Long COVID
Outcome unclearIll for 3.5 yearsNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID, managing symptoms at 85-90% with low-histamine diet and nicotine patches
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Not stated
- Ill for
- 3.5 years
- Last post
- May 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I also had mold exposure before COVID and I'm currently treating my LC as CIRS/mold toxicity.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I also had mold exposure before COVID and I'm currently treating my LC as CIRS/mold toxicity.
In context ↗
Read from 45 of their posts and comments; links to the 23 this page draws on
Summary
Valley 18145 became ill with long COVID in late 2021 and spent about a year getting worse before slowly improving. A low-histamine carnivore diet and nicotine patches were the changes they credited most, along with weekend fasting, and by April 2023 they said they were managing symptoms to feel 85-90%. They later said they had mould exposure before COVID and were treating their LC as CIRS/mould toxicity. By January 2025 they had moved across the country and were living alone.
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What they tried
Also tried
carnivore diet· Helped a lotnicotine patches· Helped a lotbrain training exercises· Helped a lotextreme low histamine diet· HelpedBenadryl· Helped · wore offfasting every weekend for 24-72 hours· Helpedpacing cognitively· Helpedvery light exercise (20 minute walk per day at 1.4 mph)· Helpedstaying up late (circadian rhythm work)· Helpedtypical vitamins· Helpedfamotidine· HelpedClaritin· Helpedmeditation, intention-setting· Helpedtreating my LC as CIRS/mold toxicity· Helpedbentonite clay· Helpedice bath· Helpedsunlight at sunrise and sunset· Helpedlymphatic massage· Helpedliposomal glutathione· HelpedZyrtec· No changegetting out of the mold environment· No changeGuanfacine· Worsesauna· WorseLDN· Not saidcastor oil packs· Not saidmagnesium baths· Not saidMycoBind· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- extreme low histamine diet · Helped
as well as an extreme low histamine diet. They helped me, but just like you I only got to 50%
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · No change
I take Zyrtec daily but it doesn't make a noticeable difference (I don't think it's strong enough).
In context ↗ - Benadryl · Helped
if I took Benadryl, a powerful antihistamine, I would get significant (temporary) relief of my symptoms
In context ↗ - fasting every weekend for 24-72 hours · Helped
I've been fasting for 40-60 hours each weekend and always have worse symptoms during my refeeding day, then feel great the following days.
In context ↗ - LDN · Not said
I've been on 4.5mg for about 6 months. It could be helping a lot, or maybe not at all.
In context ↗ - pacing cognitively · Helped
I only work for 20 minutes at a time, then take a 30-40 minute break. ... It made a big impact on all my symptoms in general, not just the brain fog.
In context ↗ - very light exercise (20 minute walk per day at 1.4 mph) · Helped
very light exercise (20 minute walk per day at 1.4 mph)
In context ↗ - staying up late (circadian rhythm work) · Helped
No idea why, but staying up late made a huge difference.
In context ↗ - carnivore diet · Helped a lot
The first two are VERY important and were the ticket to finally getting rid of most of my brain fog.
In context ↗ - nicotine patches · Helped a lot
It's amazing what it's done for me. I feel 20-30% worse when I don't use them.
In context ↗ - typical vitamins · Helped
Supplement all the typical vitamins
In context ↗ - famotidine · Helped
Zyrtec, famotidine, Claritin
In context ↗ - Guanfacine · Worse
I've been on Gaunfacine for a month at 1mg and haven't seen any results. Just bumped up to 2mg and have been experiencing worse brain fog and overall symptoms now.
In context ↗ - brain training exercises · Helped a lot
It's benefited me immensely, but you also have to treat underlying issues at the same time.
In context ↗ - meditation, intention-setting · Helped
I saw nearly instant positive results after implementing meditation, intention-setting, and brain training exercises. About 20% better.
In context ↗ - treating my LC as CIRS/mold toxicity · Helped
This is the best I've felt so far. Still very far from normal but on a positive track since going downhill consist until I started treating CIRS/mold.
In context ↗ - bentonite clay · Helped
I did bentonite clay for a few months and it seemed to help.
In context ↗ - ice bath · Helped
Only positive for me. I do 3 times per week for 7 minutes each.
In context ↗ - sauna · Worse
I also do sauna (I have to be very careful with it because it flares me up)
In context ↗ - castor oil packs · Not said
castor oil packs
In context ↗ - magnesium baths · Not said
magnesium baths
In context ↗ - MycoBind · Not said
I'm now starting a binder called MycoBind
In context ↗ - sunlight at sunrise and sunset · Helped
Getting sunlight at sunrise and sunset made a significant improvement for me.
In context ↗ - getting out of the mold environment · No change
leaving the environment didn't help at all on its own
In context ↗ - lymphatic massage · Helped
I did about 30 minutes of lymphatic massage and took some liposomal glutathione and it was much better than next day.
In context ↗ - liposomal glutathione · Helped
took some liposomal glutathione and it was much better than next day
In context ↗
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | long COVID onset after COVID and a mould exposureI'm about 2 years since getting sick, but 2 months into treat CIRS/mold.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2022 | after a year of worsening, symptoms began slowly improvingIt's been continuously improving for me after getting worse for a year.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2023-04 | felt 85-90% while on a strict carnivore, fasting and nicotine patch protocolNot "recovered" at all, but managing my symptoms to feel 85-90%.In context ↗ | Near normal | Carnivore diet |
| 2023-07 | worse brain fog and overall symptoms after raising guanfacine to 2 mgJust bumped up to 2mg and have been experiencing worse brain fog and overall symptoms now.In context ↗ | Not stated | Guanfacine |
| 2023-10 | best they had felt after two months of CIRS/mould treatmentThis is the best I've felt so far. Still very far from normal but on a positive track since going downhill consist until I started treating CIRS/mold.In context ↗ | Not stated | Mold avoidance / CIRS protocol |
| 2024-01 | bad days were now what good days had been six months earlierThe "bad days" that I have now were what my good days were 6 months ago.In context ↗ | Not stated | Mold avoidance / CIRS protocol |
Adverse events
- Intermittent fasting“I've been fasting for 40-60 hours each weekend and always have worse symptoms during my refeeding day” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)“taking Benadryl does provide temporarily relief (although with an intense fatigue and sleepiness)” In context ↗ Side effects
- Guanfacine“Just bumped up to 2mg and have been experiencing worse brain fog and overall symptoms now.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Nicotine patches“I use 7mg, but need to go down to 4-5mg during a flare up to avoid a bad reaction.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Hyperthermia and sauna“I also do sauna (I have to be very careful with it because it flares me up)” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Brain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsGut problemsLight & noise sensitivityMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessPost-exertional malaiseVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Yes, I have severe histamine intolerance and PEM.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
My brain fog is bad.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Histamine, even in VERY small amounts, flares up all my symptoms.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
blurry vision, choppy vision
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
shortness of breath / tight breathing
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
Muscle weakness
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
Light sensitivity
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I had some issues with bloating and pain with some foods.
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I had enlarged lymphnodes consistently until I went on a carnivore diet, then it resolved in 1-2 weeks.
In context ↗