Long COVID
Moderate → no benefit
Long COVID with PEM and depressive episodes, still largely limited after trying guanfacine
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- Not stated
- Last post
- May 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I believe I'm probably closer to something like cfs or long covid
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
can't direct/regulate my focus, can't feel pleasure from hobbies still and struggle with basic tasks
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
With both of these conditions mostly unmanaged
In context ↗
Summary
A UK user diagnosed with fibromyalgia, who suspects the illness is closer to ME/CFS or long COVID, describes PEM and a depressive-like episode after an exercise routine started triggering PEM. ADHD stimulants, atomoxetine and LDN each brought crashes or depression. Low-dose guanfacine, imported from a Bulgarian chemist, gave slight benefit after a week, with calmer days and better sleep, but they remained largely limited.
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What they tried
Also tried
guanfacine· Helpedexercise routine· Worselow doses of stimulants· Worseatomoxetine· Worsedexamfetamine· WorseLDN· Worsemitochondrial supps· Much worse
Their words about each treatment
- exercise routine · Worse
the exercise routine that id built up over the following year fell apart sharply due to it starting to have the opposite effect - leaving me in pem
In context ↗ - low doses of stimulants · Worse
I've also tried low doses of stimulants and atomoxetine (seperately), and low doses are even more depressing than high ones as they have much longer crashes
In context ↗ - dexamfetamine · Worse
every stimulant Ive tried starts well for a few days or maybe less, then falls apart and actually just makes me depressed, lazy, anxious and irritable for most of the day
In context ↗ - guanfacine · Helped
I've started guanfacine and found it somewhat helpful so far. I'm only on 2mg and it's been a week
In context ↗ - mitochondrial supps · Much worse
the mitochondrial ones would end with huge brain fog and irritability
In context ↗ - LDN · Worse
LDN would give me intense PEM flu like symtoms and malaise the next day no matter the dose
In context ↗
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | exercise routine collapsed and began causing PEMthe exercise routine that id built up over the following year fell apart sharply due to it starting to have the opposite effect - leaving me in pemIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2026-05-26 | a week on guanfacine, slightly calmer with better sleepa week in, surprisingly, it has actually helped a little but barelyIn context ↗ | Moderate | Guanfacine |
Adverse events
- Stimulants (unspecified), Dexamfetamine (Dexedrine)“every stimulant Ive tried starts well for a few days or maybe less, then falls apart and actually just makes me depressed, lazy, anxious and irritable for most of the day” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Atomoxetine (Strattera)“low doses of stimulants and atomoxetine (seperately), and low doses are even more depressing than high ones as they have much longer crashes.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Dexamfetamine (Dexedrine)“to go along side my dex to calm down the cardiovascular side effects (they're exaggerated due to the fibro)” In context ↗ Side effects
- “ive tried mitochondrial supps here and there and LDN and they'd all just cause massive crashes, the mitochondrial ones would end with huge brain fog and irritability” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Low-dose naltrexone“LDN would give me intense PEM flu like symtoms and malaise the next day no matter the dose.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “they barely work for maybe half an hour and leave me miserable most of the day with each dose.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
leaving me in pem
In context ↗ - Brain fog
the mitochondrial ones would end with huge brain fog and irritability
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
actually just makes me depressed, lazy, anxious and irritable for most of the day
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
allows me to get more restful sleep and therefore my body can heal a bit better
In context ↗