Bedridden and housebound with long COVID, somewhat better with antivirals
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 6.5 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I have the POTS/ME type of Long Covid.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I started out so severe (basically immobile for 9 months in a dark room)
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
There's been definite improvement ... these improvements haven't made me a functional person but have made daily living easier
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
March 2020 here, so 13 months
Read from 32 of their posts and comments; links to the 20 this page draws on
Summary
Glade 40140 fell ill with COVID in March 2020 and was immobile in a dark room for nine months. Over six years they stayed largely housebound and bedridden, with slow gains in cognition and reading but little physical improvement. They credit antivirals, especially several courses of Paxlovid, with a small reduction in orthostatic intolerance and brain fog; ivermectin and Tollovid did nothing. By late 2025 they were still in bed 20 hours a day, and Paxlovid caused diarrhoea.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- ivermectin · No change
I tried ivermectin in 2020 and it did nothing
In context ↗ - salt pills and fancy socks · No change
The salt pills and fancy socks aren't cutting it.
In context ↗ - first shot of Moderna · No change
Got my first shot of Moderna a week ago ... And I felt no change at all except for a sore arm.
In context ↗ - edibles · Helped
Edibles make my tachycardia worse so I have to be careful to only take a microdose, but it really helps relieve the existential dread
In context ↗ - Paxlovid · Helped
The only thing that has touched my symptoms in 4 years of suffering is Paxlovid.
In context ↗ - diet with a lot of red meat · No change
Nah I've been on a diet with a lot of red meat since having to move back in with my mother, and I am still sick as hell.
In context ↗ - Tollovid · No change
I tried a few bottles of Tollovid and it didn't do anything for me
In context ↗ - nocturnal oxygen monitor · Not said
I have a monitor that I wear occasionally at night that will buzz if my oxygen drops below a certain point. This doesn't solve the issue but it makes me feel more secure
In context ↗ - natto · Not said
I take natto daily but i can't say it's working any miracles.
In context ↗ - fasting · Worse
all fasting does is make me even more exhausted and shaky.
In context ↗
Approaches: Antivirals
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID-19 infection, then immobile in a dark room for nine monthsstarted out so severe (basically immobile for 9 months in a dark room)In context ↗ | Severe | |
| April 2021 | first improvements in vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia and cognition; could work a few hours a week from bedI have seen some improvements in vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia, and cognitive function to the point where I can now work for a few hours a week (from bed)In context ↗ | Severe | |
| November 2021 | no longer in the thick of it but not functional, did not leave the houseI'm not really a functional person yet. I don't leave the house.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| August 2023 | moved from severe to moderate/severe; could read again and stay alert most of the daythe move from severe to moderate/severe is better than nothingIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| December 2024 | regained ability to read books and listen to audiobooks while still mostly bedriddenI have been housebound and mostly bedridden for 4.5 years ... I have regained the ability read books and listen to audiobooksIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| April 2025 | less orthostatic intolerance and brain fog, slower baseline gainFelt a reduction of orthostatic intolerance and brain fog on the meds and my overall baseline improved slowly.In context ↗ | Severe | Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir |
| September 2025 | still in bed 20 hours a day, cognition improving but little physical improvementIn bed for 20 hours a day. Still experiencing improvements in cognition but very little physical improvement.In context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Cannabis (THC, marijuana)“Edibles make my tachycardia worse so I have to be careful to only take a microdose” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- Paxlovid / nirmatrelvir“i swear it helps a tiny bit but it gives me diarrhea and tastes like an old carpet.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- “all fasting does is make me even more exhausted and shaky.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
The heavy fatigue and POTS are my most debilitating symptoms.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I have seen some improvements in vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia, and cognitive function
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I have fewer problems with insomnia
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I was getting panic attacks, crushing anxiety, and suicidal thoughts
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
struggling to breathe, and ZERO sleep
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
fewer problems with insomnia, temperature dysregulation, chills, and shaking sensations
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Also have this, have had it since my first relapse. Comes on when I'm really tired.
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
basically immobile for 9 months in a dark room
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Bedridden with long COVID for three years, now nearly back to normal with time and pacing
Caught COVID in December 2019, before lockdown, and was mostly bedridden for three years as symptoms worsened. From year three she improved slowly, crediting time, rest, pacing, a gradual walking programme, daily antihistamines and gabapentin. A 2023…
-
Bedridden or housebound with long COVID, now much better with pacing and LDN
Ill from February 2020, they were often bedridden or housebound with severe pain, headaches, diarrhoea and suicidal depression. They credit diet changes, rest and pacing, LDN and Celebrex for slow gains, and Auvelity for their depression, though flare-ups…
-
Long COVID 80% recovered with LDN, then a workout crash left them housebound
Zephyr 10189 fell ill with long COVID in early 2022. By 19 months they were about 80% recovered, crediting LDN, antihistamines and gut treatments. A 20-minute leg workout, reported in June 2024, caused a crash with heavy, cramping limbs; by August 2024 they…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
ME/CFS cost them their job; now walks a few blocks, brain fog cleared during a trial
Creek 79369 had ME from college in 2014, likely EBV-triggered, and paced to manage it until a March 2020 COVID infection set them back. They deteriorated through an office job and quit in January 2025. Over the past year their energy envelope widened; by…