Awful fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog..anything helping you?

@bigj,
My brain fog includes difficulty communicating (especially word loss), difficulty thinking clearly and making decisions, inability to concentrate/pay attention, forgetfulness, memory loss, slow processing and reaction time of what is said and done, and mental exhaustion. It’s not consistent, but comes and goes. For me, stress and fatigue bring on brain fog. The worse the stress or the longer I’m fatigued without rest/sleep, the worse the brain fog.

I've discovered three supplements and one behavioral adjustment that have been recent Godsends in my battle against long COVID brain fog, respiratory issues, and fatigue. I feel as if I'm getting parts of my life back, regaining stamina and mental clarity, and from there have begun a moderate exercise program that adds to the snowballing effect of what I share below:

First, 10 mg of creatine in the morning coffee or smoothie. The usual 5 mg. dose used by gym rats is consumed by muscle before any gets to the brain, according to Rhonda Patrick (her Found My Fitness emails and YouTube videos have been breakthroughs for me.)

After that first 5 mg is absorbed and utilized by muscle (a stay against post-exertion fatigue, for long COVID sufferers,) the brain gets second dibs. That's where the gains against brain fog kick in. In my experience, life-giving and remarkable.

Short story, get a good grade of micronized creatine and do 10 mg. (two rounded teaspoons) per day - sometimes more or less depending on individual factors. Google Rhonda Patrick creatine, do your own research, make your own plan. Results are immediate and improve over time.

Second, 5 mg/day of L-glutamine, another body builder favorite that helps the immune system, exercise energy levels, and brain fog. Same story - look it up. One caveat - the stuff tastes horrible. Mix well into something that will disguise the sharp unpleasant flavor.

Third, (and a Godsend for me,) mullien. The extract or oil can be mixed with a splash of water and has a pleasant, earthy tea flavor. It coats and soothes the throat and helps thin and bring up cruddy mucous all at once, and does it gently.

Fourth, in an interview with Shawn Ryan Dr. Alexander Huberman recommends getting out into sunlight and lookling eastward every morning, preferably while exercising. That sets the biological clock for the rest of the day. Results: More alertness, less brain fog, better sleep at night. Again, look it up and give it a listen.

These things have helped me more than all the medical fummydiddling around to address long COVID I've been through over the past five years.

I'm already taking 600 mg. of n-acetyl cysteine twice daily and recently started Spiriva maintenance inhaler ($300 + per month - ouch!) to manage post-COVID exacerbation of COPD and asthma - both of which bcame crippling after the second bout of COVID.

Both the NAC and inhaler have helped my breathing immensely.

The medical community by and large ignores diet and supplements and/or behavioral changes as being reelevant to recovery from this disease.

They put me on an exercise and diet modification program following heart surgery; why does the same mode of thinking not transfer to a pandemic affecting so many people?

The problem is, there is no money for the pharma-medical cartel in lifestyle changes that would effectively shut down their profitability - which lies in developing quasi-addiction to expensive medical treatment while the manufactured pandemic rages on, moderated somewhat but not effectively addressed by their methods.

WE, this online community, must take charge of our own well-being and remain proactive and communicative about our condition and our successful tratments to combat it.

Please post here if the things I have mentioned help you as they have me - let's spread the word about what relieves our conditions, helps us manage and return to normal life, and gives us hope. We become stronger as we strengthen each other.

God bless you all.

GAME CHANGER - Mestinon (pyridostigmine) is a prescription medication (primarily used to treat myasthenia gravis) and i've been on it for 6 months now. I have 60mg pills - started 1/4 of a pill twice a day for a week, then 1/2 a pill twice a day for a week and now i'm on 1 pill twice a day. My doctor from Columbia Pres in NYC prescribed this to me and would like me to stay on it for a bit longer. I couldn't do anything without a cfs crash before i started it, now i can clean my house, my brain fog is gone and both Sunday and Tuesday i walked over 8 miles. I was tired afterwards, but... would you be? I skipped a day of meds by accident (visiting a friend) and i was very very tired w/o doing much. I understand this doesn't help everyone, but it is LIFE CHANGING.

