Does anyone else with long covid have symptoms intermittently?

[AsTheWalrusSaid]

I had Covid at the end of November and I'm still experiencing symptoms but they tend to occur every two weeks. Though occasionally I've gone longer between symptoms.

It starts with a mild cough then I get waves of heat, fatigue and leg pain. It usually only lasts a day, sometimes hours then it goes away until next time.

Does anyone else have symptoms occur sporadically rather than reguarly?

Rather than constantly that should say.

Just before a period?

No. It doesn't seem to have any connection with my periods.

I had Covid in January and although I feel pretty much recovered, from time to time, my sinuses feel very very sensitive. It's like a burning feeling inside my nose.

During last winter it often felt like the colder outside air was so very cold in my nose. I often wore a facemask just to warm up the air a bit before it hit my nose. I'm not sure what will happen this winter.

I'm also finding I get tired more quickly. I'm ok day to day but any extra exertion or even mental activity/stress and I'm ready to go to sleep at around 8pm!

I'm hoping it will improve with time but it does frighten me a bit to sense that Covid is still with me. I worry about what else it could have done/be doing to my body.

I hope your symptoms lessen over time too. It's a horrible virus.

One symptom I do have that's near constant is a sort of mild pins and needles in my feet. I feel as though I've lost some sensation in them.

Lindy2 I'm sorry that you're suffering from it too. It sounds miserable. I hope that you continue to improve and lose the lingering symptoms soon.

Kind of yes. Covid end of November. Have ok days, then days full of energy and feel like normal, then pay for doing too much with weird hot flushes, sweating profusely, out of the blue. Tiredness. Palpitations. A persistent ache on my right lower rib, lasted a few weeks, now gone. I'm not right tbh, having further investigations which have so far all been normal. Loads of us on a covid facebook group with a myriad of long lasting symptoms. Pretty crap isn't it ? Appreciate I'm not really answering your question as my symptoms are fairly regular !

From what I've read about long covid it's a problem with the mitochondria, DS has mitochondrial difficulties so we have some experience.

The mitochondria are the powerhouses of the body, when they are damaged they dont convert minerals and vitamins effectively so you're body ends up short. You various bodily functions end up short of the minerals they need so dont work, that could be anything from heart function to calcium and potassium which is needed to for muscles to receive the instructions to move.

You might end up short because there isnt enough stuff available to your mitochondria, they are not able or are particularly inefficient to convert what is available or you've used more than is available. It will seem random to you but their most likely is a biochemical reason relating to what you have done over everything from the last 5 days to the last hour. DS took years to diagnose because his difficulties came and went to such a huge extent and it doesn't show on most tests. Testing the mitochondria is invasive, thoroughly unpleasant and not without risk. I cant imagine them offering it generally for long covid.

After DS was diagnosed, he had 20+ blood tests to see what was coming up short. He supplements what he is short. I've found pouring fats and bananas down his throat during periods of difficulty help hugely because those relate directly to his areas of difficulties.

We still dont know as much as we'd like about the mitochondria. There was an interesting interview last year with a mitochondrial specialist with Dr Zand and Dr Chris on BBC. He was saying how research into long covid might help people like DS.

Also they are making connections between the sympathetic nervous system (which we know precious little about) and long covid. The sympathetic nervous system has a role in the body's temperature regulation. Why you might get waves of heat. You might also find you dont run a temperature when you should, have body responses to temperature that over responses or under.

The Dr Xand interview is via @bbciplayer here time stamp 43 mins. It is well worth a watch

Definitely had similar pattern of recurring symptoms on a cycle exacerbated by exertion. I'd feel I was getting better for a week or two then symptoms came back but each time slightly milder. Original illness was March 2020, still not 100% but the symptoms @Lindy2 described of over sensitive sinuses finally went a couple of months ago. I described it like breathing chilli fumes in accidentally when cooking and inside of nose/sinuses felt burnt/sensitive.

Yes. I get this. They become less frequent though and tend to mean I have been physically overdoing it or been stressed. So these days not on a regular pattern.