What is helping you?
What tools, practices, methods, dietary changes, supplements, specialists, medications, or other life adjustments are you finding most helpful in your journey with long Covid?
I usually steer away from medical questions in Corona Cafe. Support groups on Slack and Facebook are excellent tools for learning about the ways that other long-haulers are managing or relieving their symptoms. I know a handful of you have opted out of these groups, though, because the gravitational pull down wormhole after wormhole is really hard to resist. And so this email is an attempt to create a designated space within Corona Cafe, where we can share what’s helping our bodies to heal . . . hopefully without digging our way into an endless pit of hypotheses, lamentations, or doomsday possibilities!
It’s a hard balance to strike—listening to our symptoms and learning from them, without dwelling obsessively on them. Let’s just do our best! Come back to this post any time that you want to add a new comment or review suggestions from others. I hope this will be fruitful!
Without further adieu, here are a few of the things that I’m finding helpful right now:
Compression, salt, and fluid to treat POTS. You can read about that here if you haven’t already, but please keep in mind that it’s a really, really good idea to have a full cardiac workup to rule out other conditions before attempting any self-treatment.
Frequent rest, an early bedtime, and pacing of my activities.
Eating foods that feel nourishing to me. For me, this means loads of veggies, fruit, nuts, legumes, whole grains, etc. It also means laying off of sweets and greasy foods.
Yoga and the exercises in the video below to relieve tension from my mid and upper back. I’m investigating the theory that many of my symptoms could be triggered or exacerbated by a combination of old back injuries, muscle tension, spinal misalignment, and poor posture, all of which could theoretically cause compression of sympathetic nerves or sluggish lymph drainage. There is some evidence that these can be triggers for POTS and ME/CFS.
Each of our bodies is unique, and I suspect we’ve all tried different ways of coping with symptoms. What is helping you?
I definitely get lost in all the stories in the Slack group, and that’s not always good for my mental health, so I think this is a great idea.
I’ve definitely simplified my diet, cutting out most heavily processed, junk type foods. No alcohol, no red meat, just occasionally chicken. Dairy at a minimum, and mostly just hard cheeses. Lots of salmon and shellfish, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and veggies. Soups and curries of many varieties are currently on the menu most days. Fresh ginger, garlic, and turmeric are staples in the kitchen to fight inflammation.
I’m meditating a lot, especially on bad days. I find that it really helps my migraines.
I was diagnosed with CFS last month and the neurologist recommended rest, so I’m currently on a 6 week leave from work. While it is a financial drain for us, it’s made the biggest difference in how I feel. Most days I do not need a nap anymore. I can get a few things done around the house each day. I eat better because I have more time to rest while cooking. I also have enough energy to use my recumbent bike for a few minutes each day.
I do take a few supplements that I think help. CoQ10 for the brain fog. Quercitin, Claritin, and Pepsid for the antihistamine properties. CBD oil for anxiety. Melatonin to improve sleep.
I also find a lot of relief from my POTS symptoms by keeping well hydrated and increasing my electrolytes.
I get massages every other week and I find that really helps with my muscle soreness and tension as well.
Love this, I am doing much the same as you Lisa. Other things that are helping me I think -
Trying to eat between 10am - 6pm in order to give my gut a break over night, apparently good for immune system too! But within these 8 hours I am eating healthy and plenty of nourishing foods, nothing super strict just no alcohol and not much sugar.
Trying to meditate an hour a day lying down (sometimes split up into 3 20min sessions) to give brain and body a rest.
I have tried so many supplements it is hard to know what if any have actually helped! But electrolytes and fluids make a difference to my headaches for sure.