Connect
Exacerbated anxiety and depression, brain fog: Long Covid
Good evening. New here on the board and I imagine what I'm about to write may have been discussed. I did a little searching already but hope to get some direct feedback. My life for the last several months has been turned upside down. Everything was "manageable" until post-Covid. There are no other explanations as to why I've been feeling this way, yet my primary physician, among others, refuse to say I have Long Covid.
It was early August when I tested positive, and recovered from the typical symptoms about a week later. In early November is when everything started going downhill. The most noticeable symptom was brain fog. I felt/feel like I can't concentrate, lose focus, slur speech on occasion, zone out, etc. Fatigue was also setting in which is when I contacted my doctor. We decided that it may have been time to adjust my meds. I was on 30mg of Cymbalta and increased to 40mg daily. After Thanksgiving and into December, the feelings were a bit overwhelming and we pinned it on the increased mgs. Nobody had even mentioned Covid at the time. I believe I eventually brought it up, by the way.
By the time January rolled around, nothing was changing. I had believed that now I was suffering from Cymbalta withdrawal and it was just a matter of time before it dissipated. Klonopin daily helped but things were still the same when I didnt have one in my system. I restarted Cymbalta, just 20mg daily, to combat withdrawal, then decided to try Effexor. Its been 2 weeks and I'm on the lowest dosage. I wrote my psychiatrist asking to increase since I feel like things are getting worse. In addition to those symptoms I felt earlier, I cry several times a day, agoraphobic, barely move around the house, all while trying to be a good dad to an 8 year old boy. My primary had nothing to say other than "I know it's upsetting but keep doing your best!".
It may not even matter what the cause is, but is it safe to say it's Long Covid? It will/does feel like validation, that I didn't do anything wrong to start feeling this way, that is was this awful disease that's still lurking inside of me causing these reactions.
If so, what have we learned thus far as to how to treat it? Has anyone felt similarly? I'll be on Effexor and Klonopin daily, all the advised supplements, allergy meds, and Pepcid AC for my constant upset stomach. Any other recommedations? Does anyone have any experience with Effexor? Cymbalta wasn't all that bad for about two years but the recommedation was to switch even though they're quite similar.
Thanks in advance for anything at all and best of luck to anyone suffering. I truly wouldn't wish anything like this on my worst enemy.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.
Connect
I sympathize with you. I've been having BP issues and dizzyness, nausea, anxiety since Jan. 2023. Exposed to Covid in Dec. Finally have the BP, nausea under control, reduced anxiety. The dizzyness lingers. What really helped me was I went back on a good multi vitamin with extra D3 and started sitting in the sun. It was like someone flipped a switch. Feeling much better. Just a thought, try to get out and sit in the sun and talk to your Dr about supplements. Good luck, just know your not alone.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsWhat helped me was vitamin supplements and vitamin D3. Talk to your Dr about it. The biggest thing was sitting in sun for at least a half hour per day, helped me a lot.
You are definitely not alone. Same for me
It's so hard...we can only do what we can do or suffer the consequences of pushing harder than our bodies can tolerate.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionYou definitely aren't alone. My anxiety after my bout with Covid in December increased and I ended up on a 2nd medication to help with symptoms. It doesn't help that I already had anxiety and depression beforehand so it's been an uphill battle. Just know that what you are feeling is valid and isn't "made up." I've spoken to other friends and family friends who have struggled with their mental health once they recovered from covid; I truly believe that once more research is put into post covid and long covid struggles, we will see more treatment options and more people revealing their own struggles.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsYou sound a lot like me. I’ve been on meds for depression/anxiety for years and it’s been good for me to live life with manageable ups and downs.
Long Covid has been a year for me. Brain fog, memory, and garbled speech make it hard to work corporate life. I’ve learned to adapt- take notes, schedule meetings when I’m most likely to be alert, be more measured in what I say be can be unfiltered and not remember what I say, like a drunken blackout.
I’m in in clinical long Covid programs. Ask your doctor about amantadine. It seemed to do the job for me in initially reconnecting neurons- it’s used in dementia, Parkinson’s, brain injuries. Over months I don’t know if it wears off or if I’m just getting worse. Ask your doctor about ADHD meds. For me, one pill helps me get close to normal levels of focus. I take zero to two a day, it depends how much of my workday will take mental energy. I don’t need any if I’m relaxing in the weekend.
I’m interested in the inflammation research being done. There are a number of studies suggesting inflammation in the brain can be an issue.
Hello and thanks for sharing. I’m pretty new to these post too. I experienced everything you stated. And when my primary care physician didn’t listen to me, I changed doctors. You might also try to search in your area if they post- covid clinics. They don’t resolve all the problems but at least most of them are tuned in to the symptoms and challenges we experience. Hang in there!
I think a lot of people are feeling the same way and I don’t really think doctors know what to do with us. My doctor’s reply was “yeah that’s another symptom of Post Covid” but even when prompted gave me no satisfaction for relief from any symptoms. I’ve come to the conclusion of getting no help from my doctors and after reading posts that the medical community really does not know what to do with us. Anyway, I’m not really sure if it helps but I am having the brain fog and fatigue like you along with other symptoms you didn’t mention and without some other symptoms you are having. I think the importance for all of us is to realize that our symptoms are real, but they are also part of a recent illness that isn’t well known and treating it hasn’t been fully developed yet. We’re all just kind of stuck in limbo. From what I gather, a lot of people are feeling very ignored, brushed off, and feeling like hypochondriacs, myself included. But when you find people who complain of the same symptoms after having Covid, and which did not exist prior to Covid, it makes me realize that it’s a case of science just not catching up yet and what we all have is real.