Long COVID dizziness and insomnia; a month better after Pfizer, relapse, fluoxetine helped
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 8 months
- Last post
- Feb 2022
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I'm still struggling with long Covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I sat down in them as I didn't have the energy to stand
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
about a week after my second Pfizer vaccine I started feeling a lot better. Unfortunately it only lasted about a month before the long Covid started coming back
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I've only just recovered from Covid (positive test 4 weeks ago)
In context ↗
Read from 8 of their posts and comments; links to the 7 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user developed long COVID after a positive test in June 2021, with dizziness, aches and insomnia so bad they put frozen socks on before bed; they had severe sinus headaches during the infection. A first Pfizer dose made them feel terrible; a second brought a month of feeling better before long COVID returned. They credited fluoxetine 30 mg with feeling more positive, less anxious and slightly more energetic, though still struggling in February 2022.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- super strict healthy eating thing (no salt) · Worse
I assumed salt is bad so I eliminated it completely from my diet
In context ↗ - a pinch of salt in my water · Helped
I struggled so I ended up adding a pinch to my water
In context ↗ - cold (frozen socks at night, frozen veg on the head) · Helped
It's the only way to get any sleep ... I used frozen veg wrapped in a couple of pillow cases
- painkillers · No change
I had really bad sinus headache too and no painkillers seemed to help
In context ↗ - chewing gum · Helped
Also chewing gum helped relieve some sinus pressure and also helped with feeling sick.
In context ↗ - long steamy shower · Not said
And long steamy shower but I sat down in them as I didn't have the energy to stand.
In context ↗ - stopping the food I was intolerant to · Helped a lot
Turns out I'm severely intolerant to a certain type of food. Once I stopped eating it I was fine.
In context ↗ - Pfizer vaccine · Helped
about a week after my second Pfizer vaccine I started feeling a lot better. Unfortunately it only lasted about a month
In context ↗ - fluoxetine · Helped
after just 2 months, I feel completely different on it. More positive. A little more energy too! Less anxious.
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Diet · Vaccination
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2021 | COVID-19 infection followed by long COVID symptomsI've only just recovered from Covid (positive test 4 weeks ago)In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2021-07-08 | very poor sleep, needing frozen socks in bed; suffering badlyI've resorted to put a clean pair of socks in the freezer in the morning so I can put them on before bed. It's the only way to get any sleep.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| late October 2021 | felt terrible after first Pfizer doseI had my first dose of Pfizer a week ago and it's made me feel terribleIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| December 2021 | started feeling a lot better about a week after second Pfizer doseabout a week after my second Pfizer vaccine I started feeling a lot betterIn context ↗ | Mild | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| January 2022 | more positive, less anxious and a little more energy on fluoxetineafter just 2 months, I feel completely different on it. More positive. A little more energy too! Less anxious.In context ↗ | Mild | Fluoxetine (Prozac) |
| 2022-02-24 | long COVID came back after about a month of feeling betterUnfortunately it only lasted about a month before the long Covid started coming backIn context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I had my first dose of Pfizer a week ago and it's made me feel terrible” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
It's the only way to get any sleep.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I had really bad sinus headache too and no painkillers seemed to help.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
similar to what I'm getting now with the long Covid
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
really bad tiredness and aches
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
More positive. A little more energy too! Less anxious.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I struggled with IBS for years.
In context ↗
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