Long COVID
Outcome unclearIll for 2 years
Mostly bedridden with long COVID, still limited by fevers and brain fog; credits time
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill for
- 2 years
- Last post
- May 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
As a long hauler of 5 months, my main remaining symptom is gastrointestinal issues
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
First 2 years I was mostly bedridden, 3rd year showed some improvement.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Got COVID September 2020.
In context ↗
Read from 44 of their posts and comments; links to the 22 this page draws on
Summary
A science teacher who caught COVID in September 2020 was mostly bedridden for the first year and later lost their career. Niacin gave only marginal or uncertain benefit; vitamins, supplements, diet and exercise did not help, and medication only addressed depression, anxiety, sleep, ADHD, eye and nerve pain. They credited only time for a slow improvement to roughly 80% of normal over four years, still limited by fevers, brain fog, poor reading, gut problems and damaged eyesight.
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What they tried
Also tried
Adderall XR· HelpedNiacin· No changevitamins· No changesupplements· No changediet· No changeexercise· No changesleeping meds· Worseanti-anxiety med· Not saidantidepressant· Not saidVitamin D· Not saidnerve pain meds· Not saidhypertonic saline eye drops· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Niacin · No change
In the end I concluded nothing. Or not much.
In context ↗ - anti-anxiety med · Not said
I’ve on an anti-anxiety med which I take as needed, but I generally don’t take it when needed because if I use it too often, I see diminishing results.
In context ↗ - antidepressant · Not said
I’ve also been on an antidepressant which I’m off of now, but my symptoms have gotten more severe again and I’m tempted to go back on it.
In context ↗ - sleeping meds · Worse
If I take the pill, I sleep through the night but am guaranteed to be groggy and can’t function the next day.
In context ↗ - vitamins · No change
I also tried a lot of the common non-prescription things: vitamins, supplements, diet and exercise, but nothing helped.
In context ↗ - Vitamin D · Not said
Vitamin D way under range for years. I finally got it in range in the past few months with daily 5,000IU pills.
In context ↗ - nerve pain meds · Not said
I’m on antidepressants, anti-anxiety, eye meds, sleeping meds, and nerve pain meds, all a result of long covid.
In context ↗ - hypertonic saline eye drops · Not said
I have tried hypertonic saline eye drops, I am not sure it has helped though.
In context ↗ - Adderall XR · Helped
I take a low dose of medication for it now and I find that this, with the knowledge of what’s going on, have helped significantly.
In context ↗
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| September 2020 | caught COVID-19, nearly diedGot COVID September 2020.In context ↗ | Severe |
| November 2020 | back teaching half his classes, then sent home again with daily feversI was back teaching 1/2 my classes but as of today I’m off work again.In context ↗ | Severe |
| April 2021 | functional but not back to normal7 months in, not fully recovered. ... I’d say Im at 80%.In context ↗ | Mild |
| May 2021 | crashed after overdoing it, back to how he felt with active COVIDToday was the worst day yet, taking me back to how I felt while having active COVID.In context ↗ | Severe |
| January 2022 | not recovered, back to cognitive, fatigue and digestive problems16 months in. I am not at all recovered. Cognitive, fatigue, and digestive issues.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| April 2022 | improved to about 85% of normal20 month long hauler, back to about 85% of normal.In context ↗ | Mild |
| January 2023 | shingles knocked him back into all his COVID symptoms for four weeksI actually came down with shingles a few days after this comment. Knocked me back into all my covid symptoms for 4 weeks.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| September 2023 | third year brought some improvementFirst 2 years I was mostly bedridden, 3rd year showed some improvement.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| June 2024 | stable at around 80% for over a yearI am at maybe 80% and go up and down around that level for over a year now.In context ↗ | Mild |
| May 2025 | still limited but far more resilient to PEM; eyes unchangedI am very resilient to PEM now, but when I was early on any stimulus at all put me into PEM.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Niacin (vitamin B3)“I continued to have the flushing after months of use. One time it was really bad and I stopped taking it after that.” In context ↗ Side effects
- “If I take the pill, I sleep through the night but am guaranteed to be groggy and can’t function the next day. ... the others left me totally out of it for a full 24 hours” Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessFlu-like symptomsGut problemsHeart symptoms & palpitationsLoss of smell or tastePost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulationVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Flu-like symptoms
I still get fevers, brain fog
In context ↗ - Brain fog
still have a hard time with reading comprehension and information retention
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
I continue to get PEM after overdoing it.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Gut health also bad.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
Eye sight is permanently damaged.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
Fatigue, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal issues remain
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
irregular heart beats are happening a lot lately
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
After about a week, I got both back almost instantly.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
If I don’t take the pill, I’m risk being up much of the night and can’t function the next day.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I never had anxiety as a condition until long Covid.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
Hot was (still is, but I’m closer to recovered now) far worse than cold for all my symptoms.
In context ↗