Long COVID brain fog, panic attacks and pain that forced him off work, now somewhat better
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 16 months
- Last post
- Sep 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Hello fellow long haulers
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
forced me to take time off work and stay with my parents when I was going through the real thick of it
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I have been getting better, albeit slower than we all would like. My physical pain has subsided.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
My first infection was December of '21. It was very mild, but I remember getting the brain fog
In context ↗
Read from 27 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
A 40-year-old US man developed brain fog two weeks after a mild COVID infection in December 2021. A second infection in August 2022 and a first booster two months later were followed by panic attacks, severe body pain, breathlessness, headaches and palpitations that forced him off work and to his parents' house. Over months most physical symptoms faded and he returned to work, but brain fog, anxiety, temperature control and a high heart rate remain.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- famotidine · Helped
I currently take famotidine twice a day (helps a little bit, but it's only been 6 days)
In context ↗ - Allegra and Zyrtec (antihistamine protocol) · No change
Just added Allegra ... I tried the antihistamine protocol that I learned from this group, but I didn't notice any difference with it.
- LDN · Worse
LDN (helped with body pain, but terrible insomnia so discontinued)
In context ↗ - apolactoferrin (lactoferrin) · No change
Unfortunately just like many other supplements, it didn't move the needle.
In context ↗ - psilocybin · No change
I have taken three and I don't feel any net positive or any net negative on those three days at all.
In context ↗ - black seed oil · Not said
My newest therapies are black seed oil and red/infrared light. Not quite sure if it's working, but my brain feels slightly a little less foggy.
In context ↗ - acupuncture · No change
My acupuncturist tried this on me on my ears, the back of my head, and the top of my back. It didn't do anything.
In context ↗ - fish oil · Helped
I do believe that fish oil has been pretty beneficial to me. Some days I will feel a little depersonalization coming on. I pop a fish oil pill and within 45 minutes I feel better in that aspect.
In context ↗ - Valtrex · Helped
I had reactivated EBV so I took Valtrex for 30 days. ... My once active EBV is gone.
In context ↗ - Prozac · Worse
Prozac (when my doctor misdiagnosed me with depression. Took it for 3 weeks and hated it so I stopped)
In context ↗ - probiotic · Not said
Probiotic (discontinued)
In context ↗ - Gingko biloba · Not said
Gingko biloba (discontinued)
In context ↗ - Turmeric · Not said
Turmeric (discontinued)
In context ↗ - Magnesium Threonate and glycinate · Not said
Magnesium Threonate and glycinate ... I have decided to keep it simple and take magnesium, a multivitamin, and quercetin.
In context ↗ - Traditional Chinese herbs · Not said
Traditional Chinese herbs (discontinued)
In context ↗ - Reishi · Not said
Reishi (discontinued)
In context ↗ - L-tyrosine · Not said
L-tyrosine (discontinued)
In context ↗ - R- lipoic acid · Not said
R- lipoic acid (about to stop)
In context ↗ - Quercetin with bromelain · Not said
Quercetin with bromelain ... I have decided to keep it simple and take magnesium, a multivitamin, and quercetin.
In context ↗ - NAC · Not said
NAC (discontinued)
In context ↗ - PQQ · Not said
PQQ (discontinued)
In context ↗ - Melatonin · Not said
Insomnia is mostly all gone, but I still take melatonin.
In context ↗ - multivitamin · Not said
I have decided to keep it simple and take magnesium, a multivitamin, and quercetin.
In context ↗ - Nattokinase w/ Serrapeptase · Helped
Today is my fourth day and I can definitely tell it is doing something. ... This is the first supplement I have taken that has actually moved the needle quite a bit.
In context ↗
Approaches: Anticoagulants · Antivirals
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 10 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 2 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | mild COVID infection; brain fog began about two weeks laterMy first infection was December of '21. It was very mild, but I remember getting the brain fogIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| August 2022 | omicron reinfection, short acute illnessSecond infection was omicron in August of '22 ... Another very short acute sickness lasting about 36 hours then I was fineIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| October 2022 | first booster followed by panic attacks and many new symptoms; off work and staying with parentsI experienced my first ever panic attack with internal vibrations in the shower ... which forced me to take time off work and stay with my parentsIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| spring 2023 | physical symptoms faded and he went back to workAll of my physical ones got better with time ... I have been back to work for the last 3 or 4 months | Mild |
| September 2023 | four days into nattokinase/serrapeptase, feeling overall better; neurological symptoms remainToday is my fourth day and I can definitely tell it is doing something ... I just overall feel better (even if my heart rate is still high)In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Low-dose naltrexone“I just got to 2.0 mg and it's kinda making me depressed ... Made me even more depressed. Stopped it.” Mood or psychiatric effects
- Low-dose naltrexone“LDN (helped with body pain, but terrible insomnia so discontinued)” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
Even worse brain fog and memory issues that felt like dementia
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Anxiety & panic attacks that turned into depression with intrusive thoughts
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Severe heart palpitations
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
Severe body pain down my back and near my lungs and kidneys
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
"Air hunger" SOB
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Dizziness is light years better, but not perfect
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
A headache that lasted for almost 4 months straight
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Insomnia is mostly all gone, but I still take melatonin
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I found out I couldn't handle temperature regulation or sweat to keep my body temp in check
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Pins and needles with numbness is fingers and feet
In context ↗
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