Long COVID
Severe → relapsedIll 2 years before improving or writing
Bedbound with long COVID, antihistamines and time helped but exercise caused relapses
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- May 2025
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
I originally tested positive in March of 2020, and long hauled from April 2020 on.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
went from very athletic, to bed bound, even to the point of being unable to walk to the bathroom without my heart rate going to 160ish
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
After a couple years of full recovery, I’m back to hauling
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I originally contracted COVID in March of 2020.
In context ↗
Read from 280 of their posts and comments; links to the 39 this page draws on
- Nov 2021
- Sep 2021
- May 2025
- Oct 2020
- Jul 2021
- Mar 2021
- Oct 2021
- Oct 2020
- Feb 2021
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- Oct 2020
- Jul 2021
Summary
Maple 37425 caught COVID in March 2020 at 35 and was bed bound for months, unable to walk upstairs in one shot, with POTS, breathlessness, brain fog and gut symptoms. Antihistamines and time made symptoms tolerable, but he kept relapsing with exercise. He called himself fully recovered after about 17–18 months and returned to CrossFit and running.
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What they tried
What they credit
time· Helped a lot · mainDexamethasone· Helped a lotD / d3· HelpedZinc· HelpedSelenium· HelpedB12· Helpedworking out· Helpedflush niacin· HelpedZyrtec (citirizine)· HelpedCromolyn sodium· Helpedrest· HelpedNAC· HelpedWhite Willow Bark· HelpedCats Claw· HelpedGinger Root· HelpedIbuprofen· Helpedlow carb (no sugar), whole food diet· Helpedlow carb (no sugar), whole food diet· Helpedlow carb (no sugar), whole food diet· Helpedone meal per day· Helped
Also tried
Fish oil· HelpedPrilosec· HelpedBenadryl· HelpedCorcidin HBP Cough and Cold· Helpednicotine (pouch)· HelpedAtarax (hydroxyzine)· Helpedprednisone· No changeinhaled steroid· No changeQuercetin· No changeFamotidine / h2 blockers· No changealbuterol inhaler· No changeIvermectin· No changeSingular / Montelukast· WorseDHEA· Much worse
Their words about each treatment
- prednisone · No change
I have tried prednisone and a inhaled steroid and those did nothing.
In context ↗ - Quercetin · No change
I did. Did next to nothing for me.
In context ↗ - D / d3 · Helped
I also found the niacin, quercitin, d3, b12, selenium, zinc stack to help some.
In context ↗ - working out · Helped
While working out made flares worse, overall I feel that it made me feel better.
In context ↗ - Famotidine / h2 blockers · No change
Famotidine didn't do much.
In context ↗ - Prilosec · Helped
Switched to Prilosec and that helps more.
In context ↗ - Benadryl · Helped
Benadryl and corcidin hbp were the only thing that made life livable.
In context ↗ - Corcidin HBP Cough and Cold · Helped
Benadryl stoped the fast heart rates and the corcidin stopped the lung pain.
In context ↗ - nicotine (pouch) · Helped
Oddly nicotine (pouch) seems to help heart related symptoms.
In context ↗ - flush niacin · Helped
Helped within a few days.
In context ↗ - Singular / Montelukast · Worse
As for Montelukast, I hate that drug. It made me feel terrible.
In context ↗ - Atarax (hydroxyzine) · Helped
If heart rate goes up, atarax brings it down pretty well.
In context ↗ - Cromolyn sodium · Helped
But the cromolyn took some of the edge off.
In context ↗ - albuterol inhaler · No change
I had an albuterol inhaler months ago but it did nothing for me.
In context ↗ - time · Helped a lot
Honestly, time helped the most.
In context ↗ - rest · Helped
I took some time early 2021 to rest for a few months and I think that got me over the hump.
In context ↗ - Dexamethasone · Helped a lot
Dexamethasone (finished. This made a huge difference imo)
In context ↗ - NAC · Helped
NAC (N-Acetyl -Cystine)
In context ↗ - White Willow Bark · Helped
White Willow Bark (Converts to Aspirin in the stomach)
In context ↗ - Ibuprofen · Helped
high dose Ibuprofen helped a lot with all symptoms
In context ↗ - DHEA · Much worse
This made symptoms WAY WORSE, and was dose dependent.
