Long COVID
Mild → somewhat betterIll 5 years before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID: barely able to walk to toilet, now partly better with supplements and rest
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 5 years
- Last post
- Jan 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I am now 5 years into this long COVID
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I have to work, so I need all my energy to seem normal to my coworkers, not drag the team down, and possibly not be fired.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I feel like I am getting better, but so slowly, it doesn't seem to matter.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Contracted Covid-19 - March 2020
Read from 15 of their posts and comments; links to the 12 this page draws on
Summary
A woman of 52 when COVID-19 hit in March 2020, she was so ill she could barely walk to the toilet or keep food down. She returned to work from home in June 2020 but has remained ill five years on, with fatigue, muscle pain, migraines, insomnia, breathlessness and vision problems. Magnesium, iron, B12, vitamin D and other supplements, rest and later nortriptyline, Lyrica and Cymbalta give partial relief; she still works.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
Also tried
steroids· HelpedMagnesium· Helpedespresso coffee· HelpedL-Tryptosine· HelpedLiquid Valarian· HelpedHempZZZ· HelpedSingulair (montelukast)· Helpedmelatonin· Helpedwater· HelpedIonised magnesium oil· HelpedCBD and THC· Helpedpear juice· HelpedBroad-spectrum daily probiotics· HelpedB12 liquid· HelpedGinseng· HelpedCold Compress· Helpediron· Helpedoil of oregano· Helpedvitamin A, C and E· Helpedvitamin D· Helpednortriptyline· HelpedLyrica· HelpedCymbalta· Helpeddaily stationary cycling· Worsealcohol· Worsealbuterol in a nebuliser form· Not saidantibiotics, z-pack· Not saidClaritin· Not saidNyquil· Not saidThera-Flu· Not saidE-mergency· Not saidacetaminophen· Not saidpulse oximeter· Not saida flonase type of nasal spray· Not saidaspirin· Not saidrest and naps· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- albuterol in a nebuliser form · Not said
my doctor prescribed albuterol in a nebuliser form
In context ↗ - antibiotics, z-pack · Not said
my doctor prescribed albuterol in a nebuliser form, antibiotics, steroids, z-pack
In context ↗ - steroids · Helped
I originally got prescribed a steroid which cleared up the very vicious coughing
In context ↗ - Claritin · Not said
I used lots of Claritin, Nyquil and Thera-Flu
In context ↗ - E-mergency · Not said
Boxes and boxes of E-mergency, finished half a Kirkland sized tub of acetaminophen
In context ↗ - acetaminophen · Not said
acetaminophen for the pain, aspirin 1 a day
In context ↗ - Magnesium · Helped
Magnesium and espresso coffee for my migraines
In context ↗ - espresso coffee · Helped
Caffeine: I make a good strong espresso each morning which I drink before my water.
In context ↗ - L-Tryptosine · Helped
Magnesium, L-Tryptosine, Liquid Valarian, HempZZZ, the generic form of singular (nightly), melatonin at high doses (9–12mg) for the insomnia
In context ↗ - Liquid Valarian · Helped
L-Tryptosine, Liquid Valarian, HempZZZ, the generic form of singular (nightly)
In context ↗ - HempZZZ · Helped
Liquid Valarian, HempZZZ, the generic form of singular (nightly)
In context ↗ - Singulair (montelukast) · Helped
Now I have a proair inhaler, Singulair (montelukast), nightly.
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
melatonin at high doses (9–12mg) for the insomnia
In context ↗ - water · Helped
Lots of water during the day on an hourly basis
In context ↗ - Ionised magnesium oil · Helped
Ionised magnesium oil to rub on my body for pain
In context ↗ - CBD and THC · Helped
CBD and THC for pain - get a medical marijuana card if available where you are.
In context ↗ - pear juice · Helped
Lots of pear juice as citrus seems to make the coughing and to breathe worse
In context ↗ - Broad-spectrum daily probiotics · Helped
Broad-spectrum daily probiotics
In context ↗ - pulse oximeter · Not said
I walk around with a pulse oximeter to monitor my heart
In context ↗ - a flonase type of nasal spray · Not said
I have two types of inhalers and a flonase type of nasal spray.
In context ↗ - B12 liquid · Helped
B12 liquid for energy from the fatigue
In context ↗ - Ginseng · Helped
Ginseng for energy from the fatigue
In context ↗ - Cold Compress · Helped
Cold Compress: wrap your head in cool/cold/frozen packs
In context ↗ - daily stationary cycling · Worse
I tried daily stationary cycling, but I don’t have the energy.
In context ↗ - iron · Helped
Increasing my iron, Vit-D and B12
In context ↗ - oil of oregano · Helped
oil of oregano - 200mg/2xday
In context ↗ - vitamin A, C and E · Helped
high doses of vitamin A - 1500mcg/day, C - 5000+/ 2xday, D - 5000IU/day, and E 400 IU/day
In context ↗ - alcohol · Worse
Yeah, I tried too. Not a good idea. I was down and out for a few days, worse than I usually feel.
In context ↗ - rest and naps · Not said
rest and recover and naps everyday
In context ↗ - nortriptyline · Helped
I have even tried nortriptyline early in the illness and vomited every time I took it.
In context ↗ - Lyrica · Helped
Now it is part of managing my pain along with Lyrica, Singulair, Cymbalta, and 1/2 a dozen other meds.
In context ↗
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 |
|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID-19 onset, thought to be bronchitisI could barely walk to the toilet or keep any sustenance in my body.In context ↗ |
| mid-June 2020 | back to work from home, napping every few hourswas able to sit in front of a computer and go back to work in mid-June 2020In context ↗ |
| March 2022 | felt she was slowly getting betterI feel like I am getting better, but so slowly, it doesn't seem to matter.In context ↗ |
| March 2022 | crashed three days after a two-day work offsiteI could barely get up on Saturday and Sunday.In context ↗ |
| January 2026 | five years into long COVID, still managing with many medicationsI am now 5 years into this long COVID, and the number of trials of drugs I have been through is significant.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor)“I have even tried nortriptyline early in the illness and vomited every time I took it.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsGut problemsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulationTinnitusVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I pay dearly 48hrs after I do grocery shopping or clean the house.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
difficulty concentrating for long periods of time on any one thing—no focus
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Balance issues, I would just lose my balance with no preamble
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
The inability to sleep at all. I catch two to three hours a night
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
muscle pain in the big muscle groups so that I can't walk or move properly
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
Migraines and headaches of varying degrees
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Nausea, slightly less now with no vomiting
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
shortness of breath still—on exertion
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Sudden heart palpitations when moving from a position of rest to motion
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Tingling and numbness in shoulder to fingers
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Stress / anxiety related fatigue
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I had fevers coughing and sneezing, wheezing when breathing
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
sometimes diabolical combinations, like migraines and tinnitus
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I'm cold all the time
In context ↗ - Vision problems
Eyesight problems—I now have several different glasses I use during the day and I still can't see properly
In context ↗