Long COVID fatigue and legs giving way; physical therapy made it worse
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill for
- 6 years
- Last post
- Feb 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
Ive been struggling with long bouts of fatigue (days or weeks long) after exercise since I got covid in 2020.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I can still barely sit up to eat and use the bathroom.
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
the physical therapy seems to be making my fatigue so much worse
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
since I got covid in 2020
Summary
They had long bouts of fatigue lasting days or weeks after exercise since a COVID-19 infection in 2020, with no diagnosis. In early 2026 their legs stopped holding them up and they began physical therapy, which made the fatigue much worse: they could do the exercises in sessions but then felt run over by a truck for days. After stopping for over a week they could still barely sit up to eat or use the bathroom.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- physical therapy · Much worse
I can physically do the exercises in the session, but then I feel like I've been run over by a truck for days. ... I havent done them at all for over 7 days now, and I can still barely sit up to eat and use the bathroom.
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 6 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | COVID-19 infection, then long bouts of fatigue after exerciseIve been struggling with long bouts of fatigue (days or weeks long) after exercise since I got covid in 2020.In context ↗ | Not stated |
| early 2026 | legs stopped holding them up; started physical therapyRecently my legs stopped holding me up and I started physical therapy.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-02-18 | physical therapy made fatigue much worse, floored for days after each sessionthe physical therapy seems to be making my fatigue so much worse. I can physically do the exercises in the session, but then I feel like I've been run over by a truck for days.In context ↗ | Severe |
| 2026-02-19 | a week after stopping the exercises still barely able to sit upI havent done them at all for over 7 days now, and I can still barely sit up to eat and use the bathroom.In context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Physical therapy / physiotherapy“the physical therapy seems to be making my fatigue so much worse. I can physically do the exercises in the session, but then I feel like I've been run over by a truck for days.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Physical therapy / physiotherapy“I havent done them at all for over 7 days now, and I can still barely sit up to eat and use the bathroom.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
long bouts of fatigue (days or weeks long) after exercise
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
my legs stopped holding me up
In context ↗