5 yrs post covid. Is there any help out there?

I'd just like to add to the conversation (if it hasn't already been said) that I have found a rheumatologist who is listening to me and trying to help. Long COVID shares some symptoms with some autoimmune diseases, so it's worth a shot.

@forest32
thanks

I’ve also had Long Covid for 5 years; got it after my first bout with Covid in January 2021. After 4-1/2 years, I was desperate to find a “Long Covid doctor”. Dr. Jordan Vaughn runs the MedHelp Long Covid Clinic in Birmingham, AL, and has been a huge help in improving my symptoms. He has done extensive research on Long Covid and is very knowledgeable about treating it. Most of his patients are Alabama residents, but he also treats out-of-state patients in a remote telehealth program. Google “medhelpclinics.com” for info on contacting the clinic. I’m not 100% “cured”, but am so much better than I was mid-2025. I hope Dr. Vaughn can help you as much as he helped me. There IS help out there!

@lcat70 can you talk a little about the actual treatments that helped you?

@lcat70 This is so encouraging. I’m glad you posted here, thank you.

Hi @mea1top. The clinic runs a lot of bloodwork to determine what’s causing symptoms, then treat symptoms with prescriptions and supplements. I live 3 hours from the clinic, so in 6 months I saw Dr. Vaughn or his CRNP in person every other month, with Telehealth appointments between in-person appointments. Diagnosed issues from bloodwork at my first appointment included Acquired Thrombophilia, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Venous Disease, Anemia, and Primary Hypothyroidism. I also had Extreme Fatigue, Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy, Brain Fog with Memory Loss, and Anxiety. To treat these conditions I was given 6 prescriptions and 11 supplements. Meds were adjusted based on side effects, changes in my symptoms, and results of bloodwork done at my 2nd and 3rd in-person appointments. By my last appointment, most of my symptoms and diagnosed issues had improved; brain fog with memory loss remains an opportunity. Treatment also included exercises and compression devices to improve circulation in my legs.
Taking 42 pills a day was tough. This included Long Covid meds plus prescriptions and supplements I took before seeing Dr. Vaughn. After being too tired to walk, much less work out for 4-1/2 years, I struggled to do as much exercising as they wanted, but I’m working on it. I’m still taking my meds, but am now seeing Dr. Vaughn on an as-needed basis. I have an upcoming appointment with a neurologist to discuss possible causes of brain fog outside of Long Covid.

thank you - happy that many things improved - that's good news. Any specific Long Covid meds? I'm taking Low Dose Naltrexone, which is helping - but not all the time - and I'm still left with quite a few lapses into fatigue and my aerobic capacity remains very limited - this after 5.5 years. Thanks again.

@lcat70 My goodness, you have been through it. Dr. Vaughn sounds like a doctor who really cares about people with LC.

I’m keeping a really good thought for you that the neurologist can help and that the brain fog lifts. Wishing you all the best. 🙏🏻🌼

@kyrazpollet
Compression socks, diuretics
The source of the swelling needs to be determined, many doctors seem to be uninformed about Covid’s role in swelling and edema that is likely endothelial dysfunction in which the lining of the
Blood vessels is damaged and allows seepage of what should be inside the blood vessels to leak into the local tissues that causes damage and inflammation and can precipitate an autoimmune reaction. Endothelial dysfunction, microvascular dysfunction or capillary leak can be treated and best if started early using things like statins and to help for cellular repair. I’m awaiting a visit with a micro Vascular expert that I had to find on my own despite seeing five different providers at a Vascular group here and two Cardiologists. The are treatment centers at Stanford University but need to be a California resident for tx there

@mea1top, I hesitate to name specific meds, as those prescribed for me (including two compounded prescriptions) were based on my specific lab results and my pre-existng conditions. I’m a diabetic (a result of Long Covid), have had a TIA, and have a heart condition. All that factors into the meds I take.