Has anyone gotten back to normal after one complication after another?

Posted by britelite @britelite, Apr 25, 2023

I’m 78 yr old female in good health. Able to swim 2 K and walk 1 mile 3 X week.
I tested positive for COVID on Feb. 10, 2023. I just had a cough - no other symptoms. Took a course of Paxlovid. After about a week, tested negative and was able to go back to short spurts of exercise - swimming and walking. After another week, noticed severe exercise intolerance. I’d get short of breath and my pulse would slow to 48 and become irregular. Saw cardiologist and EKG was essentially normal. Wore a 24 hr. Holter monitor which showed some irregularities but doc did not feel they were significant. In the meantime, chest congestion was getting worse so my internist put me on a course of prednisone. Then my blood pressure shot up to 210/110 and I landed in the ER. I was trending toward hypertension so I was put on Amlodipine. I’ve gotten my BP under control and have days when the shortness of breath is not too bad. (I use an Albuterol inhaler which helps). Then today (3/25) I woke up really lightheaded and had what I think was an anxiety attack. I was afraid I was going to die. I’m feeling better as the day goes on but still lightheaded. It’s just one thing after another. I wonder if I’m ever going to get back to normal.
I’m retired and don’t have to worry about work but my heart goes out to the younger ones who are experiencing similar post COVID symptoms and are unable to get back to work or a semblance of a normal life. I’m grateful to be able participate in this forum and read about other’s experiences and know that I’m not alone in all this. Thank you.

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

It gets a little better. I had COVID 3 times. I was also only experiencing mild side effects. My last bout was in October of 2022.
I now have brain fog, but my immunity has been horrible. Every time I go anywhere I get a cold or feel exhausted. I lost hair so I went to a dermatologist and now I have a hair fungus.
My general physician I have seen since I was 19 said that was not accurate ( I am 53 now) He feels it is from when I had mono at 25 I developed Epstein Barr Syndrome. I guess it is in the herpes family ( it is not from sexual activity) He gave me Valtrex for 2 weeks.
I am crossing my fingers here.
I am exhausted and I could go on and on about the vitamins I am taking but have good and bad days. Let me know how you do. I hope it helps.

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@poshmark2020

It gets a little better. I had COVID 3 times. I was also only experiencing mild side effects. My last bout was in October of 2022.
I now have brain fog, but my immunity has been horrible. Every time I go anywhere I get a cold or feel exhausted. I lost hair so I went to a dermatologist and now I have a hair fungus.
My general physician I have seen since I was 19 said that was not accurate ( I am 53 now) He feels it is from when I had mono at 25 I developed Epstein Barr Syndrome. I guess it is in the herpes family ( it is not from sexual activity) He gave me Valtrex for 2 weeks.
I am crossing my fingers here.
I am exhausted and I could go on and on about the vitamins I am taking but have good and bad days. Let me know how you do. I hope it helps.

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Thanks for your words of encouragement. I guess we just have to take advantage of our “good days” but they seem to be getting fewer & fewer. I hope for the best for you and everyone else out there. Please post when you’re better - that would be a big boost for all.

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I am 85 and have had this plague for 8 months. It took 6 months before I realized I will never get well. I was a very young 85, exercising one hour 5 days a week. Now I am thankful to leave the house or talk with my kids for a short time. Developing thankfulness for a caring and supportive husband and family. I also have empathy for young folks suffering. It wrecks your life.

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i am over 3yrs now with long covid and still have different things popping up that i never had before,it changes day to day. the more i look into it, the more i'm thinking the covid stays in us to only continue causing our bodies to just break down..any time i think i am getting better, this virus proves me wrong..it has really changed my life and not for the good..i know the medical persons are trying to figure this out, it won't happen over night, this is a really different virus and we have to keep building up our immune systems to help fight it...i know it's not easy, i have sooooo many different symptoms and am miserable most all the time..to me this is an evil virus..so hugs to all, we know our bodies, hang in there.......

