Experiencing severe long haul COVID joint, muscle pain fibromyalgia

God Bless You. I empathize with you & I understand. I had COVID 2 times. August 2022 & October 2023. I was diagnosed with Long COVID last July. I already had Fibromyalgia & Bilateral Osteoarthritis. It worsened it.

I have not been myself since the first round of COVID and then I have gotten worse since the 2nd round last year. Some days are better than others. I am taking so many vitamins for long COVID. It definitely affected my joints, more stiffness, energy level, lungs (chronic asthma and now I am more prone to bronchitis & pneumonia). I have finally gotten my Acid Reflux (GERDS) to calm down.

Is there a COVID Recovery Clinic near you? It takes a while to get an appointment and you have to have a referral from a doctor, but, they will give you a diagnosis of Long COVID and you they go from there.

I am praying fervently for you. The Lord is giving me the strength the get through this. I pray they will have something for us long haulers soon that will help. America was not prepared for COVID.

I can empathize completely with the comments. I contracted COVID in the first week of April 2020, when even my PA laughed and said that I didn't have COVID and prescribed something for my symptoms. It took a year, negative tests to finally have a blood test that confirmed what I knew. I had COVID again in Oct. of 2023. Through it all, I have had to deal with inflammation, aches, muscle issues, and neuropathy, numbness in my feet. It worsened my hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which fortunately has been relieved with a new medication called Camzyos. The overall problem I find is a lack of comprehensive knowledge by the regular medical community about what long COVID is and how it affects our bodies and immune systems. I am moving to a large urban area where I hope to find the COVID recovery clinics that have been mentioned. I am also in a long COVID study that I hope will shed more light on this important and transforming issue. You are not alone.

Has anyone found an effective treatment for the fibromyalgia-like finger/hand joint inflammation and swelling and multiple other joints and muscles severely inflamed all induced by long haul COVID? My PCP's head nurse mentioned taking Alka-Seltzer. Surely there must be something either stronger or better over the counter? Perhaps any ideas on natural remedies? Any prescription drugs recommended by your doctors? Thank you.

I mostly manage my joint inflammation/osteoarthritis by using them. They weren't worsened by LC. I do light weights and exercise just to strengthen the muscles and lube the joints. Doing it in the morning once I unbend myself helps through the day. When I had long covid PEM, I would do short walks/biking followed by a nap. PT might be of help to you, getting various stretching and strengthening routines. My inflammation is worse if I get glutened (celiac), so I keep a food log to see if any other foods or stress impact me.

Also see this related discussion:
- Joint inflammation and muscle pain after COVID
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/joint-inflammation-and-adults-possibly-from-covid/

I have fibromyalgia and now am 4 weeks post Covid. I had been fully vaccinated and boosted and never had a problem until now. Since getting Covid, my fibromyalgia symptoms of neuromuscular pain and extreme fatigue and weakness have gone through the roof. Searching for information on Covid worsening fibromyalgia, I came across this article. Am going to increase my Duloxitine from 20 to 30 mgs daily. Take Tylenol arthritis during day and Tylenol PM at night but it’s not very helpful.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/experiencing-severe-long-haul-covid-joint-muscle-pain-fibromyalgia/

I also have fibromyalgia and it has worsened since I got covid in 2020. It has also caused my Lyme symptoms to flare back up. So sorry you're dealing with this. I use nicotine gum and that has helped with fatigue, but not with the fibromyalgia. It's really difficult and I'm so sorry that you're suffering.

Unfortunately yes, had fibro. a decade but got first covid March 2020 and suffering with LC since. It’s difficult to unpick which symptom goes with which ailment ( also type 3c diabetic and hypothyroid) but I tend to say LC has made the fibro 25% worse ie more all over pain/ complete fatigue/ stiffness. LC has given me postural hypotension socan only stay upright walking a few minutes, so i was left lying on a sofa for hours/ days/ weeks on end….not good for fibro. Nearly 18 months ago realising no help was going to be provided by medics. ( in Uk) I started self ‘treatment’ with swimming…I had envisaged perhaps 10 mins a day of water movement but had no problem and swim 50 mins a day 5x a week. I think the stretching and support of the water is good for fibro, and if I feel tired or ache got the excuse ‘ what do you expect after all that swimming?’ rather than dwell on the negatives of LC.