Long COVID
Severe → no benefitIll for 4 months
Long COVID fatigue and crashes, no improvement after Zyrtec and Pepcid
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill for
- 4 months
- Last post
- Feb 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’m 28 years old and was severely hit by a viral infection (COVID-19) about 3 months and 3 weeks ago.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I can only manage about 30 minutes of being upright before I have to lie down again.
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
Didn’t work on my end either, I would actually say it made things worse!!! My dysautonomia came back, my tachycardia returned.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
was severely hit by a viral infection (COVID-19)
In context ↗
Summary
A 28-year-old hit by COVID-19 developed crippling fatigue and crashes; about three months in they could be upright only 30 minutes before needing to lie down again. Increasing walking from 5 to 10 minutes caused a crash that left them still stuck in bed two weeks later. Zyrtec and Pepcid made them feel like a zombie; a treatment they tried made things worse and brought back dysautonomia and tachycardia. No improvement was reported.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- slowly increasing my activity · Much worse
I tried slowly increasing my activity, starting with 5 minutes of walking and working up to 10 minutes. But as soon as I did that, I had a massive crash that felt like catching the flu times 50.
In context ↗ - iron · Not said
I’ve been taking iron under medical advice
In context ↗ - magnesium · Not said
I stopped magnesium and vitamin D after trying them for a while
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Worse
this antihistamine is making me feel like a zombie! ... Didn’t work on my end either, I would actually say it made things worse!!! My dysautonomia came back, my tachycardia returned.
- Pepcid · Worse
I just started Zyrtec and Pepcid, and I’m on my third day. ... this antihistamine is making me feel like a zombie!
In context ↗
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| about 3 months and 3 weeks before 2025-01-27 | hit by COVID-19; crippling post-viral fatiguewas severely hit by a viral infection (COVID-19)In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2025-01-27 | stuck in bed after crash from increasing walking from 5 to 10 minutesI can only manage about 30 minutes of being upright before I have to lie down againIn context ↗ | Severe | Graded rehab and self-made programmes |
| 2025-02-07 | antihistamines made things worse; dysautonomia and tachycardia returnedit made things worse!!! My dysautonomia came back, my tachycardia returnedIn context ↗ | Severe | Cetirizine (Zyrtec) |
Adverse events
- Graded rehab and self-made programmes“I tried slowly increasing my activity, starting with 5 minutes of walking and working up to 10 minutes. But as soon as I did that, I had a massive crash that felt like catching the flu times 50.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“I just started Zyrtec and Pepcid, and I’m on my third day. I’m already severely fatigued, and this antihistamine is making me feel like a zombie!” In context ↗ Side effects
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“I would actually say it made things worse!!! My dysautonomia came back, my tachycardia returned.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodHeart symptoms & palpitationsMuscle weaknessPOTS & dysautonomiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I had a massive crash that felt like catching the flu times 50
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
My dysautonomia came back
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my tachycardia returned
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Every morning feels like I’ve been hit by a truck
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
I can barely move and have to stay in bed for 2 hours stretching just to get enough strength to stand up
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
who wouldn’t feel anxious or frustrated in this situation?
In context ↗