Long COVID
Mild → somewhat better
Long COVID brain fog, somewhat better with nicotine patch and naltrexone
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I've smelt so many weird things since getting long covid.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I'm lucky that my fatigue is not as severe
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
It really improved my cognitive baseline, to the point that now I don't use nicotine on most days. ... I can still get tired from talking
- Began after: COVID
after I got long covid
Read from 32 of their posts and comments; links to the 24 this page draws on
Summary
Pebble 25278 developed long COVID with brain fog, distorted smell, headaches, nerve pain and trouble sleeping. A quarter of a 10 mg nicotine patch restored much of their speech and thinking, and low-dose naltrexone further raised their cognitive and physical baseline, though at 1.5 mg it worsened sleep and irritability. They still get brain fog from long conversations and must pace.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
binaural beats· HelpedZink supplement· Helpedlevothyroxine· Helpednasal steroid spray· Helpedsaline spray· Helpedexposing myself to a variety of smells· Helpedyoga nidra· Helpedshakti mat· Helpedcontrast shower· HelpedAtarax· Helpedparacetamol· Helpednaproxen· HelpedNorflex (Ophenadrine)· HelpedZo-Rub Osteo (0.025% capsaicin) cream· Helpedexercises for eyes and neck· Helpedglasses with prisms· HelpedLamotrigine· HelpedMidocalm· HelpedBaclofen· HelpedDexamphetamine· HelpedVanair· HelpedPoly Tear· Helpedseeing a clinical psychologist· Worsemagnesium glicinate· Not saidL-theamin· Not saidpassionflower· Not saidvitamin C· Not saidphysio· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- Clonidine · Helped
I find Clonidine to be very helpful. (It's been prescribed for sleep because I have ADHD, but I found it overall really good for calming my nervous system down).
In context ↗ - magnesium glicinate · Not said
on the daily basis I take magnesium glicinate, L-theamin passionflower and vitamin C at night to help my nervous system to wind down
In context ↗ - binaural beats · Helped
I've tried binaural beats recently and they seem to have a nice calming effect too.
In context ↗ - physio · Not said
I've done quite a bit of physio for various injuries pre and post covid.
In context ↗ - Zink supplement · Helped
Things that made it better: ... Zink supplement
In context ↗ - nicotine patches · Helped
I'm using a quarter of a 10 mg patch a day and it returned quite a lot of my ability to speak and write like I used to.
In context ↗ - levothyroxine · Helped
Adjusting my dose of levothyroxine when my thyroid got too under active.
In context ↗ - nasal steroid spray · Helped
Remembering to use my nasal steroid spray every day and using a saline spray every day in the evenings
In context ↗ - exposing myself to a variety of smells · Helped
Possibly, exposing myself to a variety of smells
In context ↗ - yoga nidra · Helped
Doing yoga needra, laying on a shakti mat or having a contrast shower sometimes helps too.
In context ↗ - shakti mat · Helped
Being intensely stimmulated while physically resting seems to help me quite a bit (like listening to heavy music or using a shakti mat,)
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
Also, pacing more carefully and overexerting myself less helps to keep those symptoms in check.
In context ↗ - Atarax · Helped
it's first generation version, Atarax, is prescribed off-label for anxiety and worked like a charm for me
In context ↗ - paracetamol · Helped
if things aren't too bad paracetamol or naproxen might be enough
In context ↗ - Norflex (Ophenadrine) · Helped
Norflex (Ophenadrine) at night for a few nights helps to relax the muscles and get out of this predicament.
In context ↗ - Zo-Rub Osteo (0.025% capsaicin) cream · Helped
Zo-Rub Osteo (0.025% capsaicin) cream is fire (pun intended)
In context ↗ - exercises for eyes and neck · Helped
exercises for eyes and neck were average for relief: definitely some reduction in symptoms, but the issue was still noticeable
In context ↗ - glasses with prisms · Helped
I've had glasses with prisms for a few years and they have been amazing for my conversation insufficiency.
In context ↗ - Lamotrigine · Helped
In the past, I took a course of Lamotrigine for nerve pain around my shoulder blade and it worked great too.
In context ↗ - Midocalm · Helped
Midocalm gave an immediate relief for my neck
In context ↗ - Baclofen · Helped
Baclofen seemed to work long-term but took a longer time to start having noticable effects, probably.
In context ↗ - seeing a clinical psychologist · Worse
It was honestly a fucking shit show and drained me horribly.
In context ↗ - Dexamphetamine · Helped
it certainly improves my cognition when I'm not doing badly, but if I'm feeling worse, Dex isn't gonna fix it and in fact is likely to make it hard for me to think and speak.
In context ↗ - low dose Naltrexone (LDN) · Helped
It really improved my cognitive baseline, to the point that now I don't use nicotine on most days. It also helped me physically.
In context ↗ - Vanair · Helped
I'm using Vanair. It improves my breathing and doesn't seem to cause any side effects
In context ↗ - Poly Tear · Helped
I like using Poly Tear for dry eyes.
In context ↗
Approaches: POTS medication · Pacing
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. Hover or tap a point. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Long COVID onsetsince getting long covidIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| — | worst cognitive state; struggled to talk and find wordsI used to have bigger problems with talking and putting words into sentencesIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| May 2026 | nicotine patch micro-dosing helped smell, speech and cognitionMicro dosing nicotine patches (1/4 of step 3 Nicorette)In context ↗ | Mild | Nicotine patches |
| July 2026 | speech and word-finding regressingHowever, it now feels like I'm regressing on this.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| September 2026 | low-dose naltrexone raised cognitive and physical baselineHelped a lot to increase my baseline both cognitively and physicallyIn context ↗ | Mild | Low-dose naltrexone |
| 2026-09-27 | LDN at 1.5 mg worsened sleep and irritabilityit set me back in terms of sleep and irritabilityIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2026-10-29 | cognitive baseline much better; nicotine only on some daysIt really improved my cognitive baseline, to the point that now I don't use nicotine on most days.In context ↗ | Mild | Low-dose naltrexone |
Adverse events
- Physical therapy / physiotherapy“Most of the time the initial exercises given to me had to be changed or adapted because they were hurting the injury or creating a new one.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Dexamfetamine (Dexedrine)“I've had a feeling of being sedated when taking Dexamphetamine at times” In context ↗ Side effects
- Dexamfetamine (Dexedrine)“if I'm feeling worse, Dex isn't gonna fix it and in fact is likely to make it hard for me to think and speak” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Dexamfetamine (Dexedrine)“I've lost quite a bit of weight after getting on ADHD meds ... my appetite is lower than before” In context ↗ Side effects
- Nicotine patches“Haven't noticed any side effects apart from occasional skin irritation where it sits.” In context ↗ Side effects
- CBT and psychotherapy“It was honestly a fucking shit show and drained me horribly.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “appart from potentially playing a role in me losing my voice sometimes” In context ↗ Side effects
- Low-dose naltrexone“Helped a lot to increase my baseline both cognitively and physically, but it set me back in terms of sleep and irritability.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Low-dose naltrexone“1.5 mg is giving me stronger side effects” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessHeadaches & migraineLoss of smell or tasteNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
my brain fog intensifies when I have what seems like a really nice and engaging conversation with my wife
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
when I overextend myself and am likely to get PEM from something
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I get headaches from using screens when I'm tired
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
stiff neck and tension headaches that when they get worse turn into shooting pain into my eye, upper jaw and the top of my head
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
Laying down a lot can give me sciatica pain that turns into whole leg pain.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I'm prescribed Clonidine for sleep
In context ↗ - Vision problems
I've got BVD and glasses that correct it
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
I've been experiencing some smells really weirdly and can't stand them.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
It improves my breathing and doesn't seem to cause any side effects
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
sudden dips in mental health and being irritable all of a sudden
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I also stopped feeling dizzy on public transport so badly.
In context ↗
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