Long COVID
Moderate → much betterIll 17 months before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment
Long COVID brain fog, fatigue and POTS, now much better with pacing and compression
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 17 months
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’ve had LC for 2 years with POTS, brain fog, terrible tinnitus, neck and shoulder pain, fatigue, etc.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I can’t exercise, get tired easily, was taking long naps every day.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I have made huge improvements in the last 6-8 months. So much so that I was recently able to go on a trip to Italy.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got long covid in Italy in October 2024 while on a tour.
In context ↗
Read from 43 of their posts and comments; links to the 27 this page draws on
Summary
A retired Northern California woman got long COVID in Italy in October 2024, with brain fog, fatigue, tinnitus and gut trouble; POTS was diagnosed later. Low-dose naltrexone, bupropion, acupuncture, osteopathy, pacing, salt and compression brought slow improvement. Gum surgery in August 2025 and 8.5 weeks of sciatica set her back, but by October 2026 she was well enough for a trip to Italy; after returning, a fall left her with a concussion and worse tinnitus.
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What they tried
What they credit
LDN (low-dose naltrexone)· Helped a lot · main · wore offacupuncture· Helpedlow-dose cymbalta (duloxetine)· HelpedCharlotte's Web lion's mane CBD gummies· Helpedcordyceps· Helpedpacing· HelpedVisible app and armband· HelpedMyLongPath app· Helpedsalt, electrolytes, water and compression clothing· Helpedsalt, electrolytes, water and compression clothing· HelpedBupropion (Wellbutrin)· Helped
Also tried
Fodzyme· Helped a lotZyrtec (cetirizine)· Helpedosteopathy· HelpedCPAP with chin stabilizer· HelpedQVAR inhaler· Helpedexercises to get blood flowing before getting out of bed· Helpedpsychotherapy· HelpedEMDR· HelpedFL-41 rose-tinted glasses· Helpedspinal epidural· Helpedhearing aid ocean waves program· Helpedlevalbuterol rescue inhaler· No changeCovid and flu vaccines· No changeallergy shots· Much worseomeprazole· Not saidFODMAP elimination diet· Not saidFODMAP elimination diet· Not saidPaxlovid· Not saidzinc· Not saidcalcium and vitamin c· Not saidSymbicort· Not saidB-12· Not saidcreatine· Not saidmagnesium· Not saidChinese herbs in pill form· Not saidlow-histamine diet· Not saidplain Greek yogurt with prebiotics· Not saidgabapentin· Not saidShingrix· Not saidAlbuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- omeprazole · Not said
I manage it with omeprazole which is like to get off of
In context ↗ - FODMAP elimination diet · Not said
have done the FoDMAP elimination diet about 20 years ago to understand my triggers and avoid those foods
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · Not said
I got Paxlovid then
In context ↗ - acupuncture · Helped
I see an acupuncturist a two times a month and I find that it helps me with both my long covid brain fog, fatigue, and gut issues
In context ↗ - LDN (low-dose naltrexone) · Helped a lot
When they increased my LDN to 3 mgs, it was a game changer for me for about 3 months and then I went back to my previous crappy normal
In context ↗ - low-dose cymbalta (duloxetine) · Helped
My low-dose SSRI is helping me as is LDN for my brain fog
In context ↗ - zinc · Not said
I also upped my intake of zinc per doctor’s suggestion after testing
In context ↗ - Zyrtec (cetirizine) · Helped
I take Zyrtec daily ... Zyrtec works the best for me
In context ↗ - calcium and vitamin c · Not said
I take an antihistamine daily as well as calcium and vitamin c
In context ↗ - osteopathy · Helped
Both are helping with my brain fog a lot, especially the Osteopath
In context ↗ - Charlotte's Web lion's mane CBD gummies · Helped
I also recently started taking Charlotte’s Web lion’s mane cbd gummies for focus support ... I think they also help
In context ↗ - cordyceps · Helped
I ran out of Cordyceps and had to wait for the refill to come in and I noticed a difference
In context ↗ - Fodzyme · Helped a lot
I discovered an enzyme powder that was formulated some time in 2025 called Fodzyme which has changed my life
In context ↗ - CPAP with chin stabilizer · Helped
not only am I sleeping better, but I’m much less congested
In context ↗ - QVAR inhaler · Helped
I also use an inhaler (and upped my dose from 1 puff 2x a day to 2 puffs 2x a day) that is less common— QVAR— which is the best one for me
In context ↗ - Symbicort · Not said
when there are fires (I live in CA) and the AQI is bad, I switch to Symbicort
In context ↗ - levalbuterol rescue inhaler · No change
I used my rescue inhaler (levalbuterol or xopinex which gives me less heart racing than albuterol) and nothing changed
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
I’m learning about pace points from the Visible App so that’s helping
In context ↗ - Visible app and armband · Helped
I use the Visible app and bought the arm band. I find it really helpful
In context ↗ - MyLongPath app · Helped
The second, MyLongPath, was designed by a French app developer for his wife who has LC, also helps me pace
In context ↗ - salt, electrolytes, water and compression clothing · Helped
eating more salt, drinking 3+ liters of water a day with electrolytes, and taking sodium tablets have helped me a lot with my fatigue, along with pacing
In context ↗ - exercises to get blood flowing before getting out of bed · Helped
do some specific exercises to get my blood flowing before I get out of bed
In context ↗ - B-12 · Not said
Even though my B-12 was normal, she told my to get 1000 mgs a day extra. So I’ve been using it
In context ↗ - creatine · Not said
just started creatine at the suggestion of my RD
In context ↗ - magnesium · Not said
they make a difference, as does B-12, magnesium and all the other stuff
In context ↗ - Chinese herbs in pill form · Not said
I take some Chinese herbs in pill form as well as two types of mushroom gummies
