My Experience with COVID-19

After successfully dodging COVID-19 for nearly two years, I got it at the tail end of the Omicron wave. I am fully vaccinated, but not boosted.

Note- I have not received the booster because I was not eligible due to receiving monoclonal antibodies back in November from a positive rapid test that I suspect was a false positive (had multiple negative rapid tests after that, a negative PCR, and no symptoms after one day of feeling vaguely crummy).

What it was like

The onset of symptoms and first couple of days felt very similar to the 2nd dose vaccine side-effects that I had- aches, chills, and fever. I also developed congestion and a cough. It was very contagious and spread to my family quickly. They experienced various levels of it, but I’m happy to say they were back to full health quickly.

How it affected POTS and ME/CFS

A few days into Covid, my POTS/ME flared up pretty severely. It was terrifying. I felt like all my progress was lost and I was anxious about what this would mean for my future.

After a few days, the most severe aspects of the flare subsided. It was a huge relief. However, I still have more pre-syncopal episodes upon standing and brain fog (around six weeks later at this point). My daily energy levels are mostly normal, so that is helping me cope with it and continue my normal schedule including work. I would say, though, that I’ve had a couple energy crashes that I feel I wouldn’t have had pre-Covid.

I get minor GI issues from POTS and they have also flared up post-COVID. It seems like my gut is taking issue with certain things that I eat. So, I’m going to do my best to keep my gut happier by minimizing what irritates it. I’m also going to try to eat smaller meals.

Overall, I am not worried about these flares. I believe that they will pass over time.

Another effect

On the first day of symptoms, I noticed a weird flip-flop feeling in my chest from my heart. I ignored it and didn’t even mention it when I saw the doctor for Covid the next day. However, this sensation persisted and became more frequent. After a few days, I went to urgent care where they performed an EKG. The EKG showed that I was having premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and that my left atrium was enlarged. The doctor told me to follow up with my family doctor and go to the ER if I got short of breath etc. So, I followed up after I was no longer contagious with Covid, the EKG was still abnormal, and my doctor referred me to a cardiologist.

The cardiologist said that he has seen many post-Covid patients come in with new Dysautonomias, which would make sense as to why my POTS is worse. He mentioned that a similar mechanism most likely disrupted the electrical signal of my heart causing the PVCs. The cardiologist said that they will go away over time and that I can take medication to minimize symptoms in the meantime.

The cardiologist ordered a thyroid test, a transthoracic echo, and a 3-day holter monitor. The thyroid test and echo came back normal, which was great news. The holter monitor showed that I had PVCs 2.8% of the time. They do not get concerned until the burden of PVC’s is above 10%, so I checked out with that test as well.

I tried Propranolol and Diltiazem for the PVCs (at different times). Propranolol didn’t do very much, but Diltiazem lessened the sensation of the PVCs quite a bit. Unfortunately, both caused side effects that were more disruptive than the PVCs. The purpose of these medications were simply symptom management, so I discontinued them.

Update

It took about 2.5 months for me to feel like things were turning a corner. The PVCs are much better- less frequent and less noticeable. The POTS flare is also on a good trajectory- I’ve had significantly less pre-syncope. The energy crashes may also be getting better. The brain fog and GI issues are persistent.

At 3 months post-Covid the PVCs are gone or at least very infrequent and mild. The pre-syncope is back to its pre-Covid state. The energy crashes are significantly better and almost back to normal. Brain fog and GI issues are still sticking around at the same level. I am very encouraged about where I am at now. My progress took off exponentially around the 2.5 post-Covid mark, so I have a lot of hope for what these next few weeks will bring.

At almost 4 months post-Covid the PVCs are definitely gone, pre-syncope is back to normal, and energy crashes are back to normal. Brain fog is slightly better lately with it mostly being noticeable in the evenings. GI stuff is unchanged.

At 4.5 months post-Covid, the brain fog seems to be on a good trajectory, but the improvement is moving in slow and gradual increments. The GI issues have seen some improved in the last two weeks. I strictly cut dairy and gluten out of my diet and that has made a difference. I’ve known that dairy was an issue for a while, I