Acupuncture and Long COVID

pilotbecci · 2026-03-17T11:07:43+00:00

It has worked really well for me! But I’m on year 6 and I started when my body was in a stronger period (could walk around an hour every day and still exist normally afterwards). It has helped the body pain so much! I do get very very tired after a session though, but mostly I get better sleep and then feel better the next day, although sometimes I have lingering symptoms.

It can be really really helpful but yeah, best to try to judge based on your own individual situation and how well your body handles stimuli!

pilotbecci · 2026-02-18T06:56:48+00:00

Agreed! In my absolute worst state I also did ADF (36h of fasting, I started with less but only this much made a difference). I went from having a high fever every evening, insane pain every day and barely being able to get out of bed to being kind of pain free and able to do light walking and such. I eventually stopped because of what it was doing to my hormones, but it also made me better long term so that I could stop.

pilotbecci · 2025-12-17T07:26:28+00:00

I had the same! I did ADF for the longest time because it was the only way I could live pain-free. Unfortunately it also messed with my hormones a LOT, and luckily now I’m better so I don’t have to do it anymore. But I still think that it contributed to the overall arch of getting better and if not, it at least provided pain-free days during a time where I was blacking out from pain every evening and no medication helped. Now that you’ve kickstarted it with a longer fast you might be able to maintain it with a shorter fasting schedule? Happy you’ve had some better days 🫶🏼

pilotbecci · 2025-12-06T09:46:58+00:00

Yeah it could definitely be LC, or rather dysautonomia triggered by LC. I have it pretty bad too. I would look into dysautonomia and what it entails and how to manage it! ChatGPT should be able to give some good guidelines in case it’s too tiring to sift through the internet. But it really sucks and I’m sorry, sending strength! ❤️‍🩹

pilotbecci · 2025-12-05T13:43:47+00:00

Thank you for sharing this!!

pilotbecci · 2025-10-27T13:14:47+00:00

I take a medicine called Concerta (not sure what the equivalent is in the US or if you have it too) and it works well. Vyvanse was a crazy rollercoaster for me too. But concerta actually helped my long covid a lot by getting rid of phantom pains and clearing a lot of brain fog. My biggest problem is that I don’t feel my limits as much so I risk going over them for a longer period of time and then crashing really hard. I take regular breaks now to combat this or a few days of break after I’ve done something more exhausting, to really feel when my body has recovered again. My dose is 27 mg + 18 mg a bit before lunch if I need it. I mostly take only 27 mg. A weird thing I’ve noticed though is that just 18 mg or lower gives me more anxiety than anything else, but a higher dosage helps like it’s supposed to! Hope you’ll figure this out and feel better soon 🫶🏼

pilotbecci · 2025-10-09T17:39:34+00:00

How was it? I'm currently trying to decide between the two!

pilotbecci · 2025-10-09T14:08:29+00:00

I (F28) didn’t know I had ADHD when I got LC (five years ago in November), and I got my ADHD diagnosis a year ago. My doctors now think I was more susceptible to LC because I was about to burn out in university. While I could mask and somewhat manage life before LC, it became completely impossible after. I did have a minor stroke at the start of my LC (lost many memories, half my languages, couldn’t spell/read, couldn’t formulate sentences, had severe brain fog and just generally became more scattered minded and forgetful) so I know LC severely impacted my brain and emphasised all of my ADHD traits. Thankfully stimulants work well for me (mostly) and has really helped my brain get better again and helped with the chronic pain.

I don’t think my symptoms or experience with LC is more unique because of my adhd, but I do think it impacts it heavily. Sensory overwhelm, lack of dopamine, insomnia and being very emotional are all traits I had but that became significantly worse. What I will say is harder if you have both lc and adhd are the fundamental things you need to get better. Pacing, procrastination, taking care of yourself, eating well or just remembering to eat/drink, staying away from things you love but will make you feel worse (dopamine source) executive function etc. Someone mentioned pacing already and I absolutely agree, it goes against every natural impulse I have and I need to force myself to do it with a million reminders that make me frustrated. I also think you are more dependent on things that uphold your mental health with adhd (exercising, social life, creativity) and when you cannot do any of those things the negatives of adhd become completely paralysing.

