Long COVID with about 35 symptoms, now 100 percent better after time and citalopram
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 months
- Last post
- Jan 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Covid longhauler since December 2021. I’m getting better.. slowly
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
1 month ago I couldn’t even catch my breath, I was crying and having terrible panic attacks.
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
I did get bronchitis a few weeks ago but I’m 100 percent better now. ... all my other symptoms are gone.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Caught covid December 26 2021
Read from 66 of their posts and comments; links to the 28 this page draws on
Summary
A 50-year-old woman caught COVID in December 2021 and developed long COVID with about 35 symptoms, including breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness, panic attacks, chest pain, constipation and reflux. Her worst months were two and three, then she improved overall, though new gut symptoms appeared in May; some inhalers, Singulair and Flonase gave little or nothing. She credited time and about six months of citalopram, and by early 2025 said she was 100 percent better.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- breathing exercises · Helped
I feel like breathing exercises are much more helpful
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Helped a lot
zertec and acid reducer is what I think has helped me the most!
In context ↗ - famotidine (Pepcid, cvs acid reducer) · Helped
Zyrtec and famotidine are a lifesaver.
In context ↗ - trelegy · Not said
I was given trelegy and albuterol and neither helped me. Made my anxiety worse
In context ↗ - albuterol · Worse
Albuterol didn’t do anything but just make my anxiety horrible.
In context ↗ - Prilosec · Helped
zertec and Prilosec is what I’m taking
In context ↗ - Flonase · Helped
My doctor prescribed an inhaler and Flonase for me which has helped.
In context ↗ - vagus nerve exercises · Helped
Started 3 days ago and it’s helped my breathing and heart palpitations.
In context ↗ - changed my diet · Helped
I noticed if I go off my diet my heart palpitations start again.
In context ↗ - Xanax · Not said
I was taking Xanax but I weened myself off.
In context ↗ - singulair · No change
My Dr originally put me on inhaler’s and singulair but it did nothing for my cough.
In context ↗ - Benadryl · Worse
I think it was the Benadryl that caused it.
In context ↗ - prunes · No change
I tried prunes,myralax,teas. Nothing was working.
In context ↗ - saline nose spray · Not said
Singular, Trelegy, Flonase, Zyrtec and Prilosec, saline nose spray is what I started out on.
In context ↗ - probiotic pill (cvs brand) · Helped
I bought a probiotic pill form, the cvs brand and have been going every day so far since!
In context ↗ - nebulizer · Helped
The only thing that has helped is a nebulizer I recently got prescribed.
In context ↗ - citalopram · Helped
I did end up taking citalopram for about 6 months. Weaning myself off and all my other symptoms are gone.
In context ↗ - time · Helped
Time and anxiety medication.
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · H2 blockers · Proton pump inhibitors · SSRIs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 26, 2021 | caught COVID-19; sneezing and watery eyesDecember 2021 - sneezing and watery eyes.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| February 2022 | worst months with breathlessness, palpitations, panic attacks and ER visitsI was at my worst at month two and 3.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2022 (14 weeks in) | started to improveI’m on 14 weeks and doing much better!In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| April 2022 (month 4) | much better, gut problems remainingI’m at month 4 and I’m doing 90 percent better then 2 months agoIn context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| April 30, 2022 | exhaustion after gardeningNow I’m paying for it with exhaustionIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| May 10, 2022 | felt almost normal apart from reflux and constipationMay - feel almost normal except acid reflux. Constipation is getting betterIn context ↗ | Near normal | Time and spontaneous remission |
| January 6, 2025 | fully better, all symptoms goneWeaning myself off and all my other symptoms are gone.In context ↗ | Recovered | Citalopram (Celexa) |
Adverse events
- Fluticasone / umeclidinium / vilanterol (Trelegy), Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)“I was given trelegy and albuterol and neither helped me. Made my anxiety worse” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)“Albuterol didn’t do anything but just make my anxiety horrible.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)“I think it was the Benadryl that caused it.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Meditation, yoga, breathwork“My chest was a little painful from doing way too many breathing exercises the other day.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Breathlessness
I still have the I can’t catch my breath feeling but mostly when I wake up.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
I still get heart palpitations in the evening and I feel skipping dinner helps with that.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I was dizzy for a month.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
Headaches and tinnitus, fatigue is my only issues now.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I was crying and having terrible panic attacks.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
May- New symptoms- constipation and severe acid reflux
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
My sleeping pattern is horrible
In context ↗ - Brain fog
My brain fog has gone and my energy level is up.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
December 2021 - sneezing and watery eyes.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I went to the ER (I’m 50 female)with chest pain
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
Now I’m paying for it with exhaustion
In context ↗
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