Long COVID
Moderate → relapsedIll 4 years before improving or writing
Long COVID with facial atrophy and nerve pain, much better with swimming then relapsed
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
im relatively new to this group but not to long covid, diagnosed 3 years ago but have been ill for 4
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I can’t do anything normally anymore without it causing more damage. Eating, sleeping, showering, talking, walking, exercising all have become terrifying
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I’m no waaaay near recovered and relapsed this year badly after getting covid again
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
didn’t really go completely downhill with Lyme symptoms too till after I had covid / developed severe long covid
In context ↗
Read from 15 of their posts and comments; links to the 10 this page draws on
Summary
A woman in the UK fell ill with long COVID in 2022 and developed severe facial atrophy, nerve pain, drooping and MCAS, which she blamed on COVID and on steroids and antibiotics she was given. She felt much better by late 2025 with swimming, walking, sun, a restricted diet, antihistamines and azithromycin, then lost the gains after a winter downturn, doxycycline and a COVID reinfection. She was still far from recovered.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
microdosing· Helped · wore offswimming and walking· Helpedintermittent fasting· Helpeddoxycycline· Worseantivirals· Worsecalcium· Worsevitamin d supplement· Worseb12· WorseCiticoline· Worsecholine· Worseweed· Worsesteroid nasal spray· Much worsemetronidazole· Much worsediazepam· Much worse
Their words about each treatment
- steroid nasal spray · Much worse
I used a steroid nasal spray 4 years ago for a short time that triggered alot of atrophy in my face
In context ↗ - metronidazole · Much worse
Just don’t take metronidazole if you haven’t before.. it destroyed me and many others.
In context ↗ - doxycycline · Worse
until this recent downturn after taking doxycycline I found that I had been improving!
In context ↗ - azithromycin · Helped
Azithromycin helped me too at times
In context ↗ - antivirals · Worse
These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!
In context ↗ - choline · Worse
I tried that abd literally it dissolved my muscles MORE.
In context ↗ - diazepam · Much worse
I can say that it 100% messed me up more
In context ↗ - microdosing · Helped
I tried microdosing the last couple of years too which was quite helpful but now triggers my nerves too much.
In context ↗ - zyrtec · Helped
Antihistamines help I take zyrtec.
In context ↗ - sensible sun bathing · Helped
sensible sun bathing and avoiding life stress
In context ↗ - swimming and walking · Helped
I focused on a lot of swimming, walking (no stressful exercise)
In context ↗ - diet free of anything I react to · Helped
free of anything I react to which is alot! Very little sugar. No gluten. No dairy. No booze.
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · Helped
I also do intermittent fasting which helps my mood strangely.
In context ↗ - weed · Worse
no weed (loved it at the beginning but then just made me worse after a while)
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · Antibiotics · Diet · Supplements
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 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | developed long COVID with facial atrophy and nerve damagedidn’t really go completely downhill with Lyme symptoms too till after I had covid / developed severe long covidIn context ↗ |
| late 2025 | felt much better end of last yearI felt sooooo much better the end of last yearIn context ↗ |
| February 2026 | winter downturn and medication side effects, back to square oneonly a couple of months ago I thought I was on the mend but no such luck for me!In context ↗ |
| March 2026 | facial wasting worsened after topical antibiotic and doxycyclineEver since then ny face skin and muscles have been wasting away on a daily basisIn context ↗ |
| 20 March 2026 | a little better on low-dose azithromycintaking a low dose of Azithromycin now actually and am feeling a little better the last couple of daysIn context ↗ |
| June 2026 | relapsed badly after COVID reinfectionI’m no waaaay near recovered and relapsed this year badly after getting covid againIn context ↗ |
| September 2026 | still having facial drooping, volume loss and MCAS reactionsive had this for 9 months now and it is triggered by so many things, food, medicine, heat, stress etc.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Steroid nasal sprays (unspecified)“I used a steroid nasal spray 4 years ago for a short time that triggered alot of atrophy in my face” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Metronidazole (Flagyl)“Just don’t take metronidazole if you haven’t before.. it destroyed me and many others.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Metronidazole (Flagyl)“The antibiotic metronidazole pushed my into a drug induced psychosis wheh I was first ill with LC” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- “This recent worsening of my symptoms started after using a topical antibiotic / steroid once on my face for 20 minutes” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Doxycycline (Vibramycin)“Ever since then ny face skin and muscles have been wasting away on a daily basis and the nerve damage along side it.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin D and sun exposure“These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin B12“These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Calcium“These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Citicoline (CDP-choline)“These include antivirals, calcium, vitamin d , b12, Citicoline. All triggered more wasting etc in muscles and nerve damage!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Choline“I tried that abd literally it dissolved my muscles MORE.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Doxycycline (Vibramycin)“Well until this recent downturn after taking doxycycline I found that I had been improving!” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “I tried microdosing the last couple of years too which was quite helpful but now triggers my nerves too much.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Diazepam (Valium)“I was given it for ‘anxiety’ and insomnia after developing LC but all it did was mess up my brain and sleep MORE!” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Diazepam (Valium)“when I took it it messed with my thinking that I ended up hallucinating and in a crisis state” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogHair lossMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
i developed MCAS reactions after covid
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
I’m left with lingering muscle weakness and then volume loss in the face
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I have been left with lasting facial nerve damage, facial pain and pressure
In context ↗ - Hair loss
MCAS, fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, muscle wasting
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I have such pain in my face that I can’t sleep properly either
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I’ve now developed PTSD from being ill
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Very severe bedbound ME/CFS, now somewhat better after antibiotics and nortriptyline
They had mild ME/CFS with post-exertional crashes until COVID in May 2022 made it severe; they became bedbound and, at worst, very severe and unable to talk or do basic maths. Antibiotics for a chronic bacterial respiratory infection around month seven…
-
Bedbound at worst with ME/CFS after COVID, now somewhat better with pacing
A person in New Zealand became ill with COVID around mid-2022. They worsened for 14 months to severe and bedbound, and are not working. Pacing, an electric wheelchair, mast-cell and arthritis drugs, and vitamin D later brought them to mild (moderate side of…
-
Long COVID with years of fatigue and brain fog, now much better after nicotine patches
Petrel 84910 caught COVID in December 2019 and had cyclical fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness, tinnitus and anxiety for years, episodes becoming more frequent with a ten-week crash in early 2025. Nicotine patches, LDN, cetirizine and electrolyte drinks…
-
Partly bedbound with long COVID, now much better after low-histamine diet and supplements
Long COVID began in December 2023 after a mild infection, with constant depersonalisation, panic attacks, insomnia and breathlessness; at worst suicidal; partly bedbound from PEM. A strict low-histamine diet, cold showers, breathing work, yoga nidra and…