Long COVID
Mild → recoveredIll 20 months before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID fatigue, PEM and POTS; supplements helped only partly and temporarily
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 20 months
- Last post
- Apr 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
40/m, LH 8 months main symptom fatigue/PEM
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I could walk 5-10k steps throughout but would have PEM for days or weeks upon pushing heart rate above 120
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
when I started the escitalopram again everything started working again and exercise was great
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
My symptoms such as fatigue began in the days after what was probably my second COVID infection
Read from 402 of their posts and comments; links to the 60 this page draws on
- Feb 2023
- Mar 2023
- Nov 2025
- Sep 2022
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Summary
He developed long COVID after a second infection in mid-May 2022, with fatigue, PEM, palpitations, POTS and anxiety; he still could not exercise several months later. Supplements helped only partially and temporarily, and he relapsed after exercise or other triggers.
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What they tried
What they credit
IV magnesium· Helped a lotfish oil/dietary fish· Helped a lot · wore offbovine lactoferrin/apolactoferrin· Helped a lot · wore offescitalopram/Lexapro· Helped a lot · main · wore offnicotine patch· Helped a lot · mainT3/T4 combination therapy· Helped a lot · mainT3/T4 combination therapy· Helped a lot · mainketotifen eye drops· Helpedmagnesium oral· Helpedvitamin D· Helpedmethylated B vitamins/B-complex· Helpediron bisglycinate· Helpedvitamin C· Helpedglycine· HelpedDLPA· Helpedtime· Helped
Also tried
loratadine/Claritin· Helpedfamotidine/Pepcid· HelpedNasacort nasal spray· Helpedcold showers· Helpedstopping caffeine· Helpedglutathione· Helpedcreatine· Helpedtart cherry juice· Helpedmelatonin· HelpedNatto-Serra/nattokinase· HelpedNatto-Serra/nattokinase· Helpedpropranolol· Helped5-HTP· Helped · wore offintermittent fasting· Helpedyoga and meditation· Helpedsalt/electrolytes/potassium foods· Helpedrest and pacing· Helpedsleep hygiene· Helpedlemon balm and chamomile· Helpedlemon balm and chamomile· Helpedblueberries· HelpedCOVID vaccination during LC· Helpednicotine lozenges· No changeCDP choline· No changeNAC· WorseL-tyrosine· Worsetaurine· Worseaspirin· Worseibuprofen· Worsenicotine gum· Worseexercise attempts· WorseCoQ10· Not saidprobiotics and fermented foods· Not saidbeef liver· Not saidiodine, selenium and zinc· Not saidiodine, selenium and zinc· Not saidiodine, selenium and zinc· Not saidL-theanine· Not saidL-citrulline DL-malate· Not saidweighted blanket· Not saidcurcumin· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- loratadine/Claritin · Helped
I noticed symptom relief with loratadine (claritin)
In context ↗ - famotidine/Pepcid · Helped
I discontinued the famotidine after a few days because it was causing my stomach to feel tight
In context ↗ - ketotifen eye drops · Helped
nasacort and ketotifen 2x/day
In context ↗ - Nasacort nasal spray · Helped
Claritin 1x/day, nasacort and ketotifen 2x/day
In context ↗ - cold showers · Helped
I also enjoyed taking cold showers to manage symptoms
In context ↗ - stopping caffeine · Helped
I completely stopped caffeine, and it seemed to help
In context ↗ - magnesium oral · Helped
Since August, I've been taking 400-800mg elemental magnesium per day
In context ↗ - IV magnesium · Helped a lot
intravenous magnesium has tremendously helped my fatigue-based PASC/LH/LC
In context ↗ - vitamin D · Helped
solgar d3 10,000 iu/day
In context ↗ - methylated B vitamins/B-complex · Helped
jarrow methylated b6/9/12, pure encap b complex, and vitamin D at the same time
In context ↗ - CoQ10 · Not said
I've also taken CoQ10 solgar
In context ↗ - fish oil/dietary fish · Helped a lot
I started taking NOW Supplements, Ultra Omega-3, 6 grams per day.
