Long COVID breathlessness and chest pain, much better after nebuliser and pulmonary rehab
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 16 months
- Last post
- Jul 2021
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’m a former ICU RN who is also a long hauler.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I could barely walk up the stairs without getting winded. I always felt like I could never empty my lungs and had debilitating chest pain for many months.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
It helped my breathing a lot, to the point that I can do moderate exercises. It still gets worse when the air quality drops or when the temperature suddenly drops.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I’m a former ICU RN who is also a long hauler. I got sick last March.
Read from 7 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on
Summary
Comet 54941, a former ICU nurse, fell ill in March 2020 with long COVID: breathlessness, asthma-like airway problems and debilitating chest pain, and could barely climb stairs. Six months brought no improvement. A long-acting bronchodilator nebuliser eased the chest pain, and pulmonary rehab she called a game changer, letting her walk almost 25 minutes and exercise moderately. Her airway stays over-reactive and she will probably be on inhalers and nebulisers for life.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- prednisone (40mg of steroids) · Helped
Steroids were the only thing that made it better and now I’m on a steroid inhaler.
In context ↗ - long acting bronchodilator nebulizer treatment · Helped
The chest pain finally resolved after starting long acting bronchodilator nebulizer treatment.
In context ↗ - pulmonary rehab · Helped a lot
This was a game changer. I can now walk almost 25 minutes without sob or asthma attacks!
In context ↗ - albuterol · Helped
responsive to albuterol and steroid treatment, but only to a certain extent
In context ↗ - steroid inhaler · Not said
now I’m on a steroid inhaler
In context ↗
Approaches: Other drugs and medicines · Physiotherapy and rehab
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 |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | fell ill with long COVID after working as an ICU nurseI got sick last March. Developed severe asthma and strange breathing issues. I could barely walk up the stairs without getting winded.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| about six months in | no improvement, still short of breath with chest painAfter about six months, no improvements, and repeatedly being told to “give it time”In context ↗ | Moderate |
| early 2021 | chest pain resolved and breathing much better after nebulised bronchodilator and pulmonary rehabThis was a game changer. I can now walk almost 25 minutes without sob or asthma attacks!In context ↗ | Mild |
| July 2021 | breathing much better, able to exercise moderately, airway still over-reactiveIt helped my breathing a lot, to the point that I can do moderate exercises. It still gets worse when the air quality drops or when the temperature suddenly drops.In context ↗ | Mild |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Breathlessness
I could barely walk up the stairs without getting winded.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
had debilitating chest pain for many months. The chest pain finally resolved after starting long acting bronchodilator nebulizer treatment.
In context ↗
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