Long COVID
Severe → recoveredIll 1 year before improving or writing
Long COVID chest pain, palpitations, twitching and PEM, now recovered after time
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 1 year
- Last post
- Nov 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
my long covid lasted a year
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I was bedridden for a month, housebound for many.
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
About 12 months. Been gone for 2 years now completely
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got covid 1st week of January.
Read from 516 of their posts and comments; links to the 55 this page draws on
- Nov 2023
- Mar 2024
- Jan 2025
- May 2022
- Dec 2023
- Jun 2022
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- Jun 2022
Summary
They caught COVID around January 2022 and had chest pain, palpitations, POTS-like symptoms, twitching, breathlessness and PEM. They tried beta blockers, aspirin, famotidine, dandelion root, salt, compression and a clean diet, but said only time helped. They improved from about four months, then relapsed around months 8–10; a reinfection also brought symptoms back. They later returned to lifting weights.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Baby aspirin· HelpedMucinex· HelpedCompression socks and garments· HelpedPepcid (famotidine)· HelpedDandelion root (pills and tea)· HelpedWellbutrin· HelpedWhole-food, low-sugar diet· HelpedWhole-food, low-sugar diet· HelpedFasting· HelpedIvermectin (for rosacea)· HelpedXylitol· HelpedMetamucil (fiber drink)· HelpedHeat pad· HelpedFinasteride· HelpedTanning beds / sun beds· HelpedIncreased salt and water· HelpedOxandrolone (Anavar)· HelpedSemaglutide (Ozempic)· HelpedCialis· HelpedBeta blockers (atenolol)· No changeSaunas· No changePPIs (anti-acid treatment)· No changeB12 injections· No changeBotox· No changeTestosterone replacement therapy (TRT)· No changeCOVID vaccine· No changeZyrtec (allergy meds)· WorseMelatonin· WorseExercise (gym, weightlifting)· WorseViagra· Not saidIvabradine· Not saidZinc, vitamin C and other usual supplements· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Zyrtec (allergy meds) · Worse
Yeah sorry antihistamines, made me feel worse. Tried different types.
In context ↗ - Beta blockers (atenolol) · No change
Beta blockers did not help in my case.
In context ↗ - Baby aspirin · Helped
Odd I always felt that my daily aspirin helped me get by
In context ↗ - Mucinex · Helped
I've taken mucinex many times haha stuff works great
In context ↗ - Viagra · Not said
my cardio actually gave me viagra to try. But seemed to make my chest worse, so I stopped.
In context ↗ - Compression socks and garments · Helped
Compression socks made a huge difference honestly.
In context ↗ - Pepcid (famotidine) · Helped
Famotodine and dandelion root worked great for my stomach issues I think.
In context ↗ - Dandelion root (pills and tea) · Helped
I use to drink it all the time to reduce bloating after working out. But it seems to make my gi system work better
In context ↗ - Wellbutrin · Helped
It helped my mood but symptoms persist.
In context ↗ - Whole-food, low-sugar diet · Helped
Yes I think diet kept me from going over edge.
In context ↗ - Fasting · Helped
I do notice that fasting improves my symptoms. But after a 20lb weight loss, I can't keep that up.
In context ↗ - Ivermectin (for rosacea) · Helped
And for us with rosacea it really helps.
In context ↗ - Saunas · No change
Tried the usual stuff, pills, hydration, saunas, therapies, etc. Never really found anything that worked.
In context ↗ - Xylitol · Helped
Xylitol. Fixed my mouth recently and years ago.
In context ↗ - Metamucil (fiber drink) · Helped
I do the fiber drink. Metamucil. Works
In context ↗ - PPIs (anti-acid treatment) · No change
I was even given strong anti acid treatments with no change, other than giving me bad constipation.
In context ↗ - Melatonin · Worse
Melatonin gives me pvcs. Prior to covid it did and during lh.
In context ↗ - B12 injections · No change
I tried the b12 approach. Injections. Dozens of blood tests. Etc. Nada.
In context ↗ - Heat pad · Helped
I noticed that a heat pad helped to calm them down.
In context ↗ - Botox · No change
I had botox during and after long covid. No difference
In context ↗ - Ivabradine · Not said
Currently Ivabradine has been phenomenal with this versus beta blockers.
