Long COVID brain fog and insomnia, now somewhat better; meditation and diet may have helped
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 9 months
- Last post
- Aug 2022
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have always been very engaged with them until I started long hauling.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Clearly I can’t work but I am fortunate enough to have a decent savings and draw disability.
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
It’s getting better, but it’s so slow.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Caught Covid early December 2021.
In context ↗
Read from 29 of their posts and comments; links to the 17 this page draws on
Summary
Trail 89608, a US truck driver, caught COVID in December 2021 and developed brain fog, derealization, photophobia, visual snow, tinnitus and insomnia. They stopped work, worsened around months 5–7, then returned full-time while still foggy and anxious. By August 2022 physical symptoms and fatigue had improved, with fatigue possibly linked to Wellbutrin or time; meditation and diet may have helped too. Sleep stayed poor and trazodone’s benefit faded after about three months.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- melatonin · Helped
I took melatonin for about a month when my insomnia started. The effects faded away eventually even at a higher dose.
In context ↗ - other otc sleep aids · No change
I tried melatonin cod and some other otc sleep aids and they didn’t work.
In context ↗ - Trazadone · Helped
I was put on trazodone, which really helped for about three months. Even with a higher dose now, it doesn’t seem to be as effective.
In context ↗ - care for mental health · Helped
I’m also under care for mental health which is improving also.
In context ↗ - prednisone eye drops · Helped
Gave me prednisone eye drops ... Those things have helped some, at least I can drive now.
In context ↗ - artificial tears · Helped
Taking steroid eye drops and artificial tears. It’s helping but not going away.
In context ↗ - hydrochlor cleaner with warm compress · Not said
some cleaner called hydrochlor to use with a warm compress on the forehead
In context ↗ - Meditation · Helped
I thought it was BS but meditation for a half hour has been helping some with the derealization.
In context ↗ - Xanax · Worse
unlike Xanax where I would just zone out all day
In context ↗ - clonopin · Helped
The klonopin really eases the anxiety for me.
In context ↗ - Wellbutrin · Helped
I’m taking Wellbutrin and klonopin. My memory and brain fog are better.
In context ↗ - blue light glasses · Helped
I have no problems with screens if I have blue light glasses on
In context ↗ - muscle relaxer · Helped
when my neck pain was really bad a muscle relaxer helped
In context ↗ - vestibular therapy · Helped
Meditation and vestibular therapy has helped some.
In context ↗ - strict Mediterranean diet · Helped
I try to follow a strict Mediterranean diet and that has helped.
In context ↗ - turmeric · No change
I have tried turmeric, didn’t seem to help.
In context ↗ - heavy exercise · Helped
heavy exercise doesn’t cause me any problems and seems to lift the brain fog and anxiety/depression for an hour or so
In context ↗
Approaches: Benzodiazepines · Diet · Mind-body practices · Other antidepressants
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. The chart starts 5 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 2 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Caught COVIDCaught Covid early December 2021.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| about March 2022 | visual snow, photophobia and tinnitus beganI developed vss and photophobia about 3 months after getting Covid in December, along with the tinnitus.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| May 2022 | off work, slow improvementsI’ve been making slow improvements.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| July 2022 | went downhill around month 5; month 7 hellOnce I hit month 5 I started going downhill, when I thought the worst was over.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| August 2022 | physical symptoms and fatigue improved; forced back to full-time workThe fatigue has lessened for me, maybe Wellbutrin, maybe just time.In context ↗ | Mild | Bupropion (Wellbutrin) |
| August 31 2022 | still poor sleep; trazodone less effectiveI’m still having the same issues as you are where I think I’m asleep, but I’m not getting good sleep and I wake up every couple hours.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Trazodone (Desyrel)“I do feel a little groggy in the morning on the 150 dose, but it goes away in a couple hours.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Alprazolam (Xanax)“unlike Xanax where I would just zone out all day” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
I still feel like I’m in a fog.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
vision things are just always there, but better than months ago.
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
I still have some floaters and light sensitivity.
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
Tinnitus has completely gone away
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I’m still having the same issues as you are where I think I’m asleep, but I’m not getting good sleep and I wake up every couple hours.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
The derealization and anxiety are still with me
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I celebrate the small gains I’ve made with the brain fog, neuropathy, and vision issues.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I have terrible pain in the back of my neck and head
In context ↗
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