Long COVID
Moderate → near normalIll 2.5 years before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID unable to watch TV or do basic tasks; almost back to normal with mind-body work
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2.5 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’ve very much the CFS/me flavor of long covid which is why I’ve not tried this
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I was quickly slipping from mild, to moderate, and getting worse quickly towards severe. Unable to watch TV or do basic tasks without crashing myself etc.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I’m almost back to 100% after crashing for 2.5 years.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
CFS style PEM plus insomnia since early January as a result of my second covid infection
Read from 143 of their posts and comments; links to the 44 this page draws on
- Jan 2025
- Feb 2025
- Aug 2026
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Summary
A 40-year-old man in Texas fell ill with long COVID after a second infection on 3 January 2024 and by late May could not watch TV or do basic tasks without crashing. Low-dose naltrexone, citalopram, sleep aids and pacing brought him near normal by August 2024, but two colds that September and later setbacks kept him mild. Mind-body work from mid-2026 left him almost back to 100% and in the gym after almost 3 years.
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What they tried
What they credit
LDN· Helped a lot · main · wore offnoon sunshine· Helped a lot · wore offmind-body work (Jan Rothney, Sarno lecture)· Helped a lot · mainIntermittent fasting· Helpedfish oil / omega 3 (Jarrows EPA/DHA balance)· Helpedpacing· Helpedbreathing exercises and yoga nidra· Helpedcold showers· Helpedd-ribose· Helpedalcar/ala· Helpedubiquinol/pqq· Helpedcreatine· Helpedtime· Helped
Also tried
Celexa (citalopram)· Helped a lotWater fast· Helpedbeet powder· Helpedcumin· Helpedmagnesium glycinate· HelpedOlly extra strength melatonin gummies· HelpedCBD/THC edible· Helpedinfrared sauna· HelpedZyrtec· Helpedtaurine· Helpedthiamine (B1 HCl)· Helpednicotine patches (Rugby brand)· Helped · wore offtiny bit of exercise· Worsesalt and no-salt electrolyte water· Not saidorganic whey protein· Not saidmatcha· Not saidkefir· Not saidbone broth with NAC· Not saidapolactoferrin· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Intermittent fasting · Helped
I’ve also been doing way better after 4 weeks of 16-19 hour IF, with a 67 hour fast last weekend
In context ↗ - Water fast · Helped
5 days of water fasting brought my smell back for good, but it was only 3 weeks after infection.
In context ↗ - beet powder · Helped
I’ve been having some success relieving PEM/Muscle aches with a glass of beet powder
In context ↗ - cumin · Helped
I’ve found some relief with beet powder and cumin, magnesium.
In context ↗ - magnesium glycinate · Helped
I use 200-300mg of magnesium glycinate ... But just the first two help a lot on their own.
In context ↗ - Olly extra strength melatonin gummies · Helped
a 2 extra strength melatonin gummies (I use the olly brand) from Walgreens
In context ↗ - CBD/THC edible · Helped
I take an edible every night before bed. It’s 20mg CBD and 10mg delta 9 THC.
In context ↗ - tiny bit of exercise · Worse
I tried to do a tiny bit of exercise in hopes of gradually upping it. I instantly knew i made a mistake
In context ↗ - Celexa (citalopram) · Helped a lot
Helped me a ton. Calmed down my anxiety and panic and helped me sleep.
In context ↗ - infrared sauna · Helped
I just tried it for the first time a few days ago, and felt really nice for a few hours.
In context ↗ - LDN · Helped a lot
LDN took me from crashing from ripping pieces of paper too quickly to not having any noticeable PEM at all.
In context ↗ - fish oil / omega 3 (Jarrows EPA/DHA balance) · Helped
Balanced fish oil, omega 3 supplements help a lot. I use epa /dha balance by Jarrows.
In context ↗ - noon sunshine · Helped a lot
I sat in the sun for 15 min every day last summer at Noon and I basically went into remission until late September.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
5. Pacing Myself and not getting discouraged with a few bad days.
In context ↗ - breathing exercises and yoga nidra · Helped
For me it was SSRI, breathing exercises, yoga nidra
In context ↗ - cold showers · Helped
and and cold showers that really helped
In context ↗ - salt and no-salt electrolyte water · Not said
I drank salt and no-salt electrolyte water and took mag pills during it.
In context ↗ - Zyrtec · Helped
Started them 3 days ago and already feeling better. Zyrtec once a day at night.
In context ↗ - taurine · Helped
I have actually been taking 2,000mg taurine for about 10 days and I think it’s helping me sleep better
In context ↗ - d-ribose · Helped
I just started d-ribose, alcar/ala, and ubiquinol/pqq in the last couple weeks and I think it’s really helping overall endurance
In context ↗ - creatine · Helped
a slew of mitochondrial supps (Alcar/ala, ubiquinone/pqq, d-ribose and creatine)
In context ↗ - thiamine (B1 HCl) · Helped
I feel more resistant to PEM and even I get it, seemingly recovery faster with the thiamine.