In context ↗ - Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) · No change
I was on trt for years before covid infection and still am.
In context ↗ - Finasteride · Helped
I'm on finasteride, and it works great. There were no sides for me, and it retained my hair and then some.
In context ↗ - Tanning beds / sun beds · Helped
I did tanning beds when I had long covid. Don't know if it made a difference other then improving my mood for a bit.
In context ↗ - Increased salt and water · Helped
I increased my salt tremendously along with water. That seems to help.
In context ↗ - Exercise (gym, weightlifting) · Worse
Tried the gym for two weeks, and made it worse.
In context ↗ - Rest · Helped
I was fortunate enough that after resting for 7 months, I could begin a recovery.
In context ↗ - Oxandrolone (Anavar) · Helped
Ended up taking oxandrolone aka anavar (in the bodybuilding world). Oxandrolone is used to spare muscle in burn victims and people with other conditions.
In context ↗ - Semaglutide (Ozempic) · Helped
I started glp but was already over long covid. But let me tell you even at my low dose I feel great. Less painful joints and my vision got better some how.
In context ↗ - Zinc, vitamin C and other usual supplements · Not said
I didn't use many supplements, except some usual ones like zinc, vitamin c, etc.
In context ↗ - Cialis · Helped
Cialis + viagra fixed that for me instantly lol
In context ↗ - Time · Helped a lot
It's seems time was truly the reason.
In context ↗ - COVID vaccine · No change
I took the vaccine, didn't help.
In context ↗
Approaches: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | COVID-19 infection, mild acute illness followed by long COVIDInitial symptoms lasted about 5 days. Thought I was in clear. Couple days later symptoms came roaring in.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| February 2022 | bedridden for a monthI was bedridden for a month, housebound for many.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| June 2022 | back in the gym as most symptoms resolvedI'm now back in gym and working out again, started slow but I'm back to lifting weights without issues as of 4 weeks now.In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| November 2022 | chest pain and palpitations returned after months of resolutionWell a few months later, 10 months after covid, my chest pain and palpitations are back.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| April 2023 | symptom freeYes I've been symptom free since 2023 april or so.In context ↗ | Recovered | Time and spontaneous remission |
| August 2023 | relapse after stress and going back to the gymSudden life changes and stress mixed with going back to gym, and boom somehow I fell back into chest pains, palpitations, etc.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| November 2025 | long since fully recovered and back to bodybuildingAbout 12 months. Been gone for 2 years now completelyIn context ↗ | Recovered |
Adverse events
- Atenolol (Tenormin)“They make me a little sleepy, but over time I adjusted.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Testosterone“The trt rebound is horrible, it kicks in a couple months later. The withdrawal is brutal.” In context ↗ Withdrawal problems
- “I was even given strong anti acid treatments with no change, other than giving me bad constipation.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“I tried the whole allergy med thing for about 3 weeks, made things worse for me so dropped it.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Melatonin“Melatonin gives me pvcs. Prior to covid it did and during lh.” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- Sildenafil (Viagra)“But seemed to make my chest worse, so I stopped.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “Increase in agitation, some hair loss, but grew back. Cramps” In context ↗ Side effects
- Ivabradine“Sadly I felt worse on it, more sob etc.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessGut problemsHair lossHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulationTinnitusVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
PEM - resolved after 4 months
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I had brain fog but lasted a few months.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Blood pressure and tachycardia - no more dizziness when standing or sudden rises of heartbeat after 4 months.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Somehow my histamine intolerance is just gone.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Insomnia - resolved after 1 month.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I had leg pain for 7 months and it went away.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
Headaches gone after 2 months.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
GI issues mostly gone.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
SOB - resolved after 3 months
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Palpitations - still ongoing, but much less pronounced after 4 months
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
Weakness in leg and arm - resolved after 2 months
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Muscle twitching - I consider it resolved. Went from twitching hourly to an occasional twitch burst once a week or so.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Long covid also did a number on my mental health, as I was confused and worried.
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
I've had pulsatile tinnitus and everything came back clean.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I got cold extremities for 2 months and it went away.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
Though I healed from long covid some things remained like eye floaters.
In context ↗ - Hair loss
My hair shed around month 3. And grew back month 5 or so.
In context ↗
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