Bedbound with long COVID for three months, now much better, crediting exercise
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 19 months
- Last post
- Sep 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
1/19/22 was my 2nd which led to my longhaul.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I was bed bound with pots for the first 3 months
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
luckily I’ve had a lot of improvements, I started at the bottom I’m climbing to the top
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
1/19/22 was my 2nd which led to my longhaul.
In context ↗ - Says they never had: Post-exertional malaise
I never had PEM or ME/CFS type LC
Read from 51 of their posts and comments; links to the 20 this page draws on
Summary
After a second COVID infection in January 2022 they developed POTS, small-fibre neuropathy, breathlessness and palpitations, and were bedbound for three months. Bisoprolol controlled their heart rate and they returned to weight training and cycling, crediting exercise for their recovery. A crash in month nine left them in bed for weeks, but they were back to baseline by January 2023 and improving further by September, with POTS still limiting.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- hydration / electrolyte drinks · Helped
Hydrating with electrolyte drinks helps me a little bit honestly.
In context ↗ - metoprolol · Helped
Worked for me most the time, I still had tachycardia after a meal but it caused weight gain even when I calorie restricted, so I switched to bisoprolol
In context ↗ - bisoprolol · Helped a lot
POTS was well controlled after 2 months on bisoprolol (still taking it daily)
In context ↗ - weight lifting and seated cycling · Helped a lot
7-8 months of exercise and I contribute that to most of my recovery/mental health
In context ↗ - Lexapro · Worse
I tried Lexapro and it just added more fatigue it wasn’t tolerable I didn’t leave bed ever.
In context ↗ - pacing · Not said
I still pace the activities I do bc I don’t want to crash and never come out of it
In context ↗ - bed rest · Not said
I’ve put myself on bed rest as a precaution
In context ↗ - ginger gum · Helped
Edit to add that I chew ginger gum it actually works lol
In context ↗ - prayer · No change
I’ve prayed for him to heal me, and to make my POTS and Neuropathy go away, I don’t think he wants to do that bc it’s still here and getting worse
In context ↗ - energy drinks · No change
Doesn’t affect me negatively. I have pots, and take a beta blocker but sometimes I drink one for energy maybe 2x a week, 200mg of caffeine.
In context ↗ - supplements and medication for POTS · Not said
supplements and medication for my pots or I wouldn’t be able to move out of my bed
In context ↗
Approaches: Beta-blockers · Exercise and activity
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 |
|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | long COVID after second infection: POTS, neuropathy, breathless, tachycardicGot infected again 1/2022, ... developed long Covid and over 25+ symptoms.In context ↗ | Severe |
| March 2022 | POTS controlled on bisoprolol; back to cycling then weightsPOTS was well controlled after 2 months on bisoprolol (still taking it daily). At the 2 month mark I was back to cycling at the gym, month 3 I was lifting weights normallyIn context ↗ | Near normal |
| late October 2022 | crash after months of heavy training: fatigue, sleeping 12-14 hours, malaise, bedridden weekssince last Monday I’ve been sleeping 12-14hrs a day, not feeling rested, general malaiseIn context ↗ | Severe |
| January 2023 | back to baseline after the crashBut I’m back to my baseline which is doing things, so it’s not CFS as I don’t have PEM.In context ↗ | Mild |
| September 2023 | a lot of improvements; exercising with beta blocker, POTS remainsI’ve had a lot of improvements, I started at the bottom I’m climbing to the top.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“Yeah I tried Lexapro and it just added more fatigue it wasn’t tolerable I didn’t leave bed ever.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), Bisoprolol (Concor)“Worked for me most the time, I still had tachycardia after a meal but it caused weight gain even when I calorie restricted, so I switched to bisoprolol” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
I now have POTS but I exercise still thanks to my beta blocker
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
symptoms have improved over time; random bouts of burning tho
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
the heartrate is fast and HARD
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
if I don’t get much sleep I’m more tachy and have palpitation and shortness of breath
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
My noise sensitivity is back which was off and on during the 8 months
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
since last Monday I’ve been sleeping 12-14hrs a day, not feeling rested
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
general malaise, kind of like I’m coming down with a sickness
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I started Lexapro last week bc of the anxiety and depression this has all brought upon me
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
all bc I feel weak and fatigued and idk why
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
recovered fine besides some altered taste and smell for a few months
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
Long COVID with POTS and reflux, nearly back to normal on beta blocker and pantoprazole
After a mild COVID infection in August 2024 he developed long COVID, with sore throat, lost appetite, anxiety, reflux and mild POTS, on top of earlier anxiety disorder and fibromyalgia. A beta blocker and pantoprazole eased the racing heart and reflux. He…
-
Bedridden with long COVID for about a year, now close to normal after pacing and rest
Fell ill after COVID in August 2022 with a permanent sore throat, PEM, brain fog and flu-like crashes, and was bedridden for about a year. He improved gradually over roughly two years, crediting radical rest, pacing, a diet without processed food and…
-
Long COVID crash left him mostly in bed for weeks, now nearly back to normal
A man who caught COVID in January 2022 developed POTS, dysautonomia and small-fibre neuropathy; after about two months bisoprolol let him exercise again, and over the following months he was doing daily gym sessions and over 12,000 steps. In October 2022 he…
-
Long COVID with heart pain and nerve pain, now almost back to normal on bisoprolol
Pelican 82557, a 21-year-old in the UK, developed long COVID after an omicron infection in February 2022, with heart pain, palpitations, POTS-like symptoms, gut problems and nerve pain. A 1.25 mg bisoprolol dose let her go about everyday life again, and by…