Homebound with long COVID, now much better with a beta blocker and electrolytes
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Jul 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
most of my LC symptoms are POTS/dysautonomia related
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
some guy that can't walk to the bathroom without feeling like he ran a marathon, and blacking out
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
it flares up (I'm in the middle of a pretty nasty flare right now), but it's getting better over time
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I hadn't had covid for six months preceding that day. I suspect that might have been my issue.
Read from 15 of their posts and comments; links to the 10 this page draws on
Summary
Owl 75940, a 6'7" former powerlifter, fell ill around 2022 aged 33, becoming homebound with dizziness, brain fog, palpitations and breathlessness, and at one point suicidal. A beta blocker, compression clothing, salt and electrolytes eased his POTS symptoms, and by late 2024 he walked 5,000 steps a day. Dizziness persisted; a November 2024 COVID reinfection worsened it, and by mid-2026 he still had flares but was slowly improving.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- CHOP Modified Dallas POTS Exercise Program · Helped
Has worked quite well for me, if you can stomach the exercise and don't have issues with PEM.
In context ↗ - Compression clothes, salt, fluids and electrolytes · Helped a lot
the real gamechanger for me has been compression clothes to help with blood pooling
In context ↗ - metoprolol (beta blocker) · Helped
The beta blocker got the HR issue under control, and it felt 10 times better.
In context ↗ - OMAD style of food intake · Not said
my symptoms flare super hard when I eat, and have kind of adopted an OMAD style of food intake
In context ↗
Approaches: POTS medication · Beta-blockers · Physiotherapy and rehab
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 says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Symptoms began after a COVID infection: dizziness, brain fog, tachycardia, chest pain, fatiguemysterious symptoms that popped up on me. Extreme lightheadedness, dizziness, brain fog, tachycardia, chest pains and general extreme fatigueIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| early 2023 | Homebound for months, could not walk to the bathroom without blacking out, could not work, and was suicidalsome guy that can't walk to the bathroom without feeling like he ran a marathon, and blacking outIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2023-07-07 | Small day-by-day improvement; able to take the trash outI'm starting to feel a little better, day by day (I took my trash out the other day, which has been something beyond my reach for months)In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2023-09-07 | Started the CHOP modified Dallas POTS exercise program, which he said worked quite wellHas worked quite well for me, if you can stomach the exercise and don't have issues with PEM.In context ↗ | Not stated | Graded rehab and self-made programmes |
| 2024-09-13 | Metoprolol brought the tachycardia and passing out under controlThe beta blocker got the HR issue under control, and it felt 10 times better.In context ↗ | Moderate | Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) |
| 2024-11 | Almost able to return to work, walking 5,000 steps a day, up and about in the kitchenI was basically there, slowly inching up to my 2 year mark, almost capable of going back to work, walking at least 5k steps a day, I was able to be up and about in the kitchen.In context ↗ | Mild | Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) |
| 2024-11-19 | Worst POTS flare in two weeks, possibly picked up a coldI've had the WORST flare up of POTS symptoms over the last 2 weeks, and it's making me nervous.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2025-02-10 | COVID reinfection: palpitations nearly gone but dizziness much worse, no longer able to drivesuddenly my heart palpitations that plagued my existence are nearly gone, but my daily dizziness has gone into super overdrive, to the point where I can't drive anymoreIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2026-07-22 | Still flaring, but getting better over time on a beta blocker, electrolyte water and compression clothesIt flares up (I'm in the middle of a pretty nasty flare right now), but it's getting better over time. I use a beta blocker, a lot of electrolyte water, and compression clothes on bad days.In context ↗ | Moderate | Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
My brain fog has let up a great deal
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
It flares up (I'm in the middle of a pretty nasty flare right now), but it's getting better over time.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
suddenly my heart palpitations that plagued my existence are nearly gone
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
with my heart pounding and unable to catch a breath
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
if I didn't think my kids still needed to see their dad, I would have taken my own life a few months ago
In context ↗
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