In context ↗ - bovine lactoferrin/apolactoferrin · Helped a lot
I believe I've been cured by supplementation of bovine lactoferrin
In context ↗ - iron bisglycinate · Helped
25mg iron bisglycinate (solgar gentle iron)
In context ↗ - vitamin C · Helped
500 mg vitamin C
In context ↗ - NAC · Worse
I also had repeatedly negative responses to NAC.
In context ↗ - glycine · Helped
I’m taking like 6 grams of glycine per day
In context ↗ - glutathione · Helped
I ran out of glutathione and discontinued.
In context ↗ - creatine · Helped
3-5 grams of creatine per day
In context ↗ - probiotics and fermented foods · Not said
I've been eating yogurt, sauerkraut, and taking probiotics
In context ↗ - tart cherry juice · Helped
Cherry juice really seems to help a little
In context ↗ - beef liver · Not said
I've also taken CoQ10 solgar, loratadine, fish oil, and beef liver
In context ↗ - iodine, selenium and zinc · Not said
ate some kombu for iodine and brazil nut for selenium
In context ↗ - L-theanine · Not said
l-theanine (I drink good shade-grown green tea
In context ↗ - DLPA · Helped
the amino acid DLPA really seemed to help me a lot
In context ↗ - L-tyrosine · Worse
I believe l-tyrosine has made my histamine/POTS symptoms a bit worse.
In context ↗ - L-citrulline DL-malate · Not said
I added back my l-citrulline DL-Malate 2:1 and my recovery has only increased.
In context ↗ - taurine · Worse
taurine seems to aggravate me
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
I took 2 mg last night and it felt good
In context ↗ - aspirin · Worse
Aspirin always helped me too... but when it would wear off the effects would come back worse
In context ↗ - ibuprofen · Worse
aspirin and ibuprofen were counterproductive
In context ↗ - Natto-Serra/nattokinase · Helped
Nattoserra helped me a bit, but nothing massive.
In context ↗ - escitalopram/Lexapro · Helped a lot
escitalopram (lexapro) that has finally allowed me to exercise
In context ↗ - propranolol · Helped
the beta blocker propranolol as needed
In context ↗ - nicotine gum · Worse
day 4 of 1-2 pieces/day of 2mg nicotine gum
In context ↗ - nicotine lozenges · No change
I tried nicotine lozenges a year or two ago, but it didn't do a thing for me.
In context ↗ - nicotine patch · Helped a lot
I got the lowest dose size 7mg, wore it 4 hours the first day
In context ↗ - 5-HTP · Helped
Started taking 50 mg of 5-htp/day
In context ↗ - T3/T4 combination therapy · Helped a lot
the fatigue ended up being related to my thyroid, and I ultimately improved much more with t3/t4 combination therapy.
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · Helped
intermittent fasting has seemed to help a little bit
In context ↗ - yoga and meditation · Helped
yoga and meditation
In context ↗ - salt/electrolytes/potassium foods · Helped
getting dietary salt and then sources of potassium
In context ↗ - rest and pacing · Helped
After reducing my activity levels
In context ↗ - sleep hygiene · Helped
I stop drinking liquids after dinner
In context ↗ - lemon balm and chamomile · Helped
lemon balm has helped in the evenings
In context ↗ - weighted blanket · Not said
Had a weighted blanket in the closet that maybe helped a little.
In context ↗ - CDP choline · No change
the CDP choline supplement didn’t do anything for me
In context ↗ - curcumin · Not said
Aspirin and curcumin both reduce hepcidin.
In context ↗ - blueberries · Helped
I also felt like blueberries were/are positive
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination during LC · Helped
I got a new shot the other day.
