Recovery from Long Covid

[freshgreen]

I never thought this time would come as I have been so ill with Long Covid for over 2 years.
It has been awful, truly awful and according to the Long Covid Clinic I was at the very extreme end of the illness.
But I now feel pretty good, and hopeful that soon it will be over.
The LC cough is still there but greatly reduced plus a few other factors, but they are very manageable. I no longer am ridiculously tired.
If you're suffering with LC can I just say it's possible to feel good again.
Just wanted to pass some hope on to those suffering.

That's great news 😊

I was very ill with covid, knocked me for six in September, still feeling like I'm recovering. I'm on my third bottle of Metatone which is helping a lot. Just starting to feel more human again. Onwards and upwards.

I'm glad to hear that. I've been ill with it coming up to three years. It feels like it has almost ruined my life, and certainly my health. I look like a completely different person too, have aged about 10 years. I can't even talk about it all. But thanks for the hope. I have probably gotten a bit better very gradually, then I'll relapse.

@freshgreen what did you do or did it just happen? It seems like a “cure” for long covid is a long way off

I’m much improved after 3 years too, although still have to plan, pace and rest.
I can do some gentle exercise, I can take the stairs, I can work 4days and it’s tiring but manageable.
Nothing I ‘did’ worked, just time.

Reading these posts makes me very cross people dismiss covid as a mild cold!

Unfortunately mines almost 3 years with no improvement, I am limited to around 10% of my previous activity level, some things I can’t do at all

Anyone still suffering should look at Nicole Sachs podcast The Cure for Chronic Pain. Lots of discussion and interviews there on recovery from long covid. I successfully used the same approach to “heal” from what I was told was interstitial cystitis and I now know was neuroplastic symptoms. A friend of mine used it for her long covid symptoms when I recommended it and is now living normally. Worth a shot at least if you have nothing to lose.

No cure, unfortunately. What I did was pace myself and rest, rest, rest.
I don't think that 'cured' me but it did help me live with LC.
I was a busy, lively person before C and found it hard to accept how ill I was afterwards.
The LC clinic nurse told me I was very ill and needed to accept that...this was after 16 months of bad health. Those words helped and I started looking after myself instead of trying to battle through symptoms.
My guess is that nothing helps you recover. It's just a waiting game. And I am cautious that this may not be my future as we know so little about the lasting effects. However life is much improved.
Love to all that are suffering.
X

I’ve got bad Long Covid. How did you all avoid re catching Covid?

I caught C again about 2 months ago. It was rotten and two of my friends had it at the same time.
I'd say we were all equally ill but my tiredness was worse than theirs. Maybe coincidental?
I'm vaccinated but haven't had my latest vaccine as that was when I caught C again.

Thanks for this hopeful update, OP - did you find that it was a gradual improvement throughout or something more sudden?

Honestly one day about a month ago I just thought that I didn't feel terrible. Don't get me wrong, I still have niggles but they are manageable. Prior to a month ago my health and abilities were awful.
I daren't even believe that I was feeling ok and didn't desperately need the naps or had to go on all fours upstairs. Now a monthish on my days and nights are good. A new good, not the level of before but that's ok.
So I guess the answer is that the changes came over a week or two which seems pretty amazing considering the long stretch of bad health.

And you have no idea why? My impression is that there isn’t any explanation, it just spontaneously occurs for some people.
hmm were you resting more than usual maybe?

Thanks for this, OP. I'm three years into Long Covid and back in a bad place. I was off work for over a year, and then with lots of pace and resting managed to get myself gradually improving. For me, the brain fog and the chronic fatigue are the worst parts.

I would say I never got past about 70% ok, but I sort of managed for a year or so back at work, but following a real increase in workload and stress I've crashed and burned again about 6 months ago.

I now feel right back where I was at the beginning and am just hanging on day by day.

It’s absolutely awful isn’t it.
problem is most of us can’t afford not to work or have other unpaid caring responsibilities so getting enough rest is very difficult

3 years on Christmas Day. (Santa must have given it to me). Mild Covid but Long Covid has been an really annoying embuggerance. I was up to about 7 hours of doing stuff per day but caught the cold virus that was about a month ago which put me back 6 months. Think I'm getting over that setback now.
My tip to handling it is to stop thinking about day to day wellness. Compare how you are today with 3 or 6 months ago, then you realise you are improving, just slowly. Last Christmas I tried the Couch 2 5k running programme again. Couldn't do week one. By last month I was up to week four.

This is encouraging. I've had long covid since March 2020. I was previously a very busy, active, healthy deputy headteacher and now I'm completely housebound. (I've left my house 4 times since 2020.) My whole life has changed.

I have only seen this post as a friend sent me a link and told me to look as she thought it might encourage me (often not even got energy/capacity for reading/replying to texts from family/friends, so don't come on social media at all).

Has anyone found anything has helped them recover other than resting? I've been resting for over 3 & a half years!

@Sunflowers82 I am considering the Visible plus app and polar strap, take a look and let me know what you think?

I didn't
I think my immunity might be shot to pieces actually

Original covid infection January 2021
Long covid diagnosed November 2021
Glandular fever September 2022
Second covid infection October 2023

Somehow I'm still managing to work so that I don't starve but until I get a WFH job my health is pretty screwed.

I can relate to almost everything in this thread

@Sunflowers82 I had a GPs referral to a Long Covid group that had specialist support from an ME Occupational Therapist who was brilliant. We had weekly online group sessions for about 4 months.

I focus on pacing and trying to empty my mind and just focus on the small task I'm doing. Qi Gong has been very helpful - I'll add a link to the one I use. I also do meditation.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jeff+chand+qigong&rlz=1C1CHZN_enGB1020GB1020&oq=jeff+chand+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBEAAYgAQyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIGCAIQRRhAMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgYIBxBFGDzSAQg1NzM3ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:308539a8,vid:Y88zYo0YlOo,st:0

@Sunflowers82 I’ve found acupuncture and Chinese medicine absolutely transforming.

Ive been seeing a proper medically qualified Chinese doctor. They use this in hospitals in China. The difference is amazing. It’s expensive, but really really helpful. There’s quite a bit of research on it. Mine trained at a hospital in China and now lives in U.K.

You need a proper Chinese one though, who’s been trained properly. I find other ones less effective.

Whereabouts are you?

I'd been resting for 2 years so no change there.

Hi I have long Covid which has caused me to have POTs. I get a lot of chest pain with this.
I was hoping to start the Nuffield rehabilitation course but they won't accept me on it at the moment as my heart rate still increases too much even on the beta blockers.
I'm currently waiting for another appointment with the long Covid Clinic.

I have PoTS too caused by LC. My heart palpitations are nearly gone for the time being.
Of course, PoTS is now here for a lifetime but it's manageable atm...long May that last!
My heart goes out to you and wishes you some relief x