Long COVID with PEM so bad exertion meant bedridden days, now much better on valacyclovir
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4.5 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have had long covid symptoms for almost two years
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I did frequently have to take days off work for physical fatigue and brain fog ... any significant physical or mental exertion would leave me bedridden
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
This has given me about 80% symptom reduction. I still feel the brain fog but it’s not nearly as impairing and the physical fatigue is mostly gone ... I still have to be really careful with pacing or I’ll get too much done and crash hard after
- Began after: COVID
I couldn’t get tested for covid in march 2020
In context ↗
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 5 this page draws on
Summary
Starling 74640 suspects long COVID from March 2020, with PEM so bad any significant exertion left them bedridden for two days and frequently off work. Shingles in September 2024 brought a valacyclovir course that helped; symptoms returned when it stopped. Restarting valacyclovir with celecoxib cut symptoms about 80%, and semaglutide later helped exercise tolerance, but pacing is still needed to avoid crashes.
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What they tried
Their words about each treatment
- valocyclivir / valtrex · Helped a lot
I talked my doctor into putting my back on valtrex at a maintenance dose plus celecoxib ... This has given me about 80% symptom reduction.
In context ↗ - celecoxib (Celebrex) · Helped
those two together are being used in a medical trial. This has given me about 80% symptom reduction
In context ↗ - advil · Not said
taken with round the clock advil and tylenol
In context ↗ - semaglutide · Helped
I recently started semaglutide and it has seemed to really help with exercise tolerance and inflammation
In context ↗ - guanfacine · Helped
Yes, it was slightly high, and the guanfacine lowered it, but also l was able to be a little more active and lose some weight on it.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
I still have to be really careful with pacing or I’ll get too much done and crash hard after
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals · Other drugs and medicines
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | After |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | possible COVID-19 illness, untestedI couldn’t get tested for covid in march 2020In context ↗ | |
| late 2022 | long covid symptoms got noticeably worse; PEM crashesEither way, it got noticeably worse almost two years ago.In context ↗ | |
| September 2024 | got shingles and was put on valtrex; felt better than in yearsI felt better with shingles than I had in years.In context ↗ | Valtrex / valacyclovir |
| October 2024 | stopped valtrex after shingles cleared; symptoms returnedAfter I went off valtrex and the shingles cleared up symptoms came back hardIn context ↗ | |
| October 2024 | restarted valtrex at a maintenance dose with celecoxibThis has given me about 80% symptom reduction.In context ↗ | Valtrex / valacyclovir |
| April 2026 | semaglutide helped exercise tolerance and inflammationI recently started semaglutide and it has seemed to really help with exercise toleranceIn context ↗ | Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) |
| September 2026 | symptoms mostly under control but still crashes without careful pacingeven when it feels like my adhd and lc symptoms are under control, I still have to be really careful with pacing or I’ll get too much done and crash hard after.In context ↗ |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
PEM was really bad and any significant physical or mental exertion would leave me bedridden
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I still feel the brain fog but it’s not nearly as impairing
In context ↗
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