the depression, anxietyIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| December 2023 | earlier symptoms eased and PEM threshold rose, but gut, nasal allergy and histamine symptoms appearedThe second phase started around December 2023, when the former symptoms started to slightly get better, but instead new ones were appearing.In context ↗ | Mild |
| about December 2023 | crashed after a pharyngitis infectionthen I got worse again after a pharyngitis infection a couple of months agoIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2025 | felt mentally sharper for about three weeks after a colonoscopyafter the procedure, I felt better for around 3 weeks, with caffeine having an effect again on me and feeling mentally sharperIn context ↗ | Mild |
| 2025 | symptomatic COVID reinfection, back to square oneAfter these three weeks I get a full on symptomatic COVID for for the first time in two years, and back to square one after.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-09-08 | still long COVID three years on, with bad crasheswhich turned into long COVID for three full years now alreadyIn context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Vortioxetine (Trintellix), Mirtazapine (Remeron)“I took an antidepressant for a few months as well, but stopped it due to some side effects” In context ↗ Side effects
- Vitamin B complex“vitamins B complex made me a bit energetic for short time but then gave me body aches and some anxiety after a while” In context ↗ Side effects
- Vitamin C“Liposomal Vitamin C triggered a PEM for a couple of days for me, no idea how.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vortioxetine (Trintellix)“At first, it made it easy to fall in a PEM (lowered the threshold)” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vortioxetine (Trintellix)“It seems I cannot tolerate it this time somehow as it increased my GERD and nasal allergies” In context ↗ Side effects
- Intermittent fasting“I tried intermittent fasting for a few days, but unfortunately I feel it agitated my GERD.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)“I remember I gave a try earlier in my one, and was definitely feeling dizzy and weaker on it” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
the PEM and CFS-like symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, POTS, and depression hit badly
In context ↗ - Brain fog
Brain Fog/trouble with concentration (mainly no energy to even do things)
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
fatigue, dizziness, POTS, and depression hit badly
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my heart used to skip beats quite often in the initial few months. That has luckily disappeared.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Anxiety and depression (The type that is dominated by being irritated, and agonized rather than feeling empty and anhedonic)
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Sleep disturbance
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Frequent stomachache/acidity/GERD
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Increase in nasal allergie and congestion
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
anxiety, brain fog, headaches, executive dysfunction
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
Overall weakness
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
very helpful with palpitations and bodyaches
In context ↗
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