Long COVID relapses with panic and brain fog, somewhat better with time and a therapist
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 18 months
- Last post
- May 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have long covid 1.5 yrs now
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I started to be a bit more socially active, after months spent at home.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
Since I'm completely off citalopram I feel like a human again. ... Despite of still having LC symptoms present and kicking
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I have long covid 1.5 yrs now
In context ↗
Read from 16 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
A UK Reddit user about 1.5 years into long COVID had repeated relapses with sudden depression, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, plus brain fog and pain. Citalopram, raised to 20 mg, caused side effects that mimicked long COVID; coming off it left them clearer and more energetic. They credited time and a therapist, and said good stretches between relapses were getting longer, though PEM, pain and temperature problems remained.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- citalopram (lexapro) · Worse
Instead of helping, citalopram started giving me wild range of side effects
In context ↗ - weed · Helped
Nothing soothes muscle and joints aches as quickly and effectively as weed.
In context ↗ - time · Helped
Just time. Took me over 9 months to get brain back
In context ↗ - sertraline · Not said
won't have as many side effects as sertraline that I was on couple of years ago
In context ↗ - therapist (psychodynamic talk therapy) · Helped
It started to have such positive impact on my mental health
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset
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 |
|---|---|---|
| onset | long COVID begins; months spent at homeafter months spent at homeIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2022-09-30 | bad relapse after a year, all symptoms backSurprisingly bad relapse after a yearIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2022-11-15 | significant recovery, becoming a bit more socially activeRecently I am recovering in a quite significant way (yay!) and getting back to normal gradually, with ups and downsIn context ↗ | Mild |
| early 2023 | worst relapse with sudden depression, panic attacks and intrusive suicidal thoughtsFirst quarter of this year = the worst fucking relapseIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2023-04-19 | very slow improvement, better periods getting longer between relapsesI'm getting better very very slowly, I still relapse but every time the period of feeling much better is getting longer and longer.In context ↗ | Mild |
| 2023-05-02 | off citalopram, feels like a human again while LC symptoms remainSince I'm completely off citalopram I feel like a human again.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Citalopram (Celexa)“citalopram started giving me wild range of side effects, including some that literally are exactly like long COVID symptoms: fatigue, massive anxiety, dizziness, brain fog and..PALPITATIONS among many.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Citalopram (Celexa)“massive anxiety ... panic attacks over nothing coming literally from nowhere” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Citalopram (Celexa)“PALPITATIONS among many” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- Citalopram (Celexa)“on citalopram I walked slower than my elderly neighbors and felt imbalanced ... My attention span on antidepressants was so bad I was scared to cross the streat without checking like 50 times if it's clear to go...” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
post meal fatigue, PEM
In context ↗ - Brain fog
this hell on earth with derealisation and brain fog seems to be over for me
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
dizziness, sleepiness, poor attention span, short memory issues, physical imbalance
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
numb painful hands, disrupted sleep
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
joints and muscles pain
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
headache, body aches, shivers
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
hyper skin sensitivity, light sensitivity, sensory issues
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
high resting heart rate, palpitations
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
numb painful hands
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
SUDDEN and aggressive depression, anhedonia and panic attacks
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
body temperature issues, profuse sweating
In context ↗
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