Ears are main post Covid complaint

I was told by Audiologist to avoid ear plugs and to try to “habituate” to noise. I also wear hearing aids, so it’s a balancing act to hear what I’d like to hear, but not jump out of my skin at sounds that I should tolerate easily. It’s so incredibly strange that my hearing is not that great for voices and conversation, but turned up to 11 on what I don’t want/need to hear.

Yes, I cut the 7 mg patch in half. That has worked for me. As you will see if you join the Nicotine Patch group, there are many opinions/recommendations. Nicotine can have different affects on different people, so I decided to see what worked best for me. I took the low & slow approach since I am extremely sensitive to any kind of prescribed drug or OTC meds. I remove the patch about 2 hours before bed because I think it affects my sleep. I just reapply in the morning. It's been aggravating that I can't enjoy my occasional wine or cocktail as in the past because of that "drunk" feeling you mention. I can totally relate. For the most part, I have pushed on with my daily life. I work part time and have a 40 minute commute to work one way. Fortunately, this mess hasn't affected my driving. I have also been able to continue barre, balletone & yoga classes weekly, even though I've had to modify if I'm having a bad day. I do miss not being able to do much cardio, which I have done for most of my adult life. Since I've had success with the patch, I plan on trying to slowly work cardio back in hopefully. I really hope the patch helps you. Be patient and give it some time to work. Although I felt the immediate relief, it took a week or two to really see improvements in some of the other symptoms. All I know is that C is pure evil. It's like something overtakes your body & mind that you have no control over. God has answered many prayers I've said in the middle of the night when I've woke up worrying about what's happening to me. I wish you success. Please update.

Well, it’s sixteen months now so I don’t think quick healing is on the table. If I were stable, or having small improvement I could be more relaxed. As it is, I still feel in the grips of this thing. Like most posters here feel I believe.
Good luck to all.

I can definitely relate to your comment! Mine was triggered Sept. 2022 after a 2 week trip into high altitude. I could have sworn I brought back some dreaded disease since my head hasn't been the same since. It's been one issue after the other. It's been like chasing rabbits, being referred from one doctor to the next, having various medical tests/scans, etc. I even ended up in ER with chest pains at which time they did a complete cardiac evaluation. So far, all of my tests have shown no major problems. Pulmonary test showed "minimal" pulmonary disease. At times, I've thought I was loosing my mind, never having had health issues before. THANKFULLY, I found relief using a low dose nicotine patch (3.5 which is half of a 7 mg patch), as well as supplementing with 50 mg of sublingual glutathione and increasing my Vitamin C intake. I was desperate, so I took the chance using this protocol. Strange as it sounds, within 30 minutes of applying the first patch, my head/ears actually opened up clearer than they had been in months! I have continued this for over a month, and have seen 75-80% improvement in my LC symptoms (off balance, head/ear pressure (like helium being pumped into my head), anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, joint paint) I have sought out the natural remedies, also adding daily Ashwaganda. I also use CBD oil daily. I've had good luck with Xlear Rescue nasal spray with essential oils for sinus congestion. Mullein leaf tincture also helps the lungs and congestion. I joined 2 social media groups on FB 1) Renegade Research #TheNicotineTest. 2) Long Haul Reset: Long Covid & Spike Injury Treatment. There is an overload of information in these groups that is overwhelming at times, but much of the information has been helpful to me. While being evaluated at a local Rehab facility, I was encouraged to seek out a doctor treating long C. Although I am much better, I plan to follow through with a scheduled appointment the end of this month. I know there are many smart doctors trying to get this nasty stuff figured out, and if by treating me can help others, that's a win!

oh boy I see that is being stuck between a rock and a hard place. I will follow the advice of your audiologist too and try to grow tolerant to the sensitivities. This is all just so crazy. And people have the nerve to call Covid "The flu" HA! The flu never left me in all this misery for over a year.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. You can bet that as soon as I respond, I’m out the door for a nicotine patch!! I think you’re saying you cut it in half? Right?
I had read about this but it seemed a little “out there”. Having said that, I’ve tried mushrooms, smoke a little pot, and also pretty much everything you mention in your post. This is a tough one for sure. Even amongst other Long Covid sufferers we’re a little different. It doesn’t sound like such a big deal until you’ve lived with it for months. As you know, it’s a BIG deal, and does make you feel like your mind is going.
I wonder if I should drive (I do a little) because when you have these issues, everything is just off.
I have felt drunk for the past year. Does that make sense to you?
I’ll post how I do with the patch.

You are not off with feeling drunk. When your brain is not how you recall it to be, it makes you feel like you are living outside of your usual controlled thoughts. I was always on top of my game in my head until covid cooties came along.

I too am suffering with ear issues since having covid, blocked with pressure ringing and pulsing in the ears. Taken antibiotics orally & ear drops for weeks now, it’s driving me crazy with the pressure and ringing GP said I need to see a ENT . Yesterday it was so bad I took myself to Emergency at the hospital finally saw 2 ENT’s after theirs examations they both said ears are slightly inflamed most likely caused by the covid virus and to take anti inflammatories and to go see a audiologist about the ringing and hearing loss in the ears. So that’s my next step however from what I’ve been reading on the post covid threads it’s pretty much normal to not get answers from gps and specialists. Is it learn to live with this? Who knows. My next step is audiologist testing .