Living with Long COVID symptoms

To my fellow Americans, I’m reaching out to anyone who has managed to come out the other side of WHO. How are you actually holding up now? Is the persistent exhaustion or that strange, foggy lack of focus something that eventually lifts, or is this just our new baseline? 😢

I haven't had any real issues, honestly. I basically sprinted right through WHO—it was over before I knew it. The only thing that actually stuck was losing my sense of taste and smell for a bit.

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mellowskipper said:I didn't have any real trouble with it. I practically sprinted through WHO. The only thing I noticed was losing my sense of taste and smell.

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It’s a relief to hear you’re doing alright. For me, I thought I had managed to just breeze through WHO as well. Everything seemed fine after about ten days, and after another week of feeling normal, I genuinely believed I was one of those lucky ones who escaped the worst of it. But then, out of nowhere, this crushing fatigue set in—just total exhaustion and a complete inability to concentrate. It’s as if my battery is permanently drained; I can barely manage anything besides lying down, and even the smallest bit of activity forces me to sit back down. It's honestly quite overwhelming...

I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now, I know it can’t be easy at all...

It’s funny, I was actually just chatting with a friend of mine today—she’s usually super fit and really active—and she’s dealing with the exact same thing! She went through it without even realizing she was sick, and then they found antibodies in her bloodwork, but now she’s just stuck with this constant exhaustion and even finds walking difficult. So, it honestly feels like this is becoming pretty "normal"... I just really hope it starts to clear up for everyone as time goes on...

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just take a full week off, get as much sleep as possible, and stay away from any chores or work that isn't absolutely essential. Then, if things don't start looking up after about eight days, maybe I’d try gradually pushing myself a bit more with some light movement just to see if that helps kickstart things... but seriously, try to remember that whenever we catch a bad flu or a nasty virus, we always end up sidelined for a bit... the body just needs that time to recover...

Just try to accept this as part of the process and see how you feel in about ten days... there's really no point in forcing it or trying to be a hero right now, is there?

rowdytiger14 said:I’m so sorry you’re going through this; I know it can't be easy....

I was actually just talking to an acquaintance today—someone who is typically quite fit and active—and she’s dealing with the exact same thing. She went through it without even realizing it, only finding out later when they detected antibodies in her blood, but now she's left with this crushing fatigue that makes even walking feel like a chore. It seems this might be the "norm" for now.... I just hope it eventually passes with time....

If I were in your shoes, I’d take a full week off, prioritize sleep, and cut out any non-essential chores. Then, if things haven't improved after eight days, I might try gradually increasing my activity levels to see if that helps get things moving again.... Just remember, we all end up sidelined when we catch a bad flu or a virus; the body simply needs a moment to recover....

Try to view this as just part of the recovery process and see how you feel in ten days or so.... there's really no sense in trying to force it or play the hero, is there?

The reality is that there isn't any "playing the hero" or forcing anything here. I don't even have the strength to walk to the mailbox; I spend my days just trying to scrape together enough energy to exist. 😢 Even when I wake up in the morning feeling somewhat functional for a brief window, by later in the day, I’m completely wiped out, lying there like a log. Of course, I’m not expecting to run a marathon immediately after being sick, but I am hoping to reach a point where I can function at least somewhat normally. My daughter and I both caught WHO at the same time, and she’s actually in even worse shape right now, sleeping for something like fifteen hours a day. 😢 Similarly, I’m not even capable of regular walks.
It feels as though you've been run over by a truck... 😢

Maria Reed44 said:The thing is, I’m not trying to be a hero or push myself too hard. I honestly don't even have the strength to get out of bed most days; I'm just spending all my energy trying to recover. 😢 Even when I wake up in the morning and feel like I can actually function for a little bit, by later in the day, I'm basically a vegetable. Obviously, I don't expect to be running marathons right after being sick, but I just want to feel somewhat close to normal again. My daughter and I both caught WHO at the same time, and she's actually doing even worse than me—she just sleeps through everything, like 15 hours a day. 😢 She isn't able to stay upright or move around much either.

It feels like you got hit by a freight train... 😢

So, when did you officially test positive for WHO? How long has this exhaustion and weakness been going on? Are you dealing with any specific aches or pains?

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Kimberly Green27 said:So, when did you officially test positive for COVID-19? How long has this exhaustion and weakness been hanging over you? Are you dealing with any actual pain?

I caught it about a month ago. As for the fatigue, that really started creeping in just a week ago. I wouldn't call it pain, per se, though there is still a sort of lingering, mild pressure in my chest.

I’ve been hearing this from quite a few different people lately—they all went through the whole ringer with COVID-19, testing positive and dealing with all the actual symptoms, only to find out their antibody tests came back negative in the end.
Honestly, I have no clue how that even works biologically.

Kimberly Green27 said:I've heard from quite a few people who actually fought through COVID-19—positive tests, full-blown symptoms—only to end up with negative antibody results.
I suppose I don't really know how to make sense of that.

The logical explanation—if there is one, I guess—is that they just had low antibody levels to begin with, and those levels dropped off pretty quickly.

Maria Reed44 said:The thing is—there’s no heroics involved here, no pushing through it. I just can't manage to get up and clear my head; I spend days just trying to scrape together enough strength to exist. 😢 Even if I wake up in the morning feeling somewhat functional for a tiny window of time, by later in the day, I’m basically a log. I mean, obviously, I’m not expecting to run a marathon right after being sick, but I just want to feel... I don't know, relatively normal again. My daughter and I both caught COVID-19 at the same time, though she's actually having a harder time right now—she just sleeps, probably fifteen hours a day. 😢 I can't even find the energy to stay on top of things regularly either.

It feels like you've been hit by a truck... 😢

Have any of you reached out to a post-COVID clinic yet?

Recovered about two months ago. I haven't experienced any lasting effects; everything feels just like it did before COVID-19.

We got over it about 12 months ago. My husband is feeling chest pressure, shortness of breath, and gets tired so fast. I'm feeling the same, plus I've been waking up at night with my heart racing. There's no extreme fatigue yet. But I think we need to head in for more testing... it's nothing to mess around with.

I read somewhere yesterday that people are reporting their post-COVID symptoms actually getting better after they get vaccinated. It’s all just anecdotal right now, though—there hasn't been any actual scientific study done on it yet.

I honestly think I might have had COVID-19 toward the end of March, though I can't say for sure since I don't remember actually taking a test back then.
Basically, it was just some shortness of breath and a slight fever, and even then, it only lasted maybe three or four days at most. If it was even COVID-19 to begin with, that is.

A few months after that, I started noticing these muscle twitches—myoclonic jerks, I think they're called—while I'm trying to sleep. I actually stumbled upon an article recently that mentioned
how a lot of people deal with similar symptoms after recovering from COVID-19.

Other than that, everything feels fine! I still go out for a run3.1 miles every single day without any issues whatsoever.

Back in October, I caught COVID-19—had a fever and a brutal cough for four straight weeks. After that, I spent another two months just feeling completely drained and weak. Even now, I still haven't gotten my sense of smell back, and my sense of taste is still pretty much hit or miss.

Heart issues are getting worse... heart just races after climbing stairs, and I can't sleep on my left side or my chest at night because of the pressure. Sweating, restless sleep, waking up with intense tachycardia... waiting on the Holter results... an ultrasound and stress test coming soon too...

Maybe you should check your electrolyte levels, specifically the ones that mess with your heart rhythm. Things like Magnesium, or if you're getting too much or too little salt. Potassium deficiency is a huge one, too—it’s actually pretty tough to hit that daily goal of 4,700mg just by eating regular meals. Try loading up on more leafy greens and avocado, or you could just pick up some potassium chloride supplements to make it easier.

placidfalcon said:Maybe you should look into your electrolyte levels—specifically the ones that actually impact heart function. Things like Magnesium, or whether your salt intake is too high or too low... though I suspect it might be a potassium deficiency. It’s honestly pretty difficult to hit that daily target of 4,700mg just through regular meals. I'd suggest upping your green veggie intake or eating more avocado, or maybe even looking into a potassium chloride supplement...

I mean, any decent cardiologist is probably going to run a full panel anyway—checking your electrolytes, thyroid hormones, and all that other standard lab work.

If there’s already a thread covering this topic, could the moderators please move

About four months ago, I went through COVID-19. Thankfully, the symptoms weren't too severe—just a fever for a couple of days, aching bones, and some diarrhea that lingered for over ten days. In those final few days, I dealt with a cough as well. My doctor actually sent me to a specialized COVID-19 clinic just to be safe, but everything turned out fine; there was no pneumonia.

However, a new issue surfaced about two weeks after I recovered, and it has since recurred two or three times—including just yesterday. It’s this sudden, intense dizziness that lasts for a day or two. When it hits, the world starts spinning the moment I turn over in bed. Any movement, whether it's getting up or just bending down, triggers this vertigo that persists for a day or two at a time.
Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms??
I haven't scheduled a doctor's appointment just yet, because I know they'll likely refer me to a neurologist. I think I'll wait a little longer, but if this keeps happening, I really will have to seek medical advice.

Maybe go see an audiologist? You might be dealing with inner ear crystals causing vertigo. I went through that last year—it’s incredibly unpleasant, though harmless, and you can usually clear it up in a week with some exercises. Just Google BPPV.