Long COVID
Severe → somewhat betterIll 4.5 years before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Severely limited by long COVID and total insomnia, somewhat better; iboga helped sleep
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4.5 years
- Last post
- Apr 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’m almost 5 years out in my long covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I can barely walk due to connective tissue dysfunction.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I’ve kinda gotten my sleep and anxiety under control but the other shit is still debilitating.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
After my first infection I could suddenly no longer sleep
In context ↗
Read from 57 of their posts and comments; links to the 34 this page draws on
Summary
Dew 44984 developed long COVID after a COVID infection, with total insomnia, panic, worsening pre-existing depression and dysautonomia, MCAS and muscle wasting, and became severely limited. Sleep improved with Ativan, a low-histamine diet, antifungals and later microdosing iboga, which they called the most helpful. Years on they remained ill, with dry skin, joint and muscle problems; brain retraining and therapy did not help.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
microdosing iboga· Helped a lotAtivan· HelpedCBD / cannabis· Helpedlow histamine diet· Helpedmelatonin· Helpedstrong nervine teas· Helpedbreathwork and meditation· Helpedmethylene blue· Helpednicotine patch· Helpedpaleo or keto (carnivore)· Helpedpaleo or keto (carnivore)· Helpedpaleo or keto (carnivore)· Helpedbenfotiame (fat soluble version of B1)· Helpedlymphatic drainage massage· Helpedgarlic and mullen oil· Helpedfaecal transplant· No changebrain retraining programs· No changetherapy· No changeSeroquel· Worseantidepressants· Worsehyperbaric oxygen therapy· Worsestung myself with a bee· Worsesmoking· Worsestinging nettles· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- faecal transplant · No change
No problems or improvements occurred though.
In context ↗ - Ativan · Helped
Ativan is something that works in this case, it worked for me
In context ↗ - Seroquel · Worse
Seroquel worked but gave me pseudo seizures
In context ↗ - antidepressants · Worse
Pharmaceutical antidepressants are a serious no go for me for many reasons.
In context ↗ - CBD / cannabis · Helped
That’s been helping me with pain and sleep.
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · Helped
Low histamine diet is a must for me
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
I can sleep mostly if I take melatonin, cbd, and sleep tea
In context ↗ - strong nervine teas · Helped
Eventually I transitioned to strong nervine teas (chamomile is a mast cell stabilizer), and cbd, melatonin.
In context ↗ - brain retraining programs · No change
I also did two brain retraining programs and other than having something to focus on besides my suffering for a while they did not help.
In context ↗ - breathwork and meditation · Helped
My only salvation is breathwork and meditation.
In context ↗ - microdosing psilocybin · Helped a lot
Microdosing psilocybin has been incredibly helpful for me
In context ↗ - methylene blue · Helped
methylene blue really helped me for a while
In context ↗ - nicotine patch · Helped
methylene blue, cannabis, microdosing psilocybin and nicotine patch
In context ↗ - microdosing iboga · Helped a lot
microdosing iboga was one of the most helpful things for me, especially for energy
In context ↗ - lufenuron · Helped
lufenuron, and diet work, but you basically have to keep doing rounds if lufenuron
In context ↗ - paleo or keto (carnivore) · Helped
If I eat paleo or keto (right now I’m trying carnivore) it stays away.
In context ↗ - benfotiame (fat soluble version of B1) · Helped
If I take benfotiame (fat soluble version of B1) it helps with energy levels a ton.
In context ↗ - hyperbaric oxygen therapy · Worse
I tried to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy once and my eardrums almost burst.
In context ↗ - stung myself with a bee · Worse
I stung myself on purpose, the histamine reaction was unbearable
In context ↗ - stinging nettles · Not said
also stung myself with stinging nettles because it’s supposed to help with allergies
In context ↗ - smoking · Worse
It helped until it starting making things worse.
In context ↗ - lymphatic drainage massage · Helped
Lymphatic drainage massage was actually obviously helpful.
In context ↗ - garlic and mullen oil · Helped
I used garlic and mullen oil instead for the same issue, it worked amazingly
In context ↗ - therapy · No change
for me therapy did not help. I’ve been in therapy this whole time.
In context ↗
Approaches: Antifungals · Other drugs and medicines
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| early 2021 | COVID infection followed by long COVID and total insomniaAfter my first infection I could suddenly no longer sleepIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2021 | Months without sleep; went to the ERI didn’t sleep at all for months and went to the ER.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2022-10-31 | Sleep improved with Ativan and a low-histamine dietI’m back to being able to sleep well now although sometimes disturbed by other symptoms.In context ↗ | Moderate | Lorazepam (Ativan) |
| 2025-03-31 | Lost previously gained ground in the third year3rd year has been hell and loosing ground I thought I’d previously permanently gainedIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2025-05-14 | Frantic attempts to improve health made things worseI was better and then I pushed myself to try to improve my health in a bunch of frantic ways that only made things worse.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2025-05-31 | Sleep returned after targeting candidaI’ve been targeting candida and I’ve got my sleep back after LC insomnia hell for years.In context ↗ | Moderate | Antifungals (unspecified) |
| 2025-09-08 | Microdosing iboga helped energy and sleepmicrodosing iboga was one of the most helpful things for me, especially for energy.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2025-10-31 | Debilitating depression despite microdosingLong covid is affecting my mental health very badly, the depression is debilitating.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2026-04-25 | Mood partly improved with psychedelics but still severely illI can definitely attribute my improved mood in part to microdosing psychedelics.In context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Quetiapine (Seroquel)“Seroquel worked but gave me pseudo seizures” In context ↗ Side effects
- Apitherapy (bee venom, propolis)“I stung myself on purpose, the histamine reaction was unbearable” In context ↗ Allergic reaction / anaphylaxis
- “also stung myself with stinging nettles because it’s supposed to help with allergies… would not recommend” In context ↗ Other
- Methylene blue“It had such a strong effect on me it made me feel high and manic if I took too much” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT)“I tried to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy once and my eardrums almost burst.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodGut problemsMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTinnitus
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
Long covid insomnia has been and continues to be one of the worst symptoms of all
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
the depression is debilitating
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I already had POTS, dysautonomia
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I have MCAS and cbd works really well for me
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
That’s been helping me with pain and sleep.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
GI issues, internal buzzing and muscle wasting
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
now just weakness and wasted muscles.
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Internal burning, vibrating, buzzing feeling all the time.
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
the tinnitus aren’t going away
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
I pushed myself to try to improve my health in a bunch of frantic ways that only made things worse.
In context ↗
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