Long COVID breathlessness and heart symptoms, much better with low-HR exercise and rest
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6.5 years
- Last post
- Aug 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I've had LC-symptoms since the first wave
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
at best, can do 1/3 of previous training volume at much lower intensity
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
things improved marketedly but I never was back to 100%
In context ↗
Read from 46 of their posts and comments; links to the 23 this page draws on
Summary
Acorn 38296 fell ill with long COVID in early 2020 after a viral infection with breathlessness, and has had chest, heart and exercise-related symptoms since. Low-HR exercise and rest gave good stretches, once 90-95% back to normal, but colds, COVID and overexertion repeatedly set them back. In 2026 they developed afib more than half the time, had an ablation and are now on drugs to control it.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- exercising at lower HRs (run-walks, walking) · Helped
keeping my HR lower/workout duration shorter allowed me to do more workouts consistently for a time
In context ↗ - rest and balancing exercise · Helped
Rest and balancing some exercise and not overdoing things has been the most successful thing for me.
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination / boosters (incl. Novavax) · Helped
Aside from expected side-effects, felt better after each dose. ... I've felt better after some doses (first few years), worse after the most recent but it was more temporary
- CPAP · Worse
I've never been able to adopt using a CPAP (I literally rip the thing off while sleeping most of the time)
In context ↗ - custom dental appliance · Helped
I now use a dental appliance that's designed to help keep my airways open. It seems to help with sleep
In context ↗ - Valtrex · Helped
I'm currently taking it, too, because of shingles and it's helping the shingles part, for sure, hard to say for the rest. ... AND I did improve over the next 90 days
- ablation / EP study · Worse
I even explored an ablation -- and the doctors tried -- but they couldn't fix it that way. That procedure set me back a month+ earlier this year
In context ↗ - steroid creams · Helped
Steroid creams have been the most effective to minimize the rash, in my case.
In context ↗ - Garmin HRV / resting HR tracking · Helped
I've found patterns with HRV (via garmin), resting HR the most useful as relapses/problems coincide with negative changes
In context ↗ - Kardia ECG · Not said
he recommended and I got a Kardia to take ECGs when they happen
In context ↗ - Flu vaccine · Not said
I felt like crap for a week after getting my flu shot this year.
In context ↗
Approaches: Exercise and activity · Pacing · Vaccination
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb/Mar 2020 | bad viral infection with shortness of breath; long COVID beginsMy issues began in Feb/Mar 2020.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| Sept-Dec 2021 | felt mostly normal for three months after 18 months of frequent relapsesfrom Sept-Dec felt mostly normal after 18 months of more frequent relapseIn context ↗ | Near normal | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2022-01 | persistent LC symptoms after a longish walk-run2 weeks now with fairly persistent LC symptoms after a longish walk-run -- so back to the drawing board.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-01 | nearly back physically at times but hit a ceiling; developed heart-rate spikesAt times, I've felt nearly back in physical sense and perhaps just not in shapeIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-03 | COVID infection re-triggered symptomsI had a COVID infection about a month ago and my HRV still has yet to get back to my normal range.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| fall 2023 | good stretch, exercised without PEM, relapse or SVTI had good fall where I was able to exercise without PEM or significant relapse or SVTIn context ↗ | Near normal | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2023-12 | felt 90-95% back to normal, though heavier and less fitI've had times where I felt 90%-95% back-to-normal, including now, although I'm heavier and not as fit.In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| December 2023 | COVID over the holidays brought palpitations backI just got COVID again in December and they have returned, although not as frequent thankfully or long in durationIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| early 2024 | EP study/ablation attempt set them back a month plusThat procedure set me back a month+ earlier this year but I found my way back to some meaningful activity, slowly.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2025-05 | mostly normal day to day, with intermittent heart issuesMostly normal now, except during this time I developed heart issues that pop up from time to time (SVT, afib, dysautonomia)In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| 2025-11 | heart symptoms more sporadic; able to manage longer exerciseI've been better to able to manage longer duration exercise lately (I can get SVT now -- which usually means the best I can do is walk-running).In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| 2026-06 | developed persistent afib; had ablation/cardioversion and now aflutterI got an ablation/cardioversion and now I got Aflutter (at least while I'm healing).In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Flu vaccine“I felt like crap for a week after getting my flu shot this year.” In context ↗ Side effects
- “That procedure set me back a month+ earlier this year” In context ↗ Other
- COVID vaccination as treatment“worse after the most recent but it was more temporary (Novovax - rashes especially)” In context ↗ Side effects
- COVID vaccination as treatment“getting the vaccine does sink my HRV similarly to when I got COVID again and make my heart more susceptible to bouts of SVT or palpitations” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- “recently I got an ablation/cardioversion and now I got Aflutter (at least while I'm healing)” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
some of my crashes along the way seem like PEM
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I think it's a lighter-version of POTS/dysautonomia
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my relapse symptoms are feeling a lung burning/chest pressure, minor heart palpitations
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
Originally, I had a bad viral infection with SoB.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
sleeping with LC has been challenging, especially during a flare of symptoms
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
I did for a few days along the way lose my sense of smell
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I can't tolerate exercise as well in the summer and more easily have episodes where my HR can spike.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Doesn't mean I'll give up, even when I feel depressed about it.
In context ↗
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