Extreme exhaustion after normal exertion?

Had covid January 2022. Long covid started a couple weeks later. By mid summer fatigue and shortness of breath had decreased significantly but still had a cough. After Thanksgiving got pneumonia and everything came roaring b ack. I have had all the usual drugs, inhalers and nebulizers and physical therapy. Nothing worked. Now in a pulmonary therapy specifically for long covid with respiratory problems it is helping both shortness of breath and fatigue. But was told nothing can be done for a dry covid cough. Just have to wait....weeks...months...years.

Honey, I have been through so much testing already. Thank you for your encouragement.

Sounds like me!! I'm just happy to do a few things when I can. Doing laundry today and watering a few house plants - heavy breathing and blurry vision. Yuck!!

I now have evolved from no energy at all to some energy but terrible gastric distress.
Trying everything. This Covid just attacks one thing after another

This is my second dose of Covid, 14 months after the first one. 2 months of exhaustion last time. I’m hoping it’s shorter this time. I’m 71 years old, (background health issue is ADDISONS D) usually active, walking, exercises, gardening, swimming, but ATM 2 sleeps a day, on day18, breathless on exertion, brain fog.

Post Exertional Malaise - this is the term I first read about on a different thread through this support group. Went down a rabbit hole reading about it and about how it is different than chronic fatigue.

Where I am stuck is which Dr do I talk to about it. But from what I read there is “just learning to live with it” rather than a way to have a treatment. I’m happy to be wrong about it.

However, just learning what it is and how it functions has made it so I can slowly get back on track. Very slowly. I still get very very frustrated. Yet I do see improvement… and have to remind myself if it.

Here are some links that can get you going -
https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/healthcare-providers/clinical-care-patients-mecfs/treating-most-disruptive-symptoms.html
https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/pdfs/interagency/Managing-PEM_508.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/symptoms-diagnosis/symptoms.html

It’s exactly the same with me. Covid in October, and same symptoms, though my fatigue is mostly constant with some moments of feeling well. I’m 68. Tests are all normal. I started seeing a nutritionist. She had bloodwork run on me looking for inflammation, and the numbers are off the charts. My body’s response is also off the charts, and she said it explains all of my symptoms. She’s treating me with supplements to fight the inflammation, and has me on an anti-inflammatory diet. Cutting out dairy was the first thing. This is all fairly new. It’s probably been a month. So far my fingers have almost completely stopped hurting. I also found a doctor who practices intergrative medicine. She’s treating me with energy work, plus helping me in other ways. My body responds strongly to the energy work. I’ll have to see what all of this does long term. This has given me hope.

I was just like you at 72 and through massive research and trial and error i distilled my recovery down to the carnivore diet and got almost immediately back on my feet. I now have renown allergy immunologist going through massive blood and urine search for culprits . So far they have 7 flags so that’s good as maybe they will be able to address them. Sounds like you have mast cell activation which has become common in post cOvid cases and post shots cases like mine. You might want to check out MCAS

@lovesgreys
Can you list details on the type of blood work and tests that you had run that revealed the inflammation? Would love to lobby my PCP to have them done. Need answers and solutions!

Thanks.

@terrirussell
Same kinda question: Can you provide detail on the tests the immuno is doing to locate "flags" and what the "flags" would indicate? Inflammation? MCA?

Thanks.