Long COVID panic attacks and constant anxiety, now almost back to normal after TMS
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 5 years
- Last post
- Jun 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I was unable to drive at all for MONTHS after COVID.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I was unable to drive at all for MONTHS after COVID.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I just finished TMS therapy and I feel like I have my life back! ... I haven’t tried driving the highway yet, but I’m fairly confident I can do it now
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I was unable to drive at all for MONTHS after COVID.
In context ↗
Summary
A Reddit user with long COVID could not drive at all for months and felt close to passing out at the wheel, then had panic attacks and constant anxiety. Several SSRIs, counselling, EMDR and hypnotism did not help. Zoloft stopped the panic attacks but they stayed anxious all day. After starting TMS their shoulders were no longer clenched while driving; after finishing they felt they had their life back, though they had not yet tried the highway.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- seeing a counselor · No change
i did everything from seeing a counselor, EMDR, medication, and even hypnotism. nothing worked.
In context ↗ - multiple different SSRIs · No change
my anxiety got so bad that I was put on multiple different SSRIs, all treatment resistant.
In context ↗ - Zoloft · Helped
Zoloft helped me enough eventually to not have panic attacks but I was still incredibly anxious all day.
In context ↗ - TMS therapy · Helped a lot
I just finished TMS therapy and I feel like I have my life back!
In context ↗
Approaches: Brain stimulation
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. 1 step has no time and sits in story order between the steps around it. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| onset | COVID; unable to drive for months, near-fainting at the wheel, panic attacksI was unable to drive at all for MONTHS after COVID.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| — | Zoloft stopped the panic attacks but anxiety stayed all dayZoloft helped me enough eventually to not have panic attacks but I was still incredibly anxious all day.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2026-06-12 | After finishing TMS felt they had their life back, shoulders no longer clenched; highway not tried yetI just finished TMS therapy and I feel like I have my life back!In context ↗ | Near normal | rTMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
i felt like i was going to pass out while driving, especially on the highway
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
my anxiety got so bad that I was put on multiple different SSRIs, all treatment resistant
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Largely bedridden with long COVID, now somewhat better on antivirals
She developed long COVID in 2022 after two COVID infections, and after a booster in November 2024 became largely bedridden and wheelchair-dependent; a mini stroke and a Sjögren's diagnosis followed. TMS, Plaquenil, peptides, nattokinase, antivirals and a…
-
Bedridden with ME/CFS; Xifaxan and FMT eased GI symptoms, mostly bedbound after LDN rise
Shore 57897 has had ME/CFS for over 20 years, at worst bedridden and getting up only to use the restroom. Xifaxan followed by FMT capsules greatly reduced their GI symptoms, and pacing helped. Low-dose naltrexone at 4.5 mg took the edge off, but a doctor's…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
Bedridden with long COVID, now housebound and somewhat better after IVIG and ketamine
She developed long COVID in April 2023 in Canada and became bedridden, dropping to 112 lbs and needing hospital tube feeding for autoimmune encephalitis. IVIG and ketamine infusions, then peptides and a three-month stay at a Cyprus clinic, took her from…
-
Long COVID severe, on a mattress all day, now much better after tirzepatide and rTMS
He fell ill with long COVID; graded exercise therapy took him from mild to severe. At his worst he was on a mattress all day and unable to hold conversations for more than five minutes. Antihistamines and valacyclovir eased insomnia, brain fog and headaches,…