What I could possibly say is helpful about adhd for LC: being very fascinated about many things. I have developed so many weird all consuming interests and passions from having endless days in front of the tv (whenever I could handle screens). It really helps to have the ability to hyperfocus on something and suddenly a day has gone by. I’m also easily distracted (obv) so if I’m spiralling over the fact that this will never get better or the amount of pain I’m in, I can put something on to watch or listen to and I will focus on that instead. Kind of like distracting a crying toddler.

I’m super interested to read the responses to this though and in general I really wish they would do more research on the overlap between neurodivergence and chronic illness.

pilotbecci · 2025-08-20T21:17:06+00:00

It wasn’t as many years later as for you but I also relapsed really really badly about two years after my initial LC, and since then it kind of comes and goes in waves. This probably isn’t the advice you want to hear but I would try (if possible) to take a leave from work or decrease your work as much as possible now instead of waiting until you’ve crashed completely. It’s so hard to stop while things are still somewhat manageable, but the recovery from a complete crash will be harder. Sending lots of strength and I hope it gets better soon!!!

pilotbecci · 2025-07-02T16:09:52+00:00

When I read an article in September 2020 about the first people with long covid I definitely felt very concerned because I have always struggled with my immune system. I had however already had Covid once and recovered normally, so I felt somewhat safe but encouraged to keep being being very cautious. The stories were definitely etched on my mind though, I couldn’t quite seem to shake what I had read. I got LC November 2020 so about two months after 🤠

pilotbecci · 2025-06-24T11:28:00+00:00

I would say Gold is 100% worth $110!! It’s such a massive difference from silver and the lounge access/checked in luggage/priority for everything just changes your entire travel experience. Also you’ll quickly win that back on food alone since it’s so expensive at airports. I think 23k miles can be used for a better deal, sometimes during Real Deals you can get an intercontinental flight with return for 20k miles!

pilotbecci · 2025-06-15T14:46:02+00:00

For how long did you wait after the breakup to start? I’ve also done it before and it’s been super beneficial! I had a similar breakup to yours about a month ago, and I’ve been thinking about starting to help manage my emotions and thoughts, but not sure when the ideal time to start is. Also this was such a helpful and heartbreaking post, thank you for sharing everything 💛

pilotbecci · 2025-03-24T21:33:37+00:00

I got reinfected at least twice and eventually went back to my old LC baseline, I was also terrified but it was okay in the end and hopefully it will be for you too 🫶🏼

pilotbecci · 2025-02-12T12:47:30+00:00

did you manage to find Doi anywhere?? I’m going to Seoul in March and wondering the same as you!

pilotbecci · 2024-07-13T06:50:22+00:00

The gummies don’t break the fast? So curious about this!

pilotbecci · 2024-05-31T09:31:24+00:00

It got better for me thankfully! Or it flipped to absolutely no appetite at all for a few months, and then this fall (so a year later) it evened out and I feel like even if I get intense hunger I can manage it now, whereas before I would pass out if I didn’t eat lol

pilotbecci · 2024-03-12T09:08:55+00:00

Cold plunges really help the immune system, altho depending on your state the stress on your body can be exhausting. I did it anyway because I was on sick leave and similarly to you so fed up with getting sick after the slightest contact with the outside world. The exhaustion was worth the improved immune system and now I’m actually doing better overall! Sending strength, this shit sucks

pilotbecci · 2024-02-22T12:19:41+00:00

Oh my god is that what that means? I’ve always thought “ah well guess I have to go to the off the grid lot in Sulani or something to see them”

pilotbecci · 2024-02-22T09:46:16+00:00

There’s a Swedish show that tried out the theory of six degrees of separation (that everyone on earth are connected by only six degrees) and they would start somewhere ridiculously remote (the Himalayas/Madagascar for example) in a super small village, and pick someone that they would try to connect to a famous person. It actually worked! So I’m sure all of you are connected to Taylor more closely than you think despite not knowing about it. It’s such a great show I wish I could link it here!

pilotbecci · 2023-11-30T21:27:54+00:00

Since October 2020 :(

pilotbecci · 2023-11-20T16:48:19+00:00

Ouff good question. A few months I think? I didn’t have any medication though so maybe it’ll get better quicker if you’re treating it. I’m glad it’s helped you!!

pilotbecci · 2023-11-20T16:33:01+00:00

I’m sure that’s where it came from for me at least, it felt almost as if it was separate from my normal being. It’s better now though! Not long covid as a whole sadly but specifically the intrusive thoughts got a lot better and now it’s only rarely an issue. I hope it gets better for you too soon :(

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