Racing heart, light-headedness and PEM with long COVID, recovered after nicotine patches
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 years
- Last post
- Mar 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I had this (long covid, MCAS and dysautonomia)
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
My POTS has been wiped out with an antihistamine, though it was in the mild side.
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
Yes I am 100% recovered.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Initial COVID infection was 2021 with three more times after.
In context ↗
Read from 22 of their posts and comments; links to the 14 this page draws on
Summary
Eagle 80515 caught COVID in 2021 and had about three years of racing heart and light-headedness on standing, plus MCAS and PEM. An antihistamine let her walk 30 minutes without PEM, but she was only 20% better overall. Two weeks of nicotine patches in late 2024 cleared the dysautonomia, and she calls herself 100% recovered. Mitochondria supplements from an organic acids test helped energy, but she drifts back when she stops them.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- ginger tea · Helped
I noticed a marked increase in energy and decrease in symptoms when I started drinking string ginger tea.
In context ↗ - Liquorice · Worse
Liquorice is also great one in the morning as it helps reduce cortisol breakdown, but I'm personally intolerant to it.
In context ↗ - cetrizine · Helped
I've been able to go for 30min walks without PEM since I started on an antihistamine.
In context ↗ - nicotine patches · Helped a lot
I noticed a huge improvement with my dysautonomia, so the light headedness and racing heart.
In context ↗ - ivermectin · Helped a lot
and ivermectin. Yeah I know the last one is controversial, I had to buy the tablets from India but wow they really helped.
In context ↗ - B group vitamins · Helped
suggested mega dosing all of the B group vitamins
In context ↗ - coq10 · Helped
mitochondria supporting nutrients such coq10 alpha lipoic acid, acetyl l carnitine and creatine
In context ↗ - acetyl l carnitine · Helped
mega doses of all B vitamins and mitochondria supporting nutrients such coq10 alpha lipoic acid, acetyl l carnitine and creatine
In context ↗ - NAC · Helped
suggested mega dosing all of the B group vitamins, acetyl l carnitine, coq10, NAC
In context ↗ - alpha lipoic acid · Helped
300mg once a day is what I use.
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · Amino acids and carnitine · Other drugs and medicines · Supplements
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | COVID infection; long COVID beganInitial COVID infection was 2021 with three more times after.In context ↗ | |
| 2021-2024 | dysautonomia, MCAS and PEM; health fragileracing heart at the slightest prococatuon. and light headedness, intolerance to standing up for long periods of time, especially in the showerIn context ↗ | |
| before late 2024 | relapsed with covidI recovered for a number of years and then relapsed with covid.In context ↗ | |
| 2024-08 | antihistamine eased histamine symptoms; walking 30 min without PEM; CFS 20% betterI've been able to go for 30min walks without PEM since I started on an antihistamine.In context ↗ | Cetirizine (Zyrtec) |
| late 2024 | two weeks of nicotine patches cleared dysautonomia; symptoms never returnedThis completely resolved in one week of nicotine patches and never came back.In context ↗ | Nicotine patches |
| 2026-03 | 100% recovered; mitochondrial supplements and ivermectin maintain herYes I am 100% recovered.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“On my first I felt better related to histamine symptoms but I had unpleasant side effects such as head congestion.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Licorice and glycyrrhizin“Liquorice is also great one in the morning as it helps reduce cortisol breakdown, but I'm personally intolerant to it.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Nicotine patches“If the dose is too high nausea! But otherwise dry skin and greatly improved my ADHD, very motivating to get things done.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Nicotine patches“Nicotine disrupted my sleep so I took it off before bed” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
racing heart at the slightest prococatuon. and light headedness, intolerance to standing up for long periods of time, especially in the shower
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I had this (long covid, MCAS and dysautonomia)
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
go for 30min walks without PEM
In context ↗
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