In context ↗ - low-histamine diet · Not said
I just read what a low-histamine diet and I mostly do it
In context ↗ - plain Greek yogurt with prebiotics · Not said
I was told to eat plain Greek yogurt with prebiotics daily in the morning
In context ↗ - psychotherapy · Helped
they’ve been super helpful. I’ve been really depressed and I feel a little more hopeful doing the work with them
In context ↗ - EMDR · Helped
It helped me a lot to overcome so much of the trauma of it all
In context ↗ - FL-41 rose-tinted glasses · Helped
rose-tinted glasses have greatly reduced the dysautonomia I get from light now
In context ↗ - spinal epidural · Helped
I got a spinal epidural and am now virtually pain-free
In context ↗ - gabapentin · Not said
I’m on 3 mgs LDN and 300 gabapentin 2-3 tones a day
In context ↗ - Bupropion (Wellbutrin) · Helped
Il also on 150 mgs Bupropion 3x/day (Wellbutrin) which has really helped me
In context ↗ - allergy shots · Much worse
after a few months of it, one day I had an anaphylactic response
In context ↗ - Covid and flu vaccines · No change
They have not had an adverse effect on my LC
In context ↗ - Shingrix · Not said
I got the Shingrix shot and for each dose I got pretty sick for a couple of days
In context ↗ - hearing aid ocean waves program · Helped
for noise sensitivity and to lessen my tinnitus, I listen to an ocean waves program on my app for my hearing aids
In context ↗ - Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin) · Not said
levalbuterol or xopinex which gives me less heart racing than albuterol
In context ↗
Approaches: POTS medication · SNRIs · Alternative therapies · Other antidepressants · Pacing · Supplements
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | Caught COVID in Italy; long COVID followedI got long covid in Italy in October 2024 while on a tour.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| early August 2025 | Decline after 4-hour gum grafting surgeryI recently realized my rather sudden decline in my health (intense fatigue, lethargy, increased POTS symptoms, among other things) occurred after my gum grafting surgeryIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| February 2026 | More functional: short walks, reading light books, not crashing dailyI’m currently fairly functional— can take short walks, can read a book again (only light books) and don’t crash every dayIn context ↗ | Mild | Low-dose naltrexone |
| 2026 | 8.5 weeks of lumbar pain and sciaticaI recently had lumbar and sciatica pain for 8.5 weeks which completely depleted meIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| October 2026 | Huge improvement; managed a two-week trip to ItalyI have made huge improvements in the last 6-8 months. So much so that I was recently able to go on a trip to Italy.In context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| October 2026 | Concussion after falling from a broken chairNow I have a mild concussion- nausea, wooziness, brain fog, fatigue, tinnitus is worse than everIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)“my constipation got aggravated even further with the SSRI my doc put me on— a low dose of Cymbalta” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)“I was on duloxetine for a year and it dulled my emotions and I hated it” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- “my body reacted to it very badly. The amount of bruising and inflammation on my face was astonishing and took a long time to heal” In context ↗ Autoimmune or inflammatory flare
- “I had gum grafting surgery last August which impacted me so much that my LC was as bad as my first 6 months of it” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)“levalbuterol or xopinex which gives me less heart racing than albuterol” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- COVID vaccination as treatment“I got my Covid and flu vaccines last week. Note to future self— don’t get them both on the same day. I was sick for 2 days with gastrointestinal issues, aches, and severe fatigue” In context ↗ Side effects
- Shingles vaccine (Shingrix)“I got the Shingrix shot and for each dose I got pretty sick for a couple of days” In context ↗ Side effects
- Trauma work (EFT, EMDR, TRE)“The first few times I went to bed for hours for each time. It brought up a lot of grief and shame” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Allergy shots (immunotherapy)“Years ago I was getting allergy shots and after a few months of it, one day I had an anaphylactic response” In context ↗ Allergic reaction / anaphylaxis
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessGut problemsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsLight & noise sensitivityMast cell (MCAS) & allergiesPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaSleep problemsTinnitus
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
Brain Fog (my least manageable symptom
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
was diagnosed with POTS today after doing the Active Stand Test
In context ↗ - Gut problems
my constipation and gut issues are worse with my long covid condition
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
terrible tinnitus
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I have the coat hanger neck and shoulder pain
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
I have developed extreme light sensitivity in certain settings
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I lose my breath easily
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
I can be sitting still doing nothing and my heart rate is 95
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I had a sleep test and have mild apnea
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I have very bad allergies (to almost everything except my cat, lol)
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I’ve been really depressed
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
the head pressure you describe is what I often feel with POTS
In context ↗
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