Long COVID: too ill to shower without breaks, now much better on fexofenadine
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2.5 years
- Last post
- Oct 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
had long covid for over a year
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
to the point even standing to brush teeth or taking a shower is not possible without breaks
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
Im recovering, probably at like 70% now. I am able to jog/run short distances.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
had long covid for over a year
In context ↗
Read from 26 of their posts and comments; links to the 19 this page draws on
Summary
Man in his late 20s developed long COVID in 2023, with pericarditis, chest pain, breathlessness, brain fog, gut problems and crashes. He was off work for months; at his worst he could not stand to brush his teeth or shower without breaks. He credited fexofenadine, low-histamine diet, B vitamins and duloxetine; colchicine eased his pericarditis pain and melatonin his sleep. By October 2025 he was 70% recovered, walking 4 km daily, with neck pain, digestive issues and exercise fatigue.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- colchicine · Helped a lot
Eventually they put me on colchicine and it helped tons!
In context ↗ - Low dose aspirin · Helped
Baby aspirin 81mg helped me a lot when I was going thru the thick of those symptoms
In context ↗ - citrizine · Helped
I have used citrizine before with little improvement
In context ↗ - H. pylori treatment · Helped
I apparently had H.pylori and after a few days of treatment I feel my stomach issues have decreased significantly.
In context ↗ - fexofinadine (Allegra) · Helped a lot
Recently started fexofinadine (Allegra) 120mg once a day, my symptoms drastically improved in 2-3 days.
In context ↗ - probiotic lactobacillus/bifidobacterium · Helped
Also I’m taking a probiotic lactobacillus/bifidobacterium, this has stabilized my gut.
In context ↗ - thc · Much worse
I tried thc and it fucked me up, I had a huge palpitation event was rushed to the er, now I’m cautious of everything
In context ↗ - Tylenol · Helped
Tylenol for pain, adult dose - back, joint when needed
In context ↗ - Gabapentin · Helped
Not anymore, gaba helped a lot along with accu & massages.
In context ↗ - Famotidine · Helped
Famotidine - heartburn, when needed
In context ↗ - Vitamin D · Helped
Vitamin D, C and
In context ↗ - Low histamine diet · Helped
Low histamine diet- I’m not following strictly but I have been avoiding gluten, and sugary foods helps a ton!
In context ↗ - Short walks, pacing · Helped
Short walks, pacing
In context ↗ - rest · Helped
And of course rest.
In context ↗ - Massage/acupuncture · Helped
gaba helped a lot along with accu & massages
In context ↗ - Coq10 · Not said
Not sure if these helped: Coq10
In context ↗ - fasting · Helped
I was fasting a bit more and slept well these last 2 days.. no Brain fog or dizziness.
In context ↗ - Physio · Helped
Once I addressed the muscle and slowly started doing Physio the pain decreased dramatically.
In context ↗ - compression socks · Helped
I have finally purchased some compression socks today and to my disbelief they have made a big difference.
In context ↗ - b-complex chews · Helped
I ran out of my b-complex chews and my neuro symptoms got worse this month ... took it and got some good rest
In context ↗ - melatonin · Helped
Also taking melatonin 3mg every night, it’s making me get some deep sleep without interruptions.
In context ↗ - eliminating processed sugar, dairy and gluten · Helped
For me it was processed sugar, dairy and gluten. Also high histamine foods, my diet is very limited now but I saw some relief from symptoms and pain after a couple days.
In context ↗ - cymbalta (duloxetine) · Helped a lot
I recently started cymbalta and it’s night and day difference. I feel like I’m 75% back and not in chronic daily pain anymore.
In context ↗ - propanolol · Helped
I’m on propanolol on some days it’s better but depends on how active i am.
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · H2 blockers · SNRIs · Diet · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing · Radical rest · 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. The chart starts 13 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| onset | long COVID onsethad long covid for over a yearIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2024-04-15 | H. pylori treatment eased stomach issuesI apparently had H.pylori and after a few days of treatment I feel my stomach issues have decreased significantly.In context ↗ | Moderate | Antibiotics (unspecified) |
| 2024-04-22 | fexofenadine improved energy, brain fog and sleepmy symptoms drastically improved in 2-3 daysIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2024-05-06 | work and travel worsened symptomsunfortunately work and travel made things worse for meIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2024-10-23 | severe crash; unable to stand to brush teeth or shower without breaksevery major time I pushed my fuel tank has gotten smaller and my symptoms worse, to the point even standing to brush teeth or taking a shower is not possible without breaks.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2024-11-17 | B complex and melatonin improved neuro symptoms and sleepI felt so well after a couple hours most of those signs disappearedIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2024-11-19 | elimination/low-histamine diet gave reliefmy diet is very limited now but I saw some relief from symptoms and pain after a couple daysIn context ↗ | Moderate | Low-histamine diet |
| 2025-04-04 | duloxetine gave night-and-day improvement, 75% backI recently started cymbalta and it’s night and day difference. I feel like I’m 75% back and not in chronic daily pain anymore.In context ↗ | Mild | Duloxetine (Cymbalta) |
| 2025-10-10 | about 70% recovered; jogging and walking 4 km/dayIm recovering, probably at like 70% now. I am able to jog/run short distances.In context ↗ | Mild | Duloxetine (Cymbalta) |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I still get some sort of fatigue if i exercise daily without rest days.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Keep avoiding histamine releasing foods, since I started feeling better I ate some trigger foods and the result was bad.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
my interrupted sleep issues were gone.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
Neck/trap pain and cracking is still an issue.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I still have digestive issues and bloating but can tolerate foods better.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
Now I get winded walking up a slight elevation.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
Used to have heart palpitations too but those have recently stopped.
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I also had jaw pain, tingling, pins and needles which went away overtime.
In context ↗
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