In context ↗ - exercise attempts · Worse
anytime I would push my heart rate above 120 it would get worse
In context ↗ - time · Helped
It's either time or escitalopram
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Amino acids and carnitine · Antihistamines & MCAS · Supplements · Thyroid hormones
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. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | long COVID after a second COVID infectionLC since June 2022In context ↗ | Mild | |
| late July 2022 | palpitations, thunderclap headache, ER visit, then POTSthe cardio was worst in late July, so like 1-2 months after startIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| September 2022 | marked improvement on a supplement protocol; thinking 95% backSince I started the protocol below 4 days ago I have noticed marked improvementIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 13 September 2022 | step back after a long, work-stressed day (delayed PEM)this week I seem to have taken a step backIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2 October 2022 | flare after hours sitting in strong sunI had honestly been trending better but I think this caused a flare/relapse/worseningIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| October 2022 | tachycardia and POTS calmed; walked 6.5 miles/15k stepsCardio and POTS symptoms seem to have calmed down and passed.In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| January-February 2023 | lactoferrin: better sleep, vivid dreams, resumed exerciseAfter 3 days, I noted that my sleep was improved and my dreams were extremely vividIn context ↗ | Mild | Lactoferrin and colostrum |
| March 2023 | felt worse for over a week on nicotine gumnicotine seems to have made things worse for meIn context ↗ | Mild | Nicotine patches |
| August 2023 | fish oil: three days of feeling much betterI already feel so much better than I wanted to share this with the community because my last 3 days have been awesomeIn context ↗ | Mild | Omega-3 and fish oil |
| April 2024 | escitalopram plus propranolol: exercising again without relapseHowever, I've been able to exercise for 2-3 months now without relapse and this is the first time I've been able to do that.In context ↗ | Near normal | Escitalopram (Lexapro) |
| October 2024 | week of nicotine patches: 98% to 105%I feel like I was already healed and living a normal life, 98%, but I now I feel stronger than I have in years - 105%.In context ↗ | Recovered | Nicotine patches |
| 2025 | crashed hard after coming off escitalopramI felt great for another 6 months and then I crashed hardIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| April 2026 | back to intense exercise; further gains on thyroid T3/T4the fatigue ended up being related to my thyroid, and I ultimately improved much more with t3/t4 combination therapyIn context ↗ | Recovered |
Adverse events
- Famotidine (Pepcid)“it was causing my stomach to feel tight, and a metallic dry taste in my mouth” In context ↗ Side effects
- Tyrosine“when I tried adding l-tyrosine I suffered a flare in POTS type symptoms and thus discontinued.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Taurine“post-LC taurine seems to aggravate me” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Nitric-oxide boosters (beetroot, arginine, citrulline)“all 3 of these seemed to set me back” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)“actually made me feel worse, as it can give people stomach upset due to acidity” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Nicotine patches“nicotine seems to have made things worse for me” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Nicotine patches“But the next day, I felt like I had a sort of a flu, just tired, a bit of fog” In context ↗ Withdrawal problems
- Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen, Motrin)“aspirin and ibuprofen were counterproductive: they did help immediately, but then when they wore off, an even worse headache would come on” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“I had bad gas for a while.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“it was clear that additional time was required to achieve climax” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“When I was on lexapro, before I took nicotine, I had a lot of canker sores in my mouth.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“I gained weight after taking the ssri” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“there were times when my stomach felt in knots” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I had a really hard time with the booster also: a bad 48-96 hours.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Brain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsGut problemsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsLoss of smell or tasteMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulationVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
anytime I would push my heart rate to 120+, I would relapse and suffer terrible PEM for days or weeks
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I’ll still admit to some brain fog
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I bought a Polar H10 heart monitor and discovered that I had POTS
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
The scariest symptoms were chest tightness and heart palpitations
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
With LH I knew I had heat intolerance
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I still have dull headaches that feel like they could be thick blood
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I wouldn’t say I’ve solved restful sleep but I have it occasionally
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I've had intermittent fevers
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I continue to have weird muscle, ligament and joint tightness
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Possible rashes and hives.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
an acid reflux feeling for the first time in my life
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
smelling a little more normal (distorted since covid)
In context ↗ - Vision problems
I can tell mine has gotten worse, and also my eyes feel sore
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
getting new sensations back into parts of my feet I didn't realize I'd lost
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
had sort of a shortness of breath
In context ↗
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