Long COVID with brain fog and breathlessness, much better after pacing
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 5 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
2+ years and counting with LC
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I was "functional" enough to sit at work but every moment outside of it was just laying down.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
Not fully but i have come a long way in 4 years
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Two years ago today I tested positive.
Read from 70 of their posts and comments; links to the 23 this page draws on
Summary
He fell ill with COVID in March 2021, aged 24, and for six months could sit at his desk job but lay down otherwise, with brain fog, breathlessness, aches and anxiety. Over five years he improved gradually, crediting pacing, breathing exercises, vitamins, hydration salts and cutting back exercise; he was not sure whether antihistamines helped. By 2026 he felt mostly back to normal, though still not fully recovered; overdoing exercise caused crashes.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- anti inflammatory pain meds · Not said
they sent me home with anti inflammatory pain meds
In context ↗ - time · Helped
Just time really, the only reliable cure it seems.
In context ↗ - antihistamines · Helped
started antihistamines ... Anti histamine helps a bit with that
- vitamin D · Helped
Vitamins made a small difference
In context ↗ - vitamin C · Helped
Have you tried any allergy medicine or vitamin c? I found this helps with inflammation
In context ↗ - weight training and cardio at the gym · Helped
the benefits are great, plus you get off the bed
In context ↗ - clean diet · Helped
clean diet , allergy medicine has helped a bit
In context ↗ - meditation and breathing exercises · Helped
What I think helped more than I ever thought was meditation, actively calming your mind and body to reduce stress and inflammation.
In context ↗ - extra sleep · Helped
im so glad i started mitigating my symptoms by slowly introducing eccersize back, eating better and trying to get extra sleep
In context ↗ - therapy · Helped
Wish i went to therapy sooner, esp year 1 and 2.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped a lot
I've found my biggest success was actually cutting back excersize, I kept trying to get back to my old level but found it was pushing my recovery back farther.
In context ↗ - lemons · Helped
I think theres some positive effects which, at best improve my thinking and inflammation
In context ↗ - medical marijuana · Worse
for me it just added to brain fog, but it could relax you or relieve some pain
In context ↗ - nuun hydration tablets / electrolytes · Helped a lot
My dad gave me some of those nuun hydration tablets. Its actually relieving a lot of my symptoms like brain fog and fatigue, inflammation too.
In context ↗
Approaches: Diet · Exercise and activity · Mind-body practices · Pacing · Radical rest · 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 | After |
|---|---|---|
| March 2021 | COVID infection, powered through a new desk jobI got sick march of 2021, cant even describe how awful it wasIn context ↗ | |
| 2021, first six months | brutal first months, lying down whenever not at workthe first 6 months were brutal, I was "functional" enough to sit at work but every moment outside of it was just laying downIn context ↗ | |
| about 1.5 years in, late 2022 | made it back to the gymAround 1.5 years I made it back to the gym and haven't looked back.In context ↗ | Everyday exercise and activity |
| March 2023 | first day feeling 100%; working, exercising and going out at weekendsI'm able to work and excersize, even go out on the weekends.In context ↗ | Time and spontaneous remission |
| June 2023 | first 8-mile mountain bike ride since getting sickI did an 8 mile mtn bike trail for the first time since getting sick.In context ↗ | Everyday exercise and activity |
| 2024-2025 | crashed from pushing weightlifting, running and soccerI kept trying to get back to my old level but found it was pushing my recovery back farther.In context ↗ | |
| July 2025 | hydration salts relieved brain fog, fatigue and inflammationIts actually relieving a lot of my symptoms like brain fog and fatigue, inflammation too.In context ↗ | Salt, electrolytes and fluids |
| 2026 | mostly back to normal, pacing exerciseThankfully, im mostly back to normal.In context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Cannabis (THC, marijuana)“Worth trying, for me it just added to brain fog” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I feel much better when I dont crash and get PEM post exertional malaise.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
Bad brain fog, bad fatigue.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
The big ones were fatigue, breathlessness, and inflammation of everything
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
My main ones were aches and inflammation.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
This helped me with the inflamation and headaches
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Long covid most certainly gave me terrible anxiety and stress. Thankfully, im mostly back to normal.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
I used to have like really labored beats that were loud so it felt like I was dying
In context ↗
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