Month 2 of the Modified Levine Protocol wasn’t as dramatic as Schmidt here, but it was certainly a challenge. I have been sick the entire month with a virus and then a sinus infection, which I still have. I took some time off and then repeated some of the program per the instructions so I think this month has taken me 7 weeks to complete. In retrospect, I probably should have taken even more time off, but the athlete in me will push to exercise unless I’m completely incapacitated.
To read about my first month doing the Modified Levine Protocol and more of the basics of the program you may visit my first Modified Levine Protocol post.
What month 2 is like
Month two of the protocol is nuts. The increases are very dramatic. I would not recommend doing this month as it is written for many people, especially ME patients. In retrospect, I would have adapted the program by lengthening the month and taking longer to build up the time increments. By the end of the month you are doing a 10 minute warmup, 28 minute base pace (heart rate between 125-145 bpm which means I’m hauling), and a 10 minute cooldown. Say what?
How I feel
I have been struggling quite a bit this month and have actually had to decrease what I do in a typical day. This is probably due to the virus. Or the sinus infection. Or overdoing it. Or a fly farted 10 miles away.
I am going to continue with the program. I think I will eventually reach a point where my body catches up with the demands of the program. The instructions at the beginning of the Modified Levine Protocol say that it’s normal for it to take several months to notice any impact in your daily life. Also, with as often as I have been sick I feel like I can’t accurately gauge anything. So, I remain hopeful about the Modified Levine Protocol.
Mestinon
I started taking Mestinon almost two months ago. It is a muscle strengthener and it promotes parasympathetic nervous system activity. Per my doctor, I take the first dose before I exercise in the morning. It may be helping me get through the biking sessions. It’s really hard to tell. I feel like I can’t properly evaluate Mestinon yet because I have been constantly sick. When I can say with certainty what kind of effect Mestinon has, I will do a blog post about it.
The good news is the only side effect I have had is nausea and it was temporary. I will most likely continue to increase the dosage after I consult with my doctor next. Who knows, maybe it’ll end up being a “winner” for me. My doctor said that based on her experience I will likely not find a drug that provides a dramatic difference for me because I am able to exercise and am in more of the “mild POTS” category. So, I have reasonable expectations about it.
The positive
It truly is amazing that I can bike for almost an hour with 28 minutes of it being fast. I could barely do 3 minutes of body weight exercises last year, so this is a big change fitness-wise. I have always loved the process of being on a training program as an athlete and this is a normal activity for me to be doing. The more “normalcy” you can have in your life, the better. It’s good for morale.
Looking ahead
Month 3 looks like a plateau month, which is a huge relief. My body will probably catch up to the demands of the program with this small lull. I have surgery on Friday for something totally unrelated to POTS/ME. I will have to take some time off, but I do not know what to expect yet. So, month 3 will probably take a couple extra weeks as well, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll continue checking in after I complete each month of the Modified Levine Protocol.
Other posts about the Modified Levine Protocol
Modified Levine Protocol Month 1 and Introduction
Modified Levine Protocol- Bonus Time
Month 3 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Month 4 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Month 5 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Month 6 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Month 7 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Month 8 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Link to the Modified Levine Protocol
Modified Levine Protocol Program
Is anyone else doing the Modified Levine Protocol? How is it going?
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.
Note: If you post a comment, this site does NOT have a feature to notify you of responses to your comment. I have not found a good solution for that yet. However, I usually respond to every comment in a timely manner, so be sure to check back.
7 Comments
I hate it when you get sick & it interrupts your program! Sinus infections are so tedious! You have come so far! Hang in there!
I’ll be interested in how this exercise goes for you when you no longer have a virus or sinus infection. Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress.