1. < Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19

Any tips to help recovery for a COVID Long-Hauler?

Posted by Cilla21 @cilla21, May 13, 2021

I was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of Feb 2021. Nearly three months later, neither my taste nor smell has been fully restored. My husband also tested positive and was completely out of it for one full week. He could not even get out of bed. My case seemed to be mild. Though I felt ill, I was not bed-ridden nor did I feel debilitated. Most of my activities (household and work) were not halted. My husband has zero lingering effects from his infection, meanwhile I am still experiencing chills, headaches, fatigue, and body aches on and off weekly. Additionally, I'm undergoing testing for heart valve issues. It's becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate these lasting symptoms with no end in sight. Any suggestions/tips to aid in a faster recovery would be welcomed and very much appreciated.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

ritesh | @ritesh | Jul 14, 2021

I was discharged on 11th june from hospital.my ct score was 19/25 when i admitted in the hospital and my oxygen saturation was 93 at that time.Now on 14th july saturation still fluctuates between 90 to 96 and mostly remains 92-94.Breathlessness is not there.i am taking hypertension tablet olmesartan 40 mg from last 4 yrs .i am 33 years old.Shoul i go for another ct scan or not ...i have already taken two scans earlier on 27th may and june 1.plz suggest

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1 reply
Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Jul 15, 2021
In reply to @ritesh "I was discharged on 11th june from hospital.my ct score was 19/25 when i admitted in..." + (show)
@ritesh

I was discharged on 11th june from hospital.my ct score was 19/25 when i admitted in the hospital and my oxygen saturation was 93 at that time.Now on 14th july saturation still fluctuates between 90 to 96 and mostly remains 92-94.Breathlessness is not there.i am taking hypertension tablet olmesartan 40 mg from last 4 yrs .i am 33 years old.Shoul i go for another ct scan or not ...i have already taken two scans earlier on 27th may and june 1.plz suggest

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Hello @ritesh and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You will notice I have moved your post into an existing discussion on COVID long-haul symptoms.

Did you doctor indicate what CT score was desirable or a goal in your recovery? Also, you said "breathlessness is not there". Can I clarify that you are not feeling breathless?

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marev1968 | @marev1968 | Jul 25, 2021
In reply to @sueinmn "Christina - I don't know where you are located, but in our metro, there are a..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Christina - I don't know where you are located, but in our metro, there are a number of post-Covid rehab centers and studies. My PT is running one that includes exercise, meditation, and brain stimulating activities. I don't have complete details, but I would think they are using nutrition and supplements as well.
Sue

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where are you located? I would be interested in more information

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2 replies
Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Jul 28, 2021
In reply to @marev1968 "where are you located? I would be interested in more information" + (show)
@marev1968

where are you located? I would be interested in more information

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Hello @marev1968 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for joining this discussion for long-haulers. I am guessing that you are experiencing long-haul symptoms based on your interest on more information from @sueinmn on the program that she referenced above. Is that right?

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1 reply
rebalancemassage | @rebalancemassage | Jul 29, 2021
In reply to @marev1968 "where are you located? I would be interested in more information" + (show)
@marev1968

where are you located? I would be interested in more information

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I’m in Albany NY but you can find an ART provider in you area from the website http://www.activerelease.com. Just go to “patients” and put in your zip code.

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1 reply
marev1968 | @marev1968 | Jul 29, 2021
In reply to @rebalancemassage "I’m in Albany NY but you can find an ART provider in you area from the..." + (show)
@rebalancemassage

I’m in Albany NY but you can find an ART provider in you area from the website http://www.activerelease.com. Just go to “patients” and put in your zip code.

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Thank you. I’m in MN so I’ll check around there

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marev1968 | @marev1968 | Jul 29, 2021
In reply to @amandajro "Hello @marev1968 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for joining this discussion for long-haulers...." + (show)
@amandajro

Hello @marev1968 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for joining this discussion for long-haulers. I am guessing that you are experiencing long-haul symptoms based on your interest on more information from @sueinmn on the program that she referenced above. Is that right?

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Yes. That is correct. I’ve had 3 negative nasal tests but tested positive for antibodies. AlthoughI am a healthcare worker, I am unable to get worker’s comp as my putative anti body test came after getting the first dose of Pfizer vaccine.
I continue to have symptoms And more emerging symptoms as time progresses. Very disheartening.

