Long COVID crash left bedbound; low-dose naltrexone helped, then relapse
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 8 months
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
now severe LongCovid mostly housebound.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I crashed hard a few weeks ago and have been close to bed bound.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I’ve never recovered back to where I was in early long haul.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Then a mild omicron infection in 2022 (minor cold with a cough)
In context ↗
Read from 106 of their posts and comments; links to the 28 this page draws on
Summary
After a mild omicron infection in January 2022 they developed fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and exercise intolerance. Three months in, a three-mile walk caused a crash that left them bedbound for a week and lowered their baseline for years. Low-dose naltrexone helped them from bedbound to cooking and part-time work, and tirzepatide later gave small gains, but they were still mostly housebound in late 2025.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Zyrtec · Not said
I'm on zrytec, inhaled steroids (Wilexa, AKA advair) montelukast, Spireva and Xolair.
In context ↗ - montelukast · No change
Have taken for two years, didn’t prevent long haul
In context ↗ - Xolair · Helped
I had asthma and it’s unchanged, even better since xolair.
In context ↗ - probiotics · Not said
I've also been taking probiotics.
In context ↗ - mag · Not said
I have mag, melatonin, l-theanine, great sleep hygiene ALL of it.
In context ↗ - benzos · No change
Benzos did not help me sleep.
In context ↗ - steroids / prednisone · Worse
I took them and felt worse.
In context ↗ - rest · Not said
I am trying to rest
In context ↗ - low histamine diet · Not said
eat low Histamine
In context ↗ - thiamine · Helped
I’ve been doing 200mg a day and it’s OK but not huge.
In context ↗ - LDN · Helped a lot
Helps. Brought me from bedbound to able to cook and work part time.
In context ↗ - garmin HRV / body battery · Not said
now I can check my night HRV and garmin body battery
In context ↗ - riding bike 5 min a day, increasing 1-2 min a week · Not said
So I started riding it 5 min a day, I’m at least I ride.
In context ↗ - Bivalent booster · No change
no change in symptoms
In context ↗ - Vedicinals · No change
Yeah, didn’t work. Just like everything else I’ve tried.
In context ↗ - vitamin D · No change
I took it because I saw stuff that it helps if you get COVID. That didn’t work out…
In context ↗ - guanfacine · Helped
I’m doing well on 1mg a night. Helps sleep and chills me out a little during the day.
In context ↗ - midodrine · Not said
I also take midodrine to help with BP.
In context ↗ - tirzepatide · Helped
I’m on .8mg tirzepitide weekly and it helps me
In context ↗ - Metamucil · Not said
I’m losing weight this time just on .6mg tirzepitide a week and daily 1 tablespoon of Metamucil.
In context ↗ - CBT-I · No change
No, it doesn’t work for me, there is something broken that disrupts my sleep.
In context ↗
Approaches: GLP-1 drugs
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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | mild omicron COVID while vaccinated; long COVID followedThen a mild omicron infection in 2022 (minor cold with a cough)In context ↗ | Mild | |
| February 2022 | felt better around week 6I starting feeling better at week 6 but and feeling crappy again at week 9.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| March 2022 | feeling crappy again at week 9 | Mild | |
| April 2022 | crashed after camping, a three-mile hike and a late nightWent camping, loaded a bunch of stuff, and kids ran into woods and I had to go on big hike (3 mi)In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| May 2022 | two-week crash, bedbound for a weekAfter that I had a two week crash where I was bedbound for a week. Could barely walk from bed to bathroom.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| October 2022 | able to cook and work part time againHelps. Brought me from bedbound to able to cook and work part time.In context ↗ | Moderate | Low-dose naltrexone |
| August 2026 | small gains on tirzepatideI’m on .8mg tirzepitide weekly and it helps meIn context ↗ | Moderate | Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) |
| 2026-09-18 | baseline held steady; sober; helping familyThe most important thing to me is my baseline. And not drinking helps me keep that steady and support my family.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Corticosteroid pulses“I took them and felt worse.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Low-dose naltrexone“the few times I’ve tried at night it messes up my sleep” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)“Same. Made me constipated.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)“It made my HRV lower and a nauseous feeling after the shots.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Even if I do more than 3000 to 4000 steps a day or if my garmin says my stress was high the previous day, the next days I’ll get PEM.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
My main symptom is fatigue but I just can’t sleep.
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
My legs normally feel weak but randomly I’ll notice they feel strong some days.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
My anxiety is terrible worried my life is ruined and that makes sleep that much harder.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I also take midodrine to help with BP.
In context ↗
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