Long COVID facial pain and constant depersonalisation, somewhat better with Lexapro
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Not stated
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Now: Somewhat better
It got to be less frequent and less severe but it’s still there.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
severe what I assumed was migraines and head pain daily for about 6 months straight after I got COVID
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
They have had long COVID since 2021, with daily facial, head and neck pain, neuralgia and migraines and constant depersonalisation for years. Nortriptyline helped the pain for about a year then wore off; gabapentin, pregabalin, steroid injections, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, physiotherapy and a Mayo clinic did not settle it. Lexapro greatly reduced the DPDR. COVID vaccinations amplify their pain; a Florida holiday eased it.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- nortriptyline · Helped
I was on nortriptyline and it worked great for like a year and then started wearing off.
In context ↗ - lyrica · No change
I’m trying out lyrica right now but this is definitely not helping
In context ↗ - Lexapro · Helped
I started anxiety medication (Lexapro) and that actually made it way better for me.
In context ↗ - vacation to Florida · Helped a lot
We went on vacation to Florida and it was the best week of my life pain-wise
In context ↗ - gabapentin · Not said
I have tried medication (gabapentin, pregabalin, nortriptyline)
In context ↗ - chiropractor · Not said
chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, PT, cervical steroid injections
In context ↗ - Mayo Clinics Long Covid Care Clinic · Not said
I went through Mayo Clinics Long Covid Care Clinic
In context ↗ - COVID vaccines/boosters · Worse
I get incredibly sick from it every time
In context ↗
Approaches: Tricyclic antidepressants
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. Hover or tap a point. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | COVID infection, then daily head pain and constant depersonalisationI had severe what I assumed was migraines and head pain daily for about 6 months straight after I got COVIDIn context ↗ | Mild |
| — | pain eased for about a year on nortriptyline, then it wore offI was on nortriptyline and it worked great for like a year and then started wearing offIn context ↗ | Mild |
| — | depersonalisation much reduced on LexaproI started anxiety medication (Lexapro) and that actually made it way better for me.In context ↗ | Mild |
| 2026-09-20 | still has pain; depersonalisation only now and thenI will get the feeling here and there when I am driving now but it doesn’t last longIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I get incredibly sick from it every time ... Fever, intense body aches, migraines, etc. essentially all the pains I feel daily amped up 10x.” Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Headaches & migraine
severe what I assumed was migraines and head pain daily for about 6 months
In context ↗ - Vision problems
like viewing life a degree behind your eyes
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
the DPDR seems like it was triggered by anxiety for me
In context ↗
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