Long COVID
Outcome unclearIll for 3 months
Long COVID fatigue, brain fog and dizziness, off work; tried escitalopram and physio
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- 3 months
- Last post
- Sep 2022
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I’ve had LC since January
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
So I started with being able to use 1800 ... active calories in a day. This is not much activity, mostly resting.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
had covid in early January, developed long covid within a few days of feeling better
In context ↗
Read from 19 of their posts and comments; links to the 8 this page draws on
Summary
Summit 19384 caught COVID in January 2022 and developed long COVID within days, with fatigue, brain fog, dizziness and anxiety; they have been off work. Low-dose escitalopram from month three cleared the anxiety, brain fog and fatigue, and a long COVID physio program with activity limits and heart-rate-targeted exercise they credit for their steady recovery. By month ten they still had disabling PEM but felt stronger and hoped to return to work.
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What they tried
Also tried
low dose escitalopram· Helpedlong covid physio program· Helpedtarget heart rate exercise on the elliptical· HelpedFitbit· Helpedsun· Helpedpopsicles· HelpedColgate peroxyl gargle· Helpedcovid booster· No change
Their words about each treatment
- low dose escitalopram · Helped
About month three I started taking low dose escitalopram for anxiety and it was after that my fatigue and brain fog seemed to ease up and completely disappear after a few weeks.
In context ↗ - long covid physio program · Helped
I feel the best I have felt since December 21 and give most of the credit to this program.
In context ↗ - target heart rate exercise on the elliptical · Helped
Somewhere in there I was given a target heart rate to hit, to start exercising the nervous system I guess you could say.
In context ↗ - Fitbit · Helped
Basically, I wear a Fitbit (any smart watch will work) and in the beginning of this program, I started at a very small allowance of ‘active calories’.
In context ↗ - covid booster · No change
I waited a few months before getting the booster, for the same reasons you are hoping for. There was no change for me
In context ↗ - sun · Helped
Lots of sun is amazing and most of all, rest is still the number one medication.
In context ↗ - popsicles · Helped
It’s hard to deal with, but popsicles help in the really bad days.
In context ↗ - Colgate peroxyl gargle · Helped
I also gargled with Colgate peroxyl in the beginning, but it’s short lived relief.
In context ↗
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | COVID infection, long COVID within dayshad covid in early January, developed long covid within a few days of feeling betterIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| about three months in (April 2022) | very difficult time, off work, feeling hopelessAt about three months I was having a very difficult time with everything, and I was feeling pretty hopeless as well.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2022 | anxiety, brain fog and fatigue eased on low-dose escitalopramwithin a month the anxiety from being so sick subsided and so did my brain fog and fatigueIn context ↗ | Mild | Escitalopram (Lexapro) |
| September 2022 | still has PEM, stronger each day, hoping to return to workI feel the best I have felt since December 21 and give most of the credit to this program. ... I’m going into my 10th month and I’m hoping/ thinking I’ll be able to gradually return to work in the next month or two. | Mild | Graded rehab and self-made programmes |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I’m left with PEM which has been disabling
In context ↗ - Brain fog
the anxiety from being so sick subsided and so did my brain fog and fatigue
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
the extreme fatigue and the brain fog/ dizziness has all settled away
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
Anxiety, brain fog and fatigue slowly dissolved in about a month
In context ↗