I am going on 9 months of long covid now. I am 50, but when I got covid I was extremely fit and was running 3x/week and rock climbing 3x/week. I was fully vaxed and boosted when I got it. My covid symptoms were not bad, felt like a basic cold. But what it did on day one was immediately attack my knees and give me chronic constipation. I was in a wheelchair by the end of the week and for about 3 months after from the severe knee pain. It was awful. About 2 months out I came down with double plantar fasciitis, double hip pain, severe heart palpitations and tingling sensations throughout my body. About 4 months out torso jolts at night were added to the list and double shoulder pain. I could hardly function. None of the dozen or so specialists I saw even seemed to care, and they all tried to convince me that this is what happens when you get to be 50. None of them wanted to be problem solvers, and they all just wanted to throw meds at me.
Finally at the beginning of January, I saw a new rheumatologist who quickly diagnosed me with long covid and put me on a 3-week course of prednisone. It completely took away all of my pain and man what a difference it made for me. It also made me realize just how extreme the amount of pain was, which I had learned to live with. At the same time I was on the prednisone, I got a big food sensitivity blood work test done that tested 240 things. So I cut out all of the foods that came back moderate to high. When my prednisone course was finished, my pain started creeping back and I was having good days and bad days. So in addition to cutting out my food sensitivities, I decided last month to adopt the full anti-inflammatory diet— cutting out all sugar, gluten, caffeine, and alcohol, and can now say I am doing great! My knees are almost back to normal, and all of my other pain is almost completely gone as well. My heart palpitations aren’t nearly as bad nor last as long, my torso jolts seem to be getting better too, and my body tingling is nearly gone. I still have chronic constipation, but magnesium supplements have kept it in check. I am hopeful that I can start exercising again soon.
Hang in there everyone! Hope my story and what is working for me helps others.