Long COVID with CFS and disabling joint pain, somewhat better after diet and probiotics
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 7 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I got long covid after a bad bout of Covid in December of 2019
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
worrying that I'm going to have to bedridden
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
once I got my SIBO under control my quality of life got a lot better
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got long covid after a bad bout of Covid in December of 2019
In context ↗
Read from 6 of their posts and comments; links to the 5 this page draws on
Summary
Crane 99957 has had long COVID since December 2019 and at 30 reported six years of CFS and later disabling joint pain. A Pfizer dose in May 2020 caused Bell's palsy. Hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine helped the joint pain only a little; a no-yeast, no-sugar diet with strong probiotics treated their SIBO, ending the pain and making them feel much better, though antibiotics later brought SIBO back.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Uberlube and Sliquid silver lubricants · Helped
I tried uberlube which was helpful, but I noticed after a while I was having a lot of painful friction because it dries up quickly.
In context ↗ - hydroxychloroquine · Helped
I ended up taking hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine for almost a year and while it did help a bit, it never quite made it go away completely.
In context ↗ - sulfasalazine · Helped
while it did help a bit, it never quite made it go away completely
In context ↗ - Doxycycline · Worse
SIBO can come back with a vengeance and it sucks to treat (happened to me after taking Doxycycline, 0/10 would not recommend)
In context ↗ - No yeast, no sugar diet · Helped
I’d highly recommend trying a SIBO diet for a month or two ... Ever since I’ve done that I feel a lot better
In context ↗ - RestorFlora by Microbiome Labs and ProBiota HistaminX by Seeking Health · Helped
taking a full course of strong probiotics during ... Ever since I’ve done that I feel a lot better and I don’t get sick as often!
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination as treatment · Not said
in May of 2020 I took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and had immediate onset of Bell’s palsy
In context ↗
Approaches: Diet · Supplements
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 3.5 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 3 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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2019 | bad bout of COVID, long COVID beginsI got long covid after a bad bout of Covid in December of 2019In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| May 2020 | immediate Bell's palsy after first Pfizer dosein May of 2020 I took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and had immediate onset of Bell’s palsyIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| about three years ago | severe joint pain, swelling and stiffness; some days bedriddenThe days when it was cold or rainy made me feel like my entire body got hit by a batIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| last year | SIBO treated, joint pain gone and quality of life betterEver since my SIBO was treated I haven’t had a single bit of joint painIn context ↗ | Mild | Probiotics and fermented foods |
| — | SIBO returned after a course of doxycyclineSIBO can come back with a vengeance and it sucks to treat (happened to me after taking DoxycyclineIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2026-09-18 | still a long hauler, credits gut treatment for feeling betterI’ve been a long hauler for the last almost 7 years nowIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Probiotics and fermented foods“I actually experienced the symptoms of bacteria die-off ... it made my brain feel so odd. I had mood swings and reality didn’t feel real for a couple of days” In context ↗ Herx / die-off reaction
- Doxycycline (Vibramycin)“SIBO can come back with a vengeance and it sucks to treat (happened to me after taking Doxycycline, 0/10 would not recommend)” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- COVID vaccination as treatment“in May of 2020 I took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and had immediate onset of Bell’s palsy” In context ↗ Other
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Pain & fibromyalgia
about three years ago I developed insane joint pain
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I got SIBO really bad after Covid and I didn’t know I had it
In context ↗
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