Long COVID-like symptoms and recurring EBV, now much better after treating EBV and a virus
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3.5 years
- Last post
- Nov 2025
In their words
- At worst: Moderate
suddenly I’ll realize I’m making it through full days without a nap
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I am now 90% recovered, though I still have to manage significant PEM.
In context ↗ - Began after: glandular fever or EBV
A lot of doctoring eventually uncovered EBV reactivation.
Read from 8 of their posts and comments; links to the 8 this page draws on
Summary
Petrel 64513 had a 10-month episode of long-COVID-like symptoms in 2017 and fell ill again in 2021, with documented recurring EBV. They thought a 30-day antiviral course helped, and by 2025 reported being about 85-90% recovered by treating EBV and another virus, though significant PEM remains. They went off duloxetine with a very hard withdrawal, and had a second shot in spring 2021; they are taking a break from flu and COVID vaccines.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- valcyclovir · Helped a lot
I’m on 60 days of valcyclovir and I take lysine with it ... Valcyclovir is very effective for me.
In context ↗ - lysine · Not said
I take lysine with it (who knows, but no side effects so why not)
In context ↗ - duloxetine · Worse
it subtly built up my nausea until I could barely eat ... It also wasn’t doing much for my pain.
In context ↗ - LDN · Not said
I ended up going off the duloxetine to transition to LDN.
In context ↗ - caffeine pills · Not said
I use straight up caffeine pills because I can monitor the dosage.
In context ↗ - muscle clenches · Helped
It’s tiresome, but it gives me small jolts.
In context ↗ - trioral electrolytes · Helped
For me, trioral electrolytes and a vitamin C make a really big difference.
In context ↗ - vitamin C · Helped
trioral electrolytes and a vitamin C make a really big difference
In context ↗ - NAD+ · Helped
I’ve also just started NAD+ ... I *think* it’s helping.
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | first episode of long-COVID-like symptomsmy first experience with all of the symptoms of long covid was in 2017In context ↗ | |
| 2021 | second bout beganMy second bout began in 2021.In context ↗ | |
| Spring 2021 | second Pfizer shot erased progressMe too. Second shot in Spring 2021.In context ↗ | |
| 2022 | 30-day antiviral course after EBV and HHV6 reactivationI really thought I felt notably better on the antivirals.In context ↗ | |
| 2025-01-01 | solidly recovering after treating EBVAfter three and a half years, I am solidly recovering. I would say I’m at 85%?In context ↗ | |
| 2025-06-07 | 90% recovered with significant PEM remainingI am now 90% recovered, though I still have to manage significant PEM.In context ↗ | |
| 2025-11-09 | electrolytes, vitamin C and NAD+ helping current symptomsFor me, trioral electrolytes and a vitamin C make a really big difference.In context ↗ | NAD+ boosters (NMN, nicotinamide riboside, NADH, ATP) |
Adverse events
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)“Very gradually over the course of a year(ish), it subtly built up my nausea until I could barely eat.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)“Even with the gradual step down, the withdrawal was literally one of the worst things I’ve ever been through. It was AWFUL, for more than a month.” In context ↗ Withdrawal problems
- NAD+ boosters (NMN, nicotinamide riboside, NADH, ATP)“based on how it burns in the same place my lactic acid gets symptomatic (always in the back of my arms first), I think it’s doing something. I’m only one week on NAD+ and I had to half the dose” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I still have PEM (and other lingering symptoms)
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Last year I briefly passed out at a light
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I was on duloxetine for pain management + depression symptoms
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
the same place my lactic acid gets symptomatic (always in the back of my arms first)
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
making it through full days without a nap
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
ME/CFS, mostly housebound, somewhat better with Valtrex and dipyridamole
She had ME/CFS for over a decade; mild for the first decade until cardio pushed her to moderate, mostly housebound and unable to work. Valtrex helped after a few weeks, and dipyridamole from the Stanford clinic cut her brain fog and depression within two…
-
Long COVID with PEM and brain fog, now close to normal after keto and fasting
Lake 45346 got long COVID after a COVID infection in August 2022 and had PEM, brain fog, broken sleep and carb intolerance. He credits keto, fasting, fermented foods, low-dose naltrexone, cold plunges, nightly guanfacine, sauna and high-dose thiamine TTFD…
-
Bedbound half of most weeks with ME/CFS, now rarely in bed after mestinon
Pond 40993 has had ME/CFS since bronchitis about 18 years before her latest post. She was bedbound half of most weeks before a specialist helped her trial medications; mestinon gave the best effect and antivirals added small gains, taking her from half her…
-
Largely bedridden with long COVID, now somewhat better on antivirals
She developed long COVID in 2022 after two COVID infections, and after a booster in November 2024 became largely bedridden and wheelchair-dependent; a mini stroke and a Sjögren's diagnosis followed. TMS, Plaquenil, peptides, nattokinase, antivirals and a…