Summerof42, Are you going to your primary for your meds? It seems if so, he/she would let you try another antidepressant if one is not working, or let you go back on the one that was working. I know that primary doctors/nurses/specialists are stretched to the max right now due to shortage and overload with appointments since Covid. Have your questions ready and perhaps suggest the antidepressant that worked the best for you and see if they will let you switch back. Praying much.....

@covidstinks,
Yes, Doc put me back on the Zoloft, but it's not working. She''s willing to let me try anything, but nothing is working. As a matter of fact, I feel worse! The past few days were really bad with burning of the tongue and lips, and also my throat. Went to urgent care to make sure I didn't have Strep or Covid, tests were negative. it's this stinki' Covid that creates these horrible symptoms in our body.

Another poster indicated that Covid also makes us really sensitive to medications and react differently than a normal person. I find this to be very true. When my chalazion developed due to Covid, won't go away and steriod shot made it go crazy and create a severe abscess below, I had two surgeries to no avail, because our bodies don't heal and the antibiotic made me really ill. Normally, all of this wouldn't have happened.

I won't recommend a medication but will say for myself that Mayo helped a lot...Turned out i was a CYP2D6 or something along those lines and i am missing this gene or its not working right....I am not a doctor but this is what i gathered..... (Cytochrome P450 Family 2 Subfamily D Member 6) is a Protein Coding gene. Diseases associated with CYP2D6 include Drug Metabolism.
Basically i am a poor metabolizer of certain meds.
Maybe a genesight test or something like that will help you out.
My medication choices became limited due to this but what they have me on now is working and not a normal med for listed symptoms....I am still on one they prescribed and one made me itch like crazy so they made me stop the one and increase the other and it is slowly helping a lot.
I won't recommend any med i have or am taking because what works for one may be a disaster for somebody else.
I leave that to the pros...Do not give up...Keep pushing until you get some relief.

I don't get it. I was at May in May and they never tested me for CYP2D6. As a matter of fact, I received the WORST care possible. I spent thousands of dollars to go out there for nothing.

They set me up with an internal MD who ordered a bunch of tests and for the follow up via phone (we had to leave early as my friend who came to support me had a family emergency) told me he "believes' I have Long Term Covid due to my numerous symptoms. I had Covid twice. He prescribed Guanfacine, told me it's a great med and told me 3 x' even his son takes it, and he took it as well when he had a head injury to head in a car. accident.

They also discovered I have a hernia, however, because of my state of health, I'm too week for surgery. I have a terrible chalazion on lower eye lid that won't go away, had 2 surgeries, all to no avail.l It hurts so bad.

Right now, I am so very ill and slowly dying with so many symptoms and down to 89 lbs and can't get help anywhere. I've seen so many doctors in the last 3 yrs, and last week I saw and END said I have LT Covid and why not try Naltexone, but he doesn't really know how to treat it or me.

Not sure if I'll make it through the night, I'm so weak.

Love you all for your kind support.

Big {{{hugs}}}

I take a low dose of lorazepam 3x daily. .5 mg. It helps me in 3 ways

1. Calms my stomach
2. Reduces dizziness (part of my migraine pattern)
3. Reduces anxiety

No side effects for me. They say it can be addictive but I’ve never experienced that and have decreased to one dose per day when not needed

@johnschuerman
Have you ever tried Xanax, and if so, do you feel the lorazepam work better? Since Covid, my anxiety / depression if off the charts!!! I have that darn feeling like your heart is jumping out of your chest and racing feeling 24/7. It's terrible and when I take my pulse at times it can be normal and a few minutes later at 120bpm from doing nothing or just walking around.

I have not used Xanax so don’t know the difference. Your doctor could answer I’m sure. Do you use any grounding or mindfulness practices? Those have been helpful for me too

I've done the mindfulness practices that were send to me via link from the Mayo Clinic Doc, but to be honest, it really isn't helpful. I know nervous system and other issues in my body are totally messed up due to Covid.

I was a very, very healthy and active person who enjoyed hiking, biking, walking, working in my yard and on the go all the time and so extremely happy. All that gone and I can barely function now.

I continued to go down hill at the onset of Covid about 2.5 yrs ago and without the proper medical care, unfortunately in the state I'm currently in. What I is so unbearable now are the internal spasms and trembling in the stomach and chest and the minute I even try to rest and maybe close my eyes, my body jolts into a flight or fight mode. I just don't know where to turn. I have never felt like this in my life and it has taken such a toll on me that I can no longer drive. My brother is helping me with the house and lawn care.

Every day I pray for a miracle for all of us going through this terrible ordeal. I know there is the proper care out there but we haven't been fortunate enough to have access to it. LT Covid should be an absolute priority on the Biden's list like the vaccines and Covid treatment and I don't know why we don't have the team working on this especially given there are million out there suffering from LT Covid.

I take Zoloft 100 mg. X 23 years for depression and suicidal ideation which works great for me though last year when long Covid started, I was very depressed and was weaned up to 200 mg & then when I was diagnosed with long Covid last August, I weaned back down to 100 mg because I had an answer to my health issues which was a relief. My husband is allergic to all SSRIs and SNRIs so that may be your issue. I take Xanex .5 mg to go to sleep which works for me. I take LDN 6 mg daily and it has relieved some symptoms. I go to PT 3x/ week which has definitely helped a lot physically but I still sleep at least 10-12 hours daily. I have 6 different doctors, but my primary is the best. She looks at everything, not just one area. So that’s me.
I am very concerned that you only weigh 89 pounds and are so weak . In my opinion, you need to be admitted ASAP, hopefully to a teaching hospital, and tell them what you have told us. Speak up and demand help. Refuse to go home. You can’t go on like this and need a coordinated workup especially with a rheumatologist. Please get help!!

Sadly, as a medical professional, sometimes you have fight to get the care you need. Go to someone else, threaten liability issues, be a thorn in their side. At 85 pounds, your life depends on it.