In context ↗ - nicotine patches (Rugby brand) · Helped
For a while I felt like they really helped me. But then I started to feel like they were making me worse. It was too confusing, so I stopped.
In context ↗ - organic whey protein · Not said
Also doing organic whey protein (amino acid)
In context ↗ - bone broth with NAC · Not said
eating bone broth with has NAC for several weeks and have been feeling the best I’ve felt in month
In context ↗ - apolactoferrin · Not said
Also taking 1200-1500 apolactoferrin on before meals on days where I’m IF, so who knows how much that helps.
In context ↗ - mind-body work (Jan Rothney, Sarno lecture) · Helped a lot
just hit gym with no problem for first time in almost 3 years. its a process and its up and down, but it absolutely works.
In context ↗ - time · Helped
I feel like TIME and supplements did the rest.
In context ↗
Approaches: Alternative therapies · Amino acids and carnitine · Brain retraining · Diet · Mind-body practices · Pacing · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-03 | Second COVID infection; mild acute illnessMy initial infection was mild, just achy muscles and light feverish malaise and exhaustion.In context ↗ | |
| 2024-03 | Restarted citalopram; sleep, anxiety and heart rate improvedI started Celexa again after about 7 weeks and have been on it for 3. My sleep has already gotten better.In context ↗ | Citalopram (Celexa) |
| 2024-05 | Slipped towards severe; unable to watch TV or do basic tasks without crashingI was quickly slipping from mild, to moderate, and getting worse quickly towards severe. Unable to watch TV or do basic tasks without crashing myself etc.In context ↗ | |
| 2024-08 | Back to outdoor concerts and baseball games, feeling almost normalafter reaching those levels it started to get better and better until I was going to outdoor concerts and baseball games by AugustIn context ↗ | Low-dose naltrexone |
| 2024-09 | Crashed after two colds in a month and a busy week at workThen I had 2 colds in a month and a really busy week at work, and boom PEM (I thought I was over PEM).In context ↗ | |
| 2025-04 | Setback after pushing activity while feeling goodHad a pretty decent setback myself about 10 days ago… Like your experience, I was feeling really good, pushing it a bit bc I felt like I couldIn context ↗ | |
| 2025-11 | Doing much better on intermittent fasting and extended fastsI’ve also been doing way better after 4 weeks of 16-19 hour IF, with a 67 hour fast last weekend and a 52 hour fast this past one.In context ↗ | Intermittent fasting |
| 2025-12 | Setback after a 72-hour fast that had briefly given more energyI had a setback after a 72 hour fast recently and I haven’t reached that level again either.In context ↗ | |
| 2026-07 | Mind-body work clicked; over a month without calling in to workI’ve been going great for about a month and am thinking I finally broke the loop.In context ↗ | Sarno / TMS / somatic tracking / JournalSpeak |
| 2026-09 | Almost back to 100%; first gym session in almost 3 yearsjust hit gym with no problem for first time in almost 3 yearsIn context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Graded rehab and self-made programmes“I tried to do a tiny bit of exercise in hopes of gradually upping it. I instantly knew i made a mistake and the next day felt foggy/concussed and weak again” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“Now I’ve stopped fasting bc I was feeling really crappy not eating” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“I lost a ton of weight after acute infection and then that fast. Too much.” In context ↗ Other
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“I broke a 72 hr fast with eggs, fruit, avocado, and chorizo and my bowels were not happy!” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Nicotine patches“The first time I wore them, I couldn’t sleep for shit. It took 3 days after removal to get sleep back to normal.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Nicotine patches“But then I started to feel like they were making me worse. It was too confusing, so I stopped.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“I had a setback after a 72 hour fast recently and I haven’t reached that level again either.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“the transition to ketosis seemed really clanky and I thought I was having a crash, but if passed” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogFlu-like symptomsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsLight & noise sensitivityLoss of smell or tasteMuscle weaknessNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulation
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I still have CFS type crashes and everything that goes with that.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
brain fog only when pushed too hard, which i HAD been really avoiding well
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I do think now that most of my problems are dysautonomia and not classic delayed PEM.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I still don’t wake up feeling refreshed like I was healthy
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
all of my muscles get very tender and sore to the touch
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
Sore throat sets in, pressure headache, weak achy muscles the next day.
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
very weak muscles, light/sound too stimulating
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Heart rate really went back to normal after starting Celexa.
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
burning weak legs and arms after exertion
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I had numbness and tingles early on, but it’s been 14 months and that’s not a problem anymore
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Then had crazy adrenaline rushes and anxiety after going back to work
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
I’d get the random sick feverish feeling off and on
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
Fasting brought my smell all the way back.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
In the very early stages, holy shit, my temperature disregulation was through the roof.
In context ↗
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