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laurie | @lauriekh | Jul 30, 2021

I posted a while back on this thread and thought I'd give an update. After getting Covid in March '21, I had ongoing daily fevers (usu 100 and 101), terrible headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. I thought I was fighting a severe, extended case of long Covid. I went to Mayo at the end of June, and they discovered that I hadn't formed any antibodies to Covid-19. At that time, my d-dimer was elevated, too, so they were concerned about clots. Fortunately, my lungs had no clots, just evidence of Covid. I was admitted and given convalescent plasma and Remdesivir for treatment. I am now so much better. I had been treated with Rituxan (as a post-stem cell transplant treatment for lymphoma) up through last fall, and it most likely has interfered with my antibody production, even though I had had the Covid-19 vaccine in Dec/Jan '21 and acquired the virus in March. I am still very tired after exercise, and my lungs/breathing have a long way to go. But my fevers are gone, and I am so thankful for Mayo's doctors. I thought others might benefit from knowing that sometimes we don't form our own antibodies- if you've had cancer treatment, you may want to have your antibodies checked. I don't understand why my local infectious disease doc didn't check mine back in April, when I asked her about it...I suffered needlessly for 2.5 more months because of that. My recovery is slow-going, but I can tell I am at least making progress! Thank God for the good people who donate plasma/blood! I wish you all improved health, and I sure can empathize with what you are going through! Covid-19 stinks to high heaven.

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2 replies
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jul 30, 2021
In reply to @lauriekh "I posted a while back on this thread and thought I'd give an update. After getting..." + (show)
@lauriekh

I posted a while back on this thread and thought I'd give an update. After getting Covid in March '21, I had ongoing daily fevers (usu 100 and 101), terrible headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. I thought I was fighting a severe, extended case of long Covid. I went to Mayo at the end of June, and they discovered that I hadn't formed any antibodies to Covid-19. At that time, my d-dimer was elevated, too, so they were concerned about clots. Fortunately, my lungs had no clots, just evidence of Covid. I was admitted and given convalescent plasma and Remdesivir for treatment. I am now so much better. I had been treated with Rituxan (as a post-stem cell transplant treatment for lymphoma) up through last fall, and it most likely has interfered with my antibody production, even though I had had the Covid-19 vaccine in Dec/Jan '21 and acquired the virus in March. I am still very tired after exercise, and my lungs/breathing have a long way to go. But my fevers are gone, and I am so thankful for Mayo's doctors. I thought others might benefit from knowing that sometimes we don't form our own antibodies- if you've had cancer treatment, you may want to have your antibodies checked. I don't understand why my local infectious disease doc didn't check mine back in April, when I asked her about it...I suffered needlessly for 2.5 more months because of that. My recovery is slow-going, but I can tell I am at least making progress! Thank God for the good people who donate plasma/blood! I wish you all improved health, and I sure can empathize with what you are going through! Covid-19 stinks to high heaven.

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I am so glad to hear that the puzzle was solved for you, and that you are finally beginning to heal. What a difficult thing to experience on top of your stem cell transplant and post treatment.

This article, recently found by another of our Connect mentors, may help explain the lack of antibody testing:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/05/16/995446986/coronavirus-faq-should-i-get-my-antibodies-checked-after-i-get-vaccinated
The good news is that work is underway to both develop and test a true vaccine antibody test and to understand all the pieces that must work together to provide protection from Covid infection.

Please take good care of yourself as you continue to heal. I would love to hear about your further progress in the weeks and months ahead.
Sue

REPLY
1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 30, 2021
In reply to @lauriekh "I posted a while back on this thread and thought I'd give an update. After getting..." + (show)
@lauriekh

I posted a while back on this thread and thought I'd give an update. After getting Covid in March '21, I had ongoing daily fevers (usu 100 and 101), terrible headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. I thought I was fighting a severe, extended case of long Covid. I went to Mayo at the end of June, and they discovered that I hadn't formed any antibodies to Covid-19. At that time, my d-dimer was elevated, too, so they were concerned about clots. Fortunately, my lungs had no clots, just evidence of Covid. I was admitted and given convalescent plasma and Remdesivir for treatment. I am now so much better. I had been treated with Rituxan (as a post-stem cell transplant treatment for lymphoma) up through last fall, and it most likely has interfered with my antibody production, even though I had had the Covid-19 vaccine in Dec/Jan '21 and acquired the virus in March. I am still very tired after exercise, and my lungs/breathing have a long way to go. But my fevers are gone, and I am so thankful for Mayo's doctors. I thought others might benefit from knowing that sometimes we don't form our own antibodies- if you've had cancer treatment, you may want to have your antibodies checked. I don't understand why my local infectious disease doc didn't check mine back in April, when I asked her about it...I suffered needlessly for 2.5 more months because of that. My recovery is slow-going, but I can tell I am at least making progress! Thank God for the good people who donate plasma/blood! I wish you all improved health, and I sure can empathize with what you are going through! Covid-19 stinks to high heaven.

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Good afternoon Laurie- I'm so glad that you received treatment for your covid symptoms. Covid takes a lot out of you so please take it extremely easy getting back into your life as you recover. One way to do this is by being very delicate with your lungs. Don't push too hard with activities or exercise because you could actually hurt your lungs further.

I am a lung cancer survivor and after I had finished my first proton radiation my radiologist really pushed this. No more than 3# weights, etc...I like to run headfirst into things but I really had to hold myself back.

I hope that you continue to improve and hopefully, your immune system will kick in this time and a good test will be on its way!

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