In context ↗ - low carb (no sugar), whole food diet · Helped
I found that a low carb (no sugar), whole food diet with lots of fresh meat and veggies made a lot of difference.
In context ↗ - one meal per day · Helped
I noticed a big difference when I moved to one meal per day.
In context ↗ - Ivermectin · No change
No harm in trying. I tried it. Did nothing for me.
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · Antihistamines & MCAS · Diet · Exercise and activity · Other drugs and medicines · Radical rest · 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. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. The line stops at their last step that can be placed; how they are now is in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | COVID-19 infectionI originally contracted COVID in March of 2020.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| April 2020 | symptoms returned worse, ER twice, bed boundThe next 6 months were a living hell. I went from being a competitive athlete, to someone who couldn't even walk up the stairs in one shot.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| October 2020 | cyclical relapses every 30-40 daysI have relapses that kick in about every 30-40 days.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| February 2021 | MCAS meds gave about 80% improvement, able to work out againSo far the meds seem to be making a huge difference as I am able to workout now with way less symptoms.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| March 2021 | symptom free for a month, took a new jobI have basically been symptom free for about a month.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| June 2021 | able to return to a somewhat normal life, first CrossFit workoutI went from bed bound to now being able to return to a somewhat normal life.In context ↗ | Mild | Time and spontaneous remission |
| July 2021 | 99% recovery, back to intense athletic trainingAlmost full recovery after 17 months.In context ↗ | Near normal | Time and spontaneous remission |
| August 2021 | declared himself 100% recovered, off all medsAt this point, I am going to say I am 100% recovered.In context ↗ | Recovered | Time and spontaneous remission |
| October 2021 | COVID reinfectionAfter long hauling for 18 months and fully recovering, I am now reinfected with covid.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2021-11-18 | starting back on graded training after reinfectionRecovered to the point of adding back running and crossfit, was reinfected in October of 2021, and now starting back on the road to recovery againIn context ↗ | Mild | Corticosteroid pulses |
| 2021-12-06 | running 3-7 miles, symptoms mildGoing to say I am pretty much out of the woods now.In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| March 2022 | fully recovered, back to eating, drinking and working outNow in March of 2022, I can say I am fully recovered.In context ↗ | Recovered | Time and spontaneous remission |
| August 2023 | completed a half marathon with a 50lb pack, entered a triathlonIm fully recovered at this point. Doing the Santa Barbara Triathlon on Sat.In context ↗ | Recovered | Time and spontaneous remission |
| May 2025 | back to long hauling after a couple of years of full recoveryAfter a couple years of full recovery, I’m back to haulingIn context ↗ | Not stated |
Adverse events
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), H1 antihistamines (unspecified), Cetirizine (Zyrtec), Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)“So far the meds make me feel super out of it.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Montelukast / Singulair“It makes you feel terrible, you can't sleep” In context ↗ Side effects
- Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)“I was tired for a few days, but that passed.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)“Swapped Benedryl for hydroxizine and citrizine since the benedryl gave me dry mouth” In context ↗ Side effects
- DHEA“This made symptoms WAY WORSE, and was dose dependent.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessGut problemsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsLoss of smell or tasteNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseTemperature regulationVision problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
PEM not probably in the classic sense, but exercise induced, and made relapses worse.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
Severe brain fog for a few hours to the point where I can't carry a conversation.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Racing heart when standing (110-130, resting normally 50-55, now as low as 42)
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
My joints feel arthritic. All of them… even like my hands and feet.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I’m being treated for MCAS, which helps with fast heart rates and lung issues, but does nothing for headaches or brian fog.
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Severe diarrhea followed by constipation
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
Shortness of breath with lower SP02 readings (95%-93%, normally 99%-98%)
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
My heart used to race just turning over in bed or just waking up.
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
Lots of tingling and odd pains. Especially in my hands and feet.
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I feel like I was a little depressed about it for a bit.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
I spiked 101.4 last night and have had a 100+ fever for the last 3 days with this relapse.
In context ↗ - Vision problems
my vision had a weird lag
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
a complete loss of smell and taste, which both recovered after a few days
In context ↗
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