How is the cold winter weather affecting those of us with long covid?

Posted by ronag @ronag, Dec 6, 2022

I was diagnosed with Covid-19 in April 2022, and this is my first winter coping with the symptoms. I find my breathing is more difficult with the onset of colder weather. I get short of breath very easily while outside despite my twice daily Pulmicort and Ventolin as needed. Has anyone else experienced this? A scarf/mask over my mouth and nose help, but not completely. Any other suggestions?

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Yes I am! Covid late July, 2022. Within the following month the dry hacky cough returned and I had major breathing problems while on beta blockers. It appears I may have had mild asthma since earlier in life (I’m 67) but didn’t know it and covid aggravated it. It’s been 3 months of torture dealing with it and I’m still in testing and seeking help.
I have noticed the cold weather is making it worse. I’ll be short of breath during a 2.5-3 mi walk. Im hacking and wheezing more. It’s horrible. I was prescribed a rescue albuterol inhaler which has been helpful but not a cure-all. A couple days ago I was prescribed albuterol through a nebulizer. And yesterday I was given s new rx from a pulmonologist for budesomide-formeterol that hasn’t been filled yet ( insurance issues!) I’m unfamiliar with your meds. Are they through an inhaler?
But yes I do the scarf over my face until I feel suffocated, remove it, keep walking, put it back over my nose and mouth , back and forth. Blanket over my face at night. And yes it is so frustrating. If I find a better fix I’ll definitely let you know. Can you do the same please?
I totally understand.

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@mimioto

Yes I am! Covid late July, 2022. Within the following month the dry hacky cough returned and I had major breathing problems while on beta blockers. It appears I may have had mild asthma since earlier in life (I’m 67) but didn’t know it and covid aggravated it. It’s been 3 months of torture dealing with it and I’m still in testing and seeking help.
I have noticed the cold weather is making it worse. I’ll be short of breath during a 2.5-3 mi walk. Im hacking and wheezing more. It’s horrible. I was prescribed a rescue albuterol inhaler which has been helpful but not a cure-all. A couple days ago I was prescribed albuterol through a nebulizer. And yesterday I was given s new rx from a pulmonologist for budesomide-formeterol that hasn’t been filled yet ( insurance issues!) I’m unfamiliar with your meds. Are they through an inhaler?
But yes I do the scarf over my face until I feel suffocated, remove it, keep walking, put it back over my nose and mouth , back and forth. Blanket over my face at night. And yes it is so frustrating. If I find a better fix I’ll definitely let you know. Can you do the same please?
I totally understand.

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One more thing. Are you on a beta blocker by any chance? I was and it exacerbated my post covid asthma and caused serious breathing problems. In fact, that’s how my asthma was discovered. I’m off of them now but the asthma remains.

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@mimioto

One more thing. Are you on a beta blocker by any chance? I was and it exacerbated my post covid asthma and caused serious breathing problems. In fact, that’s how my asthma was discovered. I’m off of them now but the asthma remains.

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Thank you for your reply. I'm not on any beta blockers. I never had asthma before but did have pneumonia about 5 years ago. My diagnosis is post-covid asthma. The Pulmicort is taken through a nebulizer, morning and night. It's a glucocorticosteroid and its active ingredient is budesonide. The bronchodilator I take is inhaled as needed. I didn't need the latter all summer. Suddenly, I need to use it a couple of times a day again. Very frustrating. I wish you luck on your quest for treatment. Let's definitely keep each other updated.

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Hello, I have been recovering for a year and a half, and I have continuous shortness of breath, and I also suffer from shortness of breath in cold weather after recovering from Corona, and I do not know what happened. Before Corona, I did not suffer from lung diseases, but after that I suffered from continuous shortness of breath. Is there a solution?

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@romeo51

Hello, I have been recovering for a year and a half, and I have continuous shortness of breath, and I also suffer from shortness of breath in cold weather after recovering from Corona, and I do not know what happened. Before Corona, I did not suffer from lung diseases, but after that I suffered from continuous shortness of breath. Is there a solution?

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I am 41 years old, was a healthy active person who has never been on an inhaler in my life. Winter time was generally my favorite time of the year before long covid. I have started Albuterol rescue inhaler, then flovent inhaler in June of 2022. That worked ok for me until getting Covid in December. I have been on Trelegy, Wixela, and Advair HFA(not all at the same time) since January. They help with my shortness of breath, but I believe strongly contributes to my racing heart- sometimes walking to the bathroom my beats per minute will go from 80-90-145+. I backed off inhaler use a little and racing heart went away but I had shortness of breath, just talking I would be out of breath. Even on inhalers I get "asthma cough" from being outside in cold weather.

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@hope2work

I am 41 years old, was a healthy active person who has never been on an inhaler in my life. Winter time was generally my favorite time of the year before long covid. I have started Albuterol rescue inhaler, then flovent inhaler in June of 2022. That worked ok for me until getting Covid in December. I have been on Trelegy, Wixela, and Advair HFA(not all at the same time) since January. They help with my shortness of breath, but I believe strongly contributes to my racing heart- sometimes walking to the bathroom my beats per minute will go from 80-90-145+. I backed off inhaler use a little and racing heart went away but I had shortness of breath, just talking I would be out of breath. Even on inhalers I get "asthma cough" from being outside in cold weather.

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SOB is tough. Hubby is on O2 due to long covid SOB.

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