I found a post on this website from someone (I forgot the poster's name) who shared that he had started a medication (Amantadine) stating that he noticed a difference within 2 weeks. I met with my Dr. to ask about this. I'm glad I did. I was on the verge of being fired from my job due to inability to concentrate or focus causing serious errors processing reports. While I didn't have the immediate results the original poster did, I am finally noticing a difference (3 months in) and I can tell when I've missed a dose. PLEASE NOTE - I am not offering medical advice! I'm just sharing that I am benefitting from this medication and it might be worth your time to speak to your Dr. about it. I hope this helps.

Fibromyalgia; Another gift from covid? I've always had the "coat-hanger pain" and extremely tense muscles in my shoulders since covid but the past year has progressed to where I can't bear even a shoulder massage after a manicure. I had a full body massage earlier this year and almost cried, every inch hurt as she lightly massaged me. Then during a pedicure a few months ago my legs hurt so bad as she applied lotion. WTF..... I saw my PCP last month and he thinks I now have fibromyalgia. He prescribed Cymbalta, but I'm so sensitive to medication I could only tolerate 2 days on this medication, such extreme nausea I couldn't eat ( I've already lost 60LB so can't afford to loose anymore), dizziness and feeling "out of it" plus my insomnia kicked into overdrive. Now what? another medication that makes me feel worse than I already do or just deal with this and try not to do too much that exasperates the pain?? This just isn't fair.......

@taunya6543 I (80 yo) agree that we who are older are fortunate in that most of us are no longer working (although I had to give up volunteer work) nor do we have children at home. My heart goes out to those who are rearing children, or caregiving for others, and/or must work for the income/insurance (if they’re ’lucky’). I miss many things about my former, very active life but like you try to look at the ‘upside.’ One of the things that’s hard for me is that I still look ‘fine’ ~ hard for people to believe I’m ill, so I fear people think I’m just lazy or antisocial…or in need of psychiatric therapy. Trying to stay positive, counting my blessings, wishing well to all who suffer. Inch by inch.

Dear @essiee.....YOU MADE MY (very difficult) DAY easier to bear. Consider yourself VERY SPECIAL! Hugs to you from me, "donnie46."
On Monday, October 6, 2025 at 01:44:14 PM EDT, Mayo Clinic Connect < nf+d3ab830c+77584819@n1.hubapplication.com> wrote:

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Mayo Clinic Connect
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| @essiee reacted with "hug" to your comment on Mon, Oct 6.

Dear Taunya6543,
Welcome to the unsolved world of Long Covid. I have exactly the same symptoms....EVERYTHING you are experiencing duplicates my situation. Got Covid in 2020 at a very active age seventy. Have found no one who has better suggestions or information than this Mayo site. Although no cure has been found, the site provides information that local doctors often do not know, it provides support that non-LC survivors don't always give to us, and it has allowed me to be "ok" with whatever I can accomplish in a day...and sometimes that is very little. I continue to believe that the next day will spur more activity, BUT do NOT beat myself up if that does not occur. Even close family members try but are unable to fully understand our situation because we do not always completely understand it ourselves. I attempt to take the advice of my wonderful P.C....."be prepared to live with this for the rest of your life." Disheartening?...yes. Disappointing?...yes. Demoralizing?...yes. Unexplainable?...yes. BUT...her words become more important as time passes because no matter what another person experiences or believes , WE must believe that we are doing our best under horrendous circumstances, and what WE think is all that matters. Sounds harsh, but who else walks in our shoes? Before finding this site, I duplicated all you expressed. Now I know there are others like me, others who are surviving, others who would NEVER judge me, others who understand, others who are suffering similar (or worse) aspects of this terrible situation and others who are more debilitated than I...hard to believe, but true.
Do whatever you can accomplish, feel proud that you make that effort and be as patient with yourself as you are with others. You did not ask for this, you do not deserve negativity from others and please know you are NOT alone. I am your medical twin...aka one in spirit from afar. Most people on this site have some of my symptoms, some have additional symptoms, some are healing, some are not. YOU are the first person who literally duplicates my situation. I am sad for you yet heartened to know you exist and extremely grateful you wrote. You learned much sooner than I what was wrong plus you are much younger. There is more hope for your progress than for mine. I appreciate you from afar to a greater extent than you can imagine. If you are inclined to reveal....may I ask the state you call home? I am in Massachusetts. Whether near or far, NEVER forget that you are very special!!! Perhaps my approaching age eighty carries a bit of wisdom worth remembering. Only YOU can decide.
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