Long COVID
Moderate → much betterIll 5 years before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Severe long COVID at 30% activity, now exercising again after naltrexone and pacing
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 5 years
- Last post
- Dec 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I (otherwise healthy 35m) got Covid July 2020, got better for a bit then extremely severe long Covid starting November 2020.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
At my worst I was maybe at 30% of my total life functionality, I'm at maybe 50% now.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
working out for about 35 minutes at about 50%/+ the intensity I did pre-COVID - and not only doing it, but not feeling horrible after.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got it at the end of June 2020, had the worst headache of my life
In context ↗
Read from 41 of their posts and comments; links to the 24 this page draws on
Summary
Badger 10938 caught COVID in July 2020 and developed severe long COVID that November, leaving him at about 30% of previous activity with headaches, brain fog, nausea and mood swings. A January 2022 reinfection reset him to his lowest; a third infection in 2024 did not worsen symptoms. Intermittent Paxlovid gave steep but fading gains; by late 2025 low-dose naltrexone, a low-FODMAP diet, pacing and time had him exercising again, until a pneumococcal vaccine triggered a bad flare.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
cold plunge· HelpedWim Hof breathing· Helpedcaffeine (coffee)· HelpedSSRI (first zoloft, now welbutrin)· HelpedSSRI (first zoloft, now welbutrin)· Helpedintermittent fasting· Helpedfiber drink and green juice routine· Helpedtherapy session (grief / mock funeral suggestion)· No change3 months of no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol· No change3 months of no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol· No change3 months of no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol· No changefluvoxamine· Worsevyvanse· Worsemigraine medicine· Worseworking out 4 days a week· Not saidTylenol· Not saidmetformin· Not saiddigestive enzymes· Not saidCOVID vaccination as treatment· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- working out 4 days a week · Not said
Started working out 4 days a week, getting better ... Then I crashed hard at end of October 2020
In context ↗ - cold plunge · Helped
I have a lot of success with cold plunge.
In context ↗ - Wim Hof breathing · Helped
One thing that helps is the wim hof
In context ↗ - Tylenol · Not said
Similar or better to Tylenol and caffeine (and no downsides or side effects)
In context ↗ - caffeine (coffee) · Helped
the coffee helps me wake up from it and get back to work
In context ↗ - therapy session (grief / mock funeral suggestion) · No change
She suggested a mock funeral ... Anyway it didn't help me
In context ↗ - SSRI (first zoloft, now welbutrin) · Helped
the SSRI (first zoloft, now welbutrin - less side effects for me personally) somewhat calmed the most extreme ups and downs
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · Helped a lot
my LC symptoms are SIGNIFICANTLY improved -the steepest improvement I've ever had
In context ↗ - metformin · Not said
Took Paxlovid and metofrmin 5 days
In context ↗ - fluvoxamine · Worse
a very serious psychoactive drug and made me feel absolutely insane. I discontinued it
In context ↗ - 3 months of no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol · No change
It didn't help more than heavy limitation of alcohol and sugar, and once daily caffeine.
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · Helped
I did intermittent fasting down to a close to ideal weight ... and I felt better during, although it was emotionally miserable
In context ↗ - fiber drink and green juice routine · Helped
It definitely helps.
In context ↗ - vyvanse · Worse
like vyvanse, or migraine medicine, etc etc - they let me do more, but then I have to pay the piper and can be worse after
In context ↗ - digestive enzymes · Not said
I take digestive enzymes for something like pizza
In context ↗ - Low Dose Naltrexone · Helped
I don't know if it's the Low Dose Naltrexone I started about 5 months ago, or a low FODMAP diet same time, or time and pacing better, or all three
In context ↗ - low FODMAP diet · Helped
or a low FODMAP diet same time, or time and pacing better, or all three
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
Pacing is key to chronic fatigue.
In context ↗ - time and rest · Helped
the only thing I know for sure that is helpful for me istime and rest
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination as treatment · Not said
I know I didn't (other than a 1-2 day flu like)
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals · Diet · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2020 | COVID-19 infection with the worst headache of his life, then a slow mono-like recoveryI got it at the end of June 2020, had the worst headache of my lifeIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| November 2020 | crashed into severe long COVID after extra exercisethen from extra exercise or just inevitability, severe Long Covid set in Nov 1, 2020In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2021 | slow improvement over about a yeargot a little better over a year, significantly better (maybe 50% improvement, still greatly diminshed) until Jan 2022In context ↗ | Moderate | Time and spontaneous remission |
| January 2022 | reinfection reset him to his lowest with new nausea and motion sicknessgot reinfected Jan 2022 and got totally reset to my lowest plus some new symptoms like motion, sickness and more nauseaIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2024 | slow recovery to about 30% of his old activity, still not enoughI feel like I'm maybe 60% recovered. But then when I think of how much I actually do in life, it's about 30% of what I did before.In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| July 2024 | third infection treated early with Paxlovid; near-normal for a few daysI felt almost normal, it was crazy. For maybe 5 days or so.In context ↗ | Mild | Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir |
| September 2025 | worked out two days in a row without crashingworking out for about 35 minutes at about 50%/+ the intensity I did pre-COVID - and not only doing it, but not feeling horrible afterIn context ↗ | Mild | Low-dose naltrexone |
| December 2025 | severe flare after Pneumovax 23 vaccineI’ve been extremely brain fogged and fatigued and bad headaches, back to close to as bad as I was after acute Covid.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I know I didn't (other than a 1-2 day flu like)” In context ↗ Side effects
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox)“it’s a very serious psychoactive drug and made me feel absolutely insane” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“I was resting a ton and extremely nauseated from the medicine” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Metformin“The paxlovid and metformin nausea was pretty awful” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“makes me nauseated during (although lessening effect over time) and a bad taste in my mouth. IBS and some next day.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“so angular chelitis flairs up, epstien bar virus count, any other chronic viruses you may have” In context ↗ Autoimmune or inflammatory flare
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“made me miserable while taking (bad taste, nausea, and other general malaise), and causing those other issues” In context ↗ Side effects
- Intermittent fasting“I felt better during, although it was emotionally miserable.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Cutting out sugar (low-sugar diet), Cutting out caffeine, Stopping alcohol“I tried 0 alcohol, 0 caffeine, clsoe to 0 refined sugar for months early on. ... It made me miserable.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Low-dose naltrexone“I ran out for a few days between refills and felt horrible, but I suspect that was because of acute withdrawal” In context ↗ Withdrawal problems
- “I’m about seven days into my pneumovax 23 vaccine and it’s been a nightmare ... I’ve been extremely brain fogged and fatigued and bad headaches, back to close to as bad as I was after acute Covid.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogGut problemsHeadaches & migrainePOTS & dysautonomiaPost-exertional malaise
Their words about their symptoms
- Headaches & migraine
migraine like headaches for hours if exertion not metered carefully
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
they let me do more, but then I have to pay the piper and can be worse after because they let me over exert
In context ↗ - Brain fog
new symptoms - a lot of nausea, brain fog, brain 'pain' with mental exertion, and same physical fatigue
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I have some kind of IBS / GI issues from LC
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
somewhat calmed the most extreme ups and downs of mood swings/depression
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
my symptoms up til then were mostly just fatigue, lightheadedness with exertion
In context ↗
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