Long COVID breathlessness and heart rate spikes, nearly back to normal with a beta blocker
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Not stated
- Ill before improving or writing
- 7 months
- Last post
- Jan 2021
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’m an MD student currently going through long-hauler stuff
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I’m on a low dose beta blocker and inhaled steroid for the asthma type stuff that covid gave me. Those have improved my life so much it feels like things are almost normal again.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
First had covid symptoms in late June and the symptoms subsided after 2 weeks but came back.
In context ↗
Read from 11 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Meadow 89030, a 22-year-old medical student, caught COVID in late June 2020. A month later breathlessness, exercise intolerance and heart rate and blood pressure spikes hit and worsened; at their worst they contemplated suicide. A low-dose beta blocker stabilised their heart rate and blood pressure, plus an inhaled corticosteroid for asthma-like lung symptoms. By January 2021 they were much better but not 100%, exercising again.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- metoprolol (beta blocker) · Helped
A low dose beta blocker realllyy helped
In context ↗ - inhaled corticosteroid · Helped
I have been on a beta blocker and inhaled corticosteroid for asthma (basically cause by the virus). Both have really helped.
In context ↗ - resting · Helped
Definitely resting I think.. but I have been in a unique situation where I am mainly at home as a student.
In context ↗
Approaches: Beta-blockers · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| late June 2020 | COVID-19 infectionFirst had covid symptoms in late June and the symptoms subsided after 2 weeks but came back.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| summer 2020 | symptoms hit all at once and worsenedBasically after my initial infection I was almost fine for a month.. then everything hit at once. From there it felt like I was getting worse and worseIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2020-09-14 | improvement followed by falling back to square 1long periods of feeling like I’m improving only to eventually fall back down to square 1In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2020-11-09 | heart rate and blood pressure controlled, breathlessness remained the worst symptomYes right now I’m on a beta blocker and it had seemed to really help my HR symptoms. The shortness of breath on exertion is really my worst symptom now.In context ↗ | Mild | Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) |
| 2021-01-14 | much better, exercising again but not 100%Im doing a lot better. SOB has gotten much better and my HR and BP have stabilized on a beta blocker.In context ↗ | Near normal | Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Anxiety & low mood
In the worst of my symptoms months ago, there were days where I truly contemplated ending my life.
In context ↗
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