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I'm a 72 year old female and these stories sound exactly like what I'm going through. My health was good until I got Covid in late January 2022 with diarrhea as my only symptom. Since then I've had one health problem after another: severe insomnia, several body aches, digestive issues, headaches, acid reflux, constipation or diarrhea, anxiety. Most have resolved except for the insomnia. I tried sleep-restriction therapy and had a sleep study that ruled out apnea and restless legs. I take 2.5 mg of melatonin and 100-150 mg Trazodone at night, which only gets me around 4 hrs of sleep a night. My sleep Dr won't prescribe anything else "due to my age". I am so tired during the day it's hard to function normally. Last January-February my sleep started to improve, but now my insomnia is back full-force. Wondering if I'll ever get back to the health I enjoyed before Covid.

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@ripley

I'm a 72 year old female and these stories sound exactly like what I'm going through. My health was good until I got Covid in late January 2022 with diarrhea as my only symptom. Since then I've had one health problem after another: severe insomnia, several body aches, digestive issues, headaches, acid reflux, constipation or diarrhea, anxiety. Most have resolved except for the insomnia. I tried sleep-restriction therapy and had a sleep study that ruled out apnea and restless legs. I take 2.5 mg of melatonin and 100-150 mg Trazodone at night, which only gets me around 4 hrs of sleep a night. My sleep Dr won't prescribe anything else "due to my age". I am so tired during the day it's hard to function normally. Last January-February my sleep started to improve, but now my insomnia is back full-force. Wondering if I'll ever get back to the health I enjoyed before Covid.

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Hi @ripley. I am so sorry for your experiences and so empathize. I have found meditation my way of coping. I know things are everchanging and this allows for falling back to sleep at night ( may take (couple of hours ) to helping make thru breathless day. Please keep trying for what helps and you will find improvement. 🌈

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I was hospitalized in November 2021 for a week with Covid pneumonia. Although my symptoms have gotten better, I’m still dealing with the brain fog/dizziness. After seeing multiple doctors and hearing all my tests are normal-I have taken a different route. Currently seeing an acupuncturist (for about a month now). She has done more for me than any of the doctors. And she continues to try different things. So through acupuncture treatments, herbs and changing my diet-I am having better days. She said it may take a few months. Hoping this is finally my answer!
Hang in there and praying we all find relief soon!!!

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Thanks 🙏 for your suggestions. Good luck!

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@mitfit

I have not …

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I sure hope this helps and I'm making a very long story short. I have written on this blog previously if you would like to look back, a few times. It is been a year this month that I have been dealing with long covid. I have been in the hospital six times due to heart palpitations, chest pain, lightheadedness, confusion, my face tingling and going numb, and many other issues. I'm 63 years old and have always been very healthy active competitive tennis player. After a year of being frightened, worrying that that was going to be my life feeling like I was never going to be back to myself. I am now feeling much better. Back on the court, less palpitations if any, less lightheadedness. I have a few things here and there that from me back but I count my blessings everyday. I refuse to accept this as my life . I don't want to get anybody's hopes up and this may not be for everybody. I had read something about mango tea leaves. It was an ingredient in a form of a capsule but the main ingredient for autoimmune was the mango tea leaves. Instead of taking the capsule with otherherbs etc in it, I decided to go right to the mango tea leaves. This may sound crazy but I am drinking three glasses of mango tea leaves, as well as probiotics twice a day. Over a four month period, I am feeling so much better. I don't think it's a coincidence, because I stopped the mango tea leaves for 2 weeks thinking that I was better I started going right back to where I was, heart palpitations, stomach issues, tired, lightheadedness. My husband is the one that brought up the mango tea leaves. He asked me if I stopped drinking the tea. Oddly, yes I did. Since then I am back to drinking my tea leaves 3x a day and I I'm feeling so much better. My thoughts are, long covid messes with your autoimmune system. Probiotics helps your gut, the mango tea leaves also help with your autoimmune. I am not a doctor or a nurse but it may not help to try this . Please do some research on the mango tea leaves to see if it may work for you. I hope this helps somebody. Amazon has the mango tea leaves in a powder form, or tea bags which is what I use. I also get the Florastor (probiotics) on Amazon.

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