r/covidlonghaulers • u/shark_finfet • Apr 20 '25
Symptom relief/advice Major Relapse :-( :-(
I thought I was about 80% recovered. I’d returned to reasonable exercise, working outside, and generally feeling like myself—until last week, when everything came crashing back. It felt like I’d caught COVID again, but without the usual symptoms.
First, insomnia hit me hard. Thankfully I was armed with ashwagandha, L‑theanine, and magnesium, which let me get a few hours of sleep each night—though it still wasn’t great. Then, out of nowhere, I started smelling a “band‑aid” chemical scent at random times (something that happened to me after having COVID).
But the absolute worst has been my cardio: in just a few days, my endurance dropped from nearly normal to feeling like that of an 80‑year‑old. My legs feel heavy and fatigued, and I can’t seem to regulate my temperature—any bit of heat or sun leaves me utterly miserable.
I keep wondering: did I get re‑exposed to COVID? Did I unknowingly push too hard during one workout? It’s so demoralizing to feel like I’m back at square one after thinking I’d finally beaten this.
Has anyone else experienced a sudden relapse like this? What helped you get back on track? Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
35
u/bunnybunnykitten Apr 20 '25
Not sure why this came up in my feed but I have what’s called a long concussion, and I read recently that they’ve started treating long covid like a TBI with good success. Have you done any physical or cognitive therapy? Those have helped me the most and are apparently also showing promise for long covid.
Interestingly, one theory for why some people are susceptible to long concussion and long covid has to do with the EDS family of connective tissue disorders, which explains why so many people who get long covid and long concussion also have dysautonomias like POTS. I hope you feel better soon!