Long COVID
Outcome unclearNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID fatigue costing days after activity; now pacing, protocol a life saver
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- Not stated
- Last post
- Sep 2024
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I feel like you're describing my own situation.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I had to give up walking which was my main exercise cause I lose too many days afterwards
In context ↗
Summary
A Reddit user with long COVID described fatigue that cost days or a week after normal activity, and limbs like overcooked spaghetti after a walk around the yard. They gave up walking and could instead ride an indoor bike or rower in Dr Simon's 30-second exercise/30-second rest pacing, and found a thread about the protocol that they called a life saver. Antidepressants had caused severe body twitching, mostly resolved after stopping them, with gabapentin for what remains.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Venlafaxine (Effexor) · Worse
I had very bad twitching that was Restless Leg Syndrome & myoclonic jerks of my entire body as a side effect from Venlafaxine (Effexor)
In context ↗ - Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) · Worse
myoclonic jerks of my entire body as a side effect from Venlafaxine (Effexor) and Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
In context ↗ - Gabapentin · Not said
I still have it at a low level but take Gabapentin for it.
In context ↗ - walking as exercise · Worse
I had to give up walking which was my main exercise cause I lose too many days afterwards
In context ↗ - Dr. Simon's pacing protocol · Helped a lot
30 second increments of exercise and 30 of rest from German exercise physiologist Dr. Simon's protocol ... has been a life saver for me
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | long COVID with post-exertional fatigueIt's not totally debilitating all the time but if I try to live my normal life I can end up sacrificing a few days or even a week to terrible fatigue afterwardsIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2024-09-07 | switched from walking to 30/30 intervals on indoor bike and rower using Dr Simon's pacing protocolI had to give up walking which was my main exercise cause I lose too many days afterwards but I can I ride an indoor bicycle or use a rowing machine in 30 second increments of exercise and 30 of restIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2024-09-07 | still limited, but pacing protocol called a life saverThere's a thread about Dr. Simon's pacing protocol I found somewhere here on Reddit that has been a life saver for me.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Venlafaxine (Effexor), Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)“I had very bad twitching that was Restless Leg Syndrome & myoclonic jerks of my entire body as a side effect from Venlafaxine (Effexor) and Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq).” In context ↗ Side effects
- Venlafaxine (Effexor), Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)“It was agonizing and took forever to fall asleep.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
if I try to live my normal life I can end up sacrificing a few days or even a week to terrible fatigue afterwards
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
a walk around the yard does me in for the day and my limbs just feel like overcooked spaghetti
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I had very bad twitching that was Restless Leg Syndrome & myoclonic jerks of my entire body ... I still have it at a low level
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
It was agonizing and took forever to fall asleep.
In context ↗