Long COVID: improved to 75% of normal with CBT and diet, then viruses set them back
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2.5 years
- Last post
- Mar 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I've been sick with long covid for 3 years
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
Unfortunately I've had no choice but to stay working through this.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I've been through what I thought was recovery twice only to get reinfected and set back again.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I've had it since my first infection in April 2020
In context ↗
Read from 19 of their posts and comments; links to the 15 this page draws on
Summary
Long COVID began in April 2020 and Glacier 52381 kept working through five infections, each setting them back. After two and a half years of tests and specialists they stopped chasing doctors and focused on CBT, diet and supplements, adding slow physical therapy in 2024. They reported 80% recovery in late 2024 and 75% of normal by January 2026, before two viruses in February knocked them back to surviving each day.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- beta blocker · Helped
Other than being put on a beta blocker for tachycardia
In context ↗ - blood pressure medicine · Not said
I am now on 2 bp meds.
In context ↗ - PPI · Helped
I've had it since my first infection in April 2020 and can't go one day without a PPI.
In context ↗ - doxy · Helped
I've been on doxy several times since covid infection in 2020 and 2022. Both times I told Drs that it helped my long covid symptoms improve and was completely dismissed.
In context ↗ - nasal sprays and sinus rinsing · No change
Chronic sinus infections that do not respond to antibiotics, nasal sprays, sinus rinsing etc.
In context ↗ - prayer · Helped
Prayer and seeking God in request for comfort, healing and release from anxiety has helped me so much.
In context ↗ - cognitive behavioral therapy · Helped
most importantly weekly therapy sessions to release fear, anxiety, and depression from this illness and learn to move forward emotionally
In context ↗ - vagus nerve techniques · Helped
applied techniques to calm my vagus nerve
In context ↗ - breathing exercises · Helped
breathing exercises
In context ↗ - gut-healing diet · Helped
since following all of this over the last 6-8 months I have improved
In context ↗ - quercetin · Helped
take quercetin, bromelian and nettle supplements plus vitamin C
In context ↗ - liquid vitamin C · Helped
take liquid vitamin C, D and B12 for bioavailability
In context ↗ - unsweetened hydration packets or tablets · Helped
use unsweetened hydration packets or tablets daily
In context ↗ - green vibrance powder · Helped
a smoothie if frozen wild blueberries, tart cherries, green vibrance powder
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · Not said
I did take Paxlovid this time around. I'm hoping somehow it helps prevent reversing the progress I had made.
In context ↗ - physical therapy · Helped
I've been working with a physical therapist for about 2 months and it's been helping rebuild my stamina and strength.
In context ↗ - NAC · Helped
amino acids, NAC, quercetin, B vitamins, C and D, hydration, sunlight first thing in the AM
In context ↗ - EMDR · Not said
I'm now doing DBT and EMDR to continue to work on my mental health
In context ↗ - brain retraining · Helped
I definitely am a believer in brain retraining and therapy as a powerful modality for healing.
In context ↗ - Magnesium · Helped
Supplements like Magnesium, Apigenin, and L-theanine to keep the nervous system calm.
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · POTS medication · Alternative therapies · Amino acids and carnitine · Antibiotics · Brain retraining · Diet · Mind-body practices · Physiotherapy and rehab · Supplements · Vagus nerve stimulation
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2020 | first COVID infection; long COVID begins, keeps workingI've had it since my first infection in April 2020In context ↗ | Mild | |
| January 2022 | second COVID infection; severe chronic sinus infectionsThe sinus issues since my second infection in January 22 have been severe.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023 | stopped chasing doctors; CBT, gut-health diet and supplementssince following all of this over the last 6-8 months I have improvedIn context ↗ | Mild | CBT and psychotherapy |
| June 2024 | started very slow physical therapy reconditioning three times a weekI recently started working with a physical therapist ... I feel like it's helping me with fatigue.In context ↗ | Mild | Physical therapy / physiotherapy |
| November 2024 | reported 80% or more recovered and getting stronger each dayI'm happy to say that I feel that I'm now 80% or more recovered!!In context ↗ | Mild | CBT and psychotherapy |
| March 2026 | two viruses at once in late February; back to surviving each day while still workingI had 2 viruses at once in late February and now I'm back to surviving each day and hoping for recovery.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Physical therapy / physiotherapy“Every session has been hard and in the beginning I struggled big time with PEM” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
in the beginning I struggled big time with PEM which made me not want to continue
In context ↗ - Brain fog
dizziness, fatigue, brain fog and breathing pattern dysfunction are all at their worst in the morning
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
horrible headaches in the back of the head, dizziness, fatigue, brain fog and breathing pattern dysfunction are all at their worst in the morning
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
horrible headaches in the back of the head
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Other than being put on a beta blocker for tachycardia and old pressure medicine for hypertension due to covid
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I've had it since my first infection in April 2020 and can't go one day without a PPI
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
It's given me anxiety and depression.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
breathing pattern dysfunction are all at their worst in the morning
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
I went from having difficulty standing for periods of time to doing squats with 30lb weights.
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I've never felt a sore throat like that in my life
In context ↗
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