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Long COVID Mild → near normalIll 2 months before improving or writingNeeds ongoing treatment

Breathless at rest with long COVID, near normal after Benadryl and cutting sugar

Condition
Long COVID
At worst
Mild (working or studying, with limits)
Ill before improving or writing
2 months
Last post
May 2022
In their words
  • Condition: Long COVIDI got covid infection from nye In context ↗
  • At worst: MildI get winded easily (doing house chores brings my heart rate up to 90s). In context ↗
  • Now: Near normallasted 8 or so weeks, and I still get bouts of muscle twitching In context ↗
  • Began after: COVIDI got covid infection from nye.
  • Says they never had: Brain fognot the brain fog so many get
Read from 7 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on

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Summary

Alder 24550 fell ill after a COVID infection caught on New Year's Eve 2021, with fever, breathlessness at rest, heart rate up on chores and altered taste. A second wave of symptoms came on day six; by day 18 they felt normal at rest on nightly Benadryl, and cutting sugar also helped. Symptoms lasted about eight weeks, though bouts of muscle twitching lingered. Their tests were negative and they did not think they had long COVID.

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What they tried

Their words about each treatment
  • benadryl · HelpedI seem to be dependent on benadryl to not feel shortness of breath at rest In context ↗
  • cut out sweets and white breads · Helpedit does seem like what I eat makes the second biggest impact (after benadryl) to how I feel In context ↗
  • aspirin · Not saidI used aspirin daily instead of ibuprofen, benadryl (before bed every night), high dose vitamin C In context ↗
  • high dose vitamin C · Not saidhigh dose vitamin C (not D, that's for helping to prevent covid but apparently can have negative consequences after you have it), quercetin, and turmeric In context ↗
  • quercetin · Not saidquercetin, and turmeric In context ↗

Approaches: H1 antihistamines · Diet

Their path

Very severeSevereModerateMildNear normalRecoveredonset3 mo

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
WhenWhat happenedWhere they wereAfter
2021-12-31COVID infection caught at New Year, fever for two daysI got covid infection from nye. 2 days of fever among other symptoms In context ↗Mild
2022-01-05second wave of symptoms on day 6then on day 6 a second wave of symptoms came back In context ↗Mild
2022-01-17symptoms getting milder each dayOnly been a couple weeks and each day is getting milder thankfully, but I'm taking a bunch of stuff to try and help things along. In context ↗Mild
January 2022 (day 18)felt normal at rest on nightly BenadrylTook until day 18 to feel normal when I was at rest, but that's when I'm on benadryl. In context ↗MildDiphenhydramine (Benadryl)
2022-05-21symptoms lasted about eight weeks; occasional muscle twitching remainsMy symptoms were so crazy, and so similar to what other people describe, lasted 8 or so weeks, and I still get bouts of muscle twitching. In context ↗Near normal

Symptoms mentioned

Their words about their symptoms
  • BreathlessnessI seem to be dependent on benadryl to not feel shortness of breath at rest. In context ↗
  • Heart symptoms & palpitationsI get winded easily (doing house chores brings my heart rate up to 90s) In context ↗
  • POTS & dysautonomiaThe physical feeling of drunkenness, not the brain fog so many get, but just like my head is swimming a little In context ↗
  • Vision problemseverything looks kind of far away In context ↗
  • Loss of smell or tasteI can taste the "cherriness" of a cherry, but not it's sweetness. In context ↗
  • Neuropathy & tinglingI still get bouts of muscle twitching In context ↗
  • Flu-like symptoms2 days of fever among other symptoms In context ↗
  • Mast cell (MCAS) & allergiesallergies to everything and ibs In context ↗

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