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Finally... Some answers
I'm a runner and at the end of 2021 I was the fastest I'd ever been. I was 44 years old and could hit the mile in under 6 mins. Within a couple of months, I couldn't get in the 9s without my heart rate getting out of control and my legs basically dying.
Around the same time, I began smelling things that weren't there. I thought I was going insane. No doctors could tell me what was going on so they'd just treat the pain I had begun to experience in my back and legs, which did nothing. I underwent shots and PT and cupping and massages all to no end. Nothing helped. I just accepted that I was getting old and this was life now. Pain, fatigue and slowness.
Three weeks ago, I ran a mud run with my daughter and my heart rate was hitting 205 consistantly. If you know anything about age and heart rate, you'll know that's way too high for a now 48 year old. I scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist to get checked out.
All checked out fine but they asked me what other symptoms I had. I began to list them; pain (widespread by this point), exercise fatigue, high heart rate, odd smells that didn't exist, aversion to cold touching me, etc. They told me about long COVID and I began to read. This was it. My breakthrough.
I saw my PCP, who doesn't believe LC is a real thing. I moved on. I went to a neurologist, also didn't believe it's a real thing. Now I'm with a pain specialist and they have me on a variety of nerve drugs that seem to be making a dent. I can sit in my chair at work and not just be in excruciating pain all day because my back and hips hurt. I also seem to not get out of breath when climbing stairs now.
Most of all, I feel like there will be an end to this and I can enjoy running again. I know that I may not regain EVERYTHING but at this point, I'll take anything. I'm glad I found this group. I've been learning so much and I'm appreciative that my symptoms aren't far worse, as they could be.
I look forward to continuing to read all of your experiences.
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Good Day Friend,
Yes indeed, LC is a real thing indeed and the fact that LC clinics (never mind a year’s wait list) is evidence of this. I cannot fathom why doctors are still dismissing it. I would say most are not. There is an excellent study out of “Yale” detailing an issue with “buzzing legs” as a LC effect. Easy enough to find if you’re interested. Clearly your LC issues are different. I would implore you to find a LC clinic, however you seem to have benefited from your current doctors and treatment. This is not a one size fits all disease either. Covid virus morphed like nothing else we’ve seen let alone some of the bizarre side effects be it from the actual virus or inoculation with the vaccine. Both are complicit but it depends on which articles you are researching. The jury is still out to some degree. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but I have zero trust most of the information and if you (again) do the research, most of it points to the Wuhan Lab as “origin” of the virus. We are all a unique finger print of ourselves and how some folks have not been affected is still a mystery. For me it manifested in the form of an autoimmune disease. Fancy that! I have heard countless stories. I know people who did not get the virus and only the vaccine and ended up with pulmonary embolism and DVT. The symptoms are endless and sometimes difficult to tease out. Doctors are human and many don’t have a clue how to manage such symptoms let alone admit that they don’t have the answers. The good news, there is a lot of research ongoing in the LC department. Here is an article you might be interested in reading though a bit dated. But 86% of US hospitals had LC treatment. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11138016/
The answers are coming, finally.
I wish you well in your endeavour to find better health.
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2 ReactionsMany many thanks. ❤️
Gosh - there are so many messages I'd like to respond to. But, quickly, I'll say this: I'm 83 years old and 4+ years post covid. I take *a lot* of supplements - mostly amino acids. I can do more than I once could but am definitely not cured.
One thing to mention is that I also have the Epstein Barr virus in my system since I was 12 years old and came down with Mononeuclousis (sp.?). The virus never goes away and complicates recovery in Long Covid.
Another thing I just realized yesterday is that I am probably dealing with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). You can research it to know more. I learned that Luteolin (another amino acid) helps with this condition. I'll start taking that asap.
And, lastly, I encourage you to visit the free YouTube channel of Gez Medinger. He's one of us and is 5 years post covid without total recovery. His channel is a gold mine of information as you will see. 🙂
My best to Everyone here,
Pam
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3 ReactionsHas the low dose nicotine been helping you? I'm thinking of trying it. I've had LC for 19 months and another case of covid three months ago made it a lot worse. Thanks for sharing your story.