Long COVID with POTS and weakness, now much better after GAPS diet and tDCS/TENS
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 months
- Last post
- Jun 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
after covid when I was dx with LC
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I couldn't even stand up long enough to shower ... not being able to walk 10 steps without Sx
- Now: Much better
I'm 80% better ... comfortably getting through a 1hr gym sess with up to 70% of my usual weights now
- Began after: COVID
after covid when I was dx with LC, my NLR was even higher-in the severe damage range
Read from 15 of their posts and comments; links to the 15 this page draws on
Summary
A previously active 32-year-old woman developed long COVID in 2022 and was soon unable to stand long enough to shower, with POTS, muscle weakness, reflux, broken sleep and PTSD. She credits a GAPS diet, herbal and probiotic supplements, graded strength work with salt, and later a tDCS/TENS rehab programme with roughly 80% recovery and clearing of her psychiatric symptoms. By March 2023 she could do an hour in the gym at 70% of her old weights.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- mg glycinate · Helped
I started mg glycinate 3 days ago and have had 3 consecutive full night's sleep after 2 months of waking 6-10 times a night
In context ↗ - acupressure on all the digestive points · Helped a lot
did acupressure on all the digestive points and I am now totally reflux and stomach pain free
In context ↗ - visceral manips · Helped a lot
I did three days of visceral manips ... I am now totally reflux and stomach pain free
In context ↗ - GAPS diet · Helped a lot
I read GAPS by Natasha Campbell Mcbride and then did the GAPS diet for 12 weeks
In context ↗ - hypnosis · Helped
I've found hypnosis really helpful for calming down my fight or flight response
In context ↗ - lymphatic drainage for ears · Helped
I started doing it and cleared my problematic right ear in a couple of days
In context ↗ - Steve Gundry's food plan (Plant Paradox) · Not said
So I'm currently in the process of transitioning from GAPs to Steve Gundry's food plan.
In context ↗ - Pinus protectus · Helped
The pinus and the fulvic have probably illicited the biggest changes for me health wise
In context ↗ - pre/probiotic gut blend · Not said
a pre/probiotic gut blend and a few others
In context ↗ - salt in water · Helped
I started adding a quarter teaspoon of salt to water in the morning and evening.
In context ↗ - strength exercises with reps in reserve · Helped a lot
I also started strength exercises, working with 'reps in reserve'
In context ↗ - HR monitor to stay under anaerobic threshold · Helped
I used a HR monitor, to make sure my heart rate stayed under 100bpm
In context ↗ - ice baths · Helped
Daily ice baths, saunas and sunlight help the mitochondria too.
In context ↗ - self abdominal massage · Helped
I find self abdominal massage helpful, especially up underneath the diaphragm.
In context ↗ - tDCS with TENS · Helped a lot
four sessions a week consisting of tDCS (transcranial dicrect current stimulation) with TENS and exercises ... a little left of center but has worked a treat for me
In context ↗ - COVID vaccination as treatment · Not said
After my second vax which gave me intractable chest pain, my NLR indicated vascular damage
In context ↗ - Herbal remedies (unspecified) · Not said
The pinus and the fulvic have probably illicited the biggest changes for me health wise....fairly uncomfortable herxheimer reactions though
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · POTS medication · Alternative therapies · Brain stimulation · Diet · Pacing · Physiotherapy and rehab · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | COVID-19 infection leading to long COVIDWhen I was first diagnosed with long covid in Sep 22', I couldn't even stand up long enough to shower.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2022-12 | about 80% better after focusing on vascular health with herbal supplementsafter three months of focusing on restoring my vascular health, I'm 80% better and my NLR is back down to a healthy rangeIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-03 | strength training and salt brought muscle strength to about 70%; an hour in the gymI've gone from not being able to walk 10 steps without Sx to comfortably getting through a 1hr gym sess with up to 70% of my usual weights now.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-06 | tDCS/TENS rehab programme cleared the psychiatric symptomsIt stopped the suicidal ideation, depression, spiraling anxiety, sense of losing grip with reality and PTSD completely, yes.In context ↗ | Mild | tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“After my second vax which gave me intractable chest pain, my NLR indicated vascular damage” In context ↗ Other
- Elimination diets (other)“when my body wasn't ready for something, I would wake up the next day with weird joint pains, headaches, fatigue, nausea, rashes, itchiness and anxiety” In context ↗ Side effects
- Herbal remedies (unspecified)“The pinus and the fulvic have probably illicited the biggest changes for me health wise....fairly uncomfortable herxheimer reactions though” In context ↗ Herx / die-off reaction
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I had the same thing with PEM
In context ↗ - Brain fog
it was worth it because of how much it lifted the brain fog and mental health symptoms
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
because I also had POTS
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
3 consecutive full night's sleep after 2 months of waking 6-10 times a night
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I am now totally reflux and stomach pain free for the first time in over two months
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
in the past used to progress to significant muscle weakness, brain fog and fatigue
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I only get the twitches and mild internal vibrations if I overdo it.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
90 percent less depressive feelings and zero anxiety
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my second vax which gave me intractable chest pain
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
a chest x-ray I had for SOB
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I would wake up the next day with weird joint pains, headaches, fatigue, nausea, rashes, itchiness and anxiety
In context ↗
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