Long COVID with post-exertional malaise, now much better after graded exercise
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- Aug 2024
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
immediately developing long covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
PEM is my biggest issue with lots of head pressure and difficulty being upright.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
have made a lot of progress
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
before catching covid and immediately developing long covid
Read from 5 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on
Summary
Crocus 41519 developed long COVID right after catching COVID-19 around May 2022, with post-exertional malaise the main problem plus head pressure and difficulty being upright. Two later boosters made no difference. A six-month graded exercise programme in 2023 helped them understand their limits, and over two years they improved gradually, though a light deadlift workout in July 2024 caused a relapse.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- 2 boosters · No change
I’ve had 2 boosters since then that didn’t seem to make a difference.
In context ↗ - graded exercise treatment · Helped
I went through a graded exercise treatment (controversial) for 6 months last year and it helped a lot with getting me to a place where I understood my limits
In context ↗ - Oura · Not said
Seeing my body work through the muck on this graph is reassuring though.
In context ↗ - time · Helped
I am slowly getting better with time.
In context ↗
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 |
|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | Caught COVID-19 and immediately developed long COVIDI was fully Pfizer vaxxed but didn’t get the first booster before catching covid and immediately developing long covid.In context ↗ | |
| 2023 | Six-month graded exercise treatment helped them understand and work within their limitsI went through a graded exercise treatment (controversial) for 6 months last year and it helped a lot with getting me to a place where I understood my limitsIn context ↗ | Graded exercise therapy (GET) |
| July 2024 | Gradual progress over more than two years, able to imagine returning to the gymOver the last 2+ years, my gradual progress toward recovery has gotten to a point where I’m able to imagine a future where I can get back into the gym.In context ↗ | |
| 2024-07-30 | PEM relapse after a very light deadlift workoutAfter 2 reps I knew I needed to stop and here I am, working through a bout of PEM.In context ↗ | |
| 2024-08-01 | Still in a small crash after overdoing itI’m going through a little crash myself right now. I’m 2+ years in and similar situation, have made a lot of progressIn context ↗ |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
PEM is my biggest issue with lots of head pressure and difficulty being upright.
In context ↗
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