Eight months on the couch with long COVID, now near normal after niacin and diet changes
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 18 months
- Last post
- Dec 2021
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I also had Covid March 2020 and share a similar experience.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I went from laying on the couch gasping for air to slowing making my way back to the gym.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
One year completely off of gluten and rice and practically all of my symptoms have finally disappeared after a long 18-19 months of frustrating brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I also had Covid March 2020 and share a similar experience.
In context ↗
Read from 13 of their posts and comments; links to the 11 this page draws on
Summary
The user fell ill with COVID in March 2020 and spent eight months on the couch with fatigue, brain fog, chest pain and breathlessness. Niacin (100 mg, later 400 mg daily), zinc and vitamin C brought quick gains. A gluten-, rice- and milk-free diet plus pantoprazole resolved the breathlessness, and by 18-19 months most symptoms had gone and exercise was possible again. Acupuncture felt horrible; a B12 injection brought ten days of diarrhoea.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- niacin · Helped a lot
I'm finally starting to get back to a more normal lifestyle instead of laying on the couch literally all day.
In context ↗ - zinc · Helped
I've been doing this regiment as well, plus zinc and vitamin C, for 4 days and I feel amazing!
In context ↗ - elimination of gluten, rice and cows milk · Helped a lot
One year completely off of gluten and rice and practically all of my symptoms have finally disappeared after a long 18-19 months of frustrating brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue.
In context ↗ - pantoprazole · Helped
my SOB and chest pain went away with the elimination of gluten, rice and cows milk from my diet as well as pantoprazole (a strong acid reflux prescription)
In context ↗ - singular · Worse
I've been prescribed singular and Albuterol, which both have made the pressure in my chest so intense and not helped at all
In context ↗ - Symbicort inhaler · No change
I also have a Symbicort inhaler, which honestly just does nothing.
In context ↗ - Naproxen · No change
I've taken prescription strength Naproxen in hopes of any potential inflammation to go down, with no avail.
In context ↗ - accupuncture · Helped
Accupuncture also helped me, but again- not if I continued to eat those foods.
In context ↗ - B12 injection · Helped
but my fatigue has gone away and I've been able to exercise ever since.
In context ↗ - the 10 day fast · Helped
I'm not sure if it was the 10 day fast (I could barely eat anything, actually ended up in the ER to get fluids from dehydration)
In context ↗ - resting throughout the day · Helped
I get really fatigued if I do too much physical or mental activities so I make sure that I am resting throughout the day.
In context ↗
Approaches: Alternative therapies · Diet · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID-19; long COVID beganI also had Covid March 2020 and share a similar experience.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| November 2020 | eight months with no good days, on the couch all dayI haven't had any "good days" in 8 monthsIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| November 2020 | chest pain and fatigue eased after starting niacinI'm finally starting to get back to a more normal lifestyle instead of laying on the couch literally all day.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2021-01-07 | could read briefly and walk short distances with less tirednessI'm back to being able to read for short amounts of time and I don't get as tired after taking short walks.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2021-11-08 | breathlessness and chest pain gone after diet change and pantoprazolemy SOB and chest pain went away with the elimination of gluten, rice and cows milk from my diet as well as pantoprazoleIn context ↗ | Mild | Gluten-free diet |
| 2021-12-21 | fatigue gone, exercising again, still avoiding gluten and ricemy fatigue has gone away and I've been able to exercise ever sinceIn context ↗ | Near normal | Vitamin B12 |
Adverse events
- Niacin (vitamin B3)“My body gets really tingly and red, but it only lasts for 10-15 minutes.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Montelukast / Singulair“I've been prescribed singular and Albuterol, which both have made the pressure in my chest so intense and not helped at all in gaining a full breathe of air.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Montelukast / Singulair, Albuterol / salbutamol (Ventolin)“I've been prescribed singular and Albuterol, which both have made the pressure in my chest so intense and not helped at all in gaining a full breathe of air.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Acupuncture“I had 4 sessions of accupuncture (2 per week for 2 weeks). I felt horrible after each session.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Vitamin B12“Within hours of the injection I had the worst diarrhea which lasted for 10 days.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Vitamin B12“actually ended up in the ER to get fluids from dehydration” In context ↗ ER visit
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
My brain fog and fatigue have almost completely gone away
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I had SOB for a really long time.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
My chest pain has gone away
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
living in pain and sleeping all the time
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Bedridden with ME/CFS, now somewhat better though still dependent on carers and tube fed
Kestrel 76780 has had ME/CFS since childhood, becoming bedridden and unable to lift their head, then recovering to about 90% as a child. An active EBV infection, taken without shutting their life down, crashed them back to very severe for years. Since then…
-
Long COVID with migraines and brain fog, now nearly back to normal with blue-light glasses
After COVID in July 2022, confirmed by antibody test, this user developed long COVID with weeks of migraines, brain fog, light sensitivity and blurred vision, working with the lights off. They had acupuncture and ozone therapy for three months and were…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
Long COVID flare with mouth ulcers and weight loss, somewhat better with antihistamines
Owl 73867, a cyclist, tested positive for COVID in mid-September 2020 and had two flare-ups, both exercise- and stress-induced and lasting over a month. The first involved headaches and fatigue; the second, from April 2021, was the worst, with mouth ulcers,…
-
Long COVID with brain fog, fatigue and POTS, much better after niacin and antihistamines
A 25-year-old man developed long COVID in October 2020 with brain fog, fatigue, POTS symptoms and numbness, worst just after the infection. Over five months he improved gradually, crediting niacin, antihistamines, diet, fasting and acupuncture, though he…