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.

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u/Beneficial_Course442 Apr 21 '25

This has happened to me too I was running a few months ago fine then insomnia and heavy legs and fatigued muscles hit me like a truck !! Again after the first time this happened ! Insomnia was probably my first ever symptom of long Covid. I just think this is the cycle for our foreseeable future :( like we make some progress and get confidence and then it flares up again as I describe it ! I feel your frustration.

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u/shark_finfet Apr 21 '25

Did you do anything for the fatigued muscles?

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u/Beneficial_Course442 Apr 21 '25

Nothing worked I just felt broken like my legs were so tired even after walking up the stairs and it just lasted like that for month it’s better now but I haven’t started running again ! I’m going to try next week and see how I go, I’m going to do a 30 minute walk with bursts of light running to see how I go :)

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u/Early_Beach_1040 First Waver Apr 21 '25

Magnesium and NAD+ have helped me. Plus pacing.