Long COVID limb pain and numbness, somewhat better with pregabalin and activity tolerance
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 1 year
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’ve had long covid for a year now
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
if I do any activity I have intense pain flares afterwards which means I can’t do the things I love
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I found pregabalin helped with this pain although it hasn’t gone away it’s 50% reduced when I’m on medication
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
original infection 11 months ago
Read from 11 of their posts and comments; links to the 6 this page draws on
Summary
A person who developed long COVID around May 2025 had constant deep limb pain and numbness that flared after any activity. Pregabalin, started in November 2025 and pushed to near the maximum dose, roughly halved the pain, and gradually building activity tolerance helped too. From 11 months they reported gradual improvement in pain and activity tolerance, though the pain remained and they were unsure it was true recovery.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- pregabalin · Helped
I found pregabalin helped with this pain although it hasn’t gone away it’s 50% reduced when I’m on medication.
In context ↗ - radical rest · Worse
I tried radical rest and this actually lowered my activity tolerance over time.
In context ↗ - gradually increasing activity · Helped
Only thing was taking pregabalin and gradually building activity tolerance.
In context ↗
Approaches: Other drugs and medicines · Physiotherapy and rehab
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 |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | COVID infection followed by long covid symptomsI’ve had symptoms for 10 months original infection 11 months agoIn context ↗ | Mild |
| January 2026 | slight worsening of symptoms at 8 monthsmy symptoms were bad but stable with a slight worsening at 8 monthsIn context ↗ | Mild |
| April 2026 | gradual improvement in pain and activity toleranceThen at 11 months I noticed a gradual but noticeable improvement in my pain levels and activity toleranceIn context ↗ | Mild |
| 2026-09-21 | pain about half reduced on pregabalin and higher activity toleranceit’s 50% reduced when I’m on medication. I found the pain would flare after minimal activity since starting med I’ve been able to build a higher tolerance to activityIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Radical rest“I tried radical rest and this actually lowered my activity tolerance over time.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Pain & fibromyalgia
Constant deep aching in limbs.
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
my main symptoms are pain, numbness and system wide physical fatigue that does worsen with activity
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
if I do any activity I have intense pain flares afterwards
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Housebound and severe with ME/CFS, now much better with higher medicine doses and pacing
After COVID-19 the user developed ME/CFS with a strong autonomic component and was housebound and rated severe. Raising doses of medicines already taken for migraine, fibromyalgia, POTS and ADHD, plus pacing and seated physiotherapy, brought them to moderate…
-
Long COVID brain fog, improved then relapsed to mostly housebound; CGRP inhibitors
Tide 43943 developed long COVID after a first COVID infection, with chronic migraine, brain fog and fatigue. Pacing, a gradual return to activity and CGRP inhibitors brought them to about 90% at 18 months. A second COVID caused a dramatic deterioration; they…
-
Bedridden with ME/CFS in constant pain, now recovered with pool exercise and pacing
Justin, a South African man, declined after an injury in 2008 at age 34 and was bedridden in permanent pain from late 2011. He credits water-based exercise in a heated rehab pool, started in 2014, along with pacing, keto, B vitamins and cannabis oil. A…
-
Barely able to stand or walk with long COVID, now much better on antihistamines and LDN
Long COVID began in March 2020; Sparrow 57005 could barely stand or walk and lay down most of the day, though they kept working remotely. Antihistamines and low-dose naltrexone, later pregabalin and nortriptyline, made them semi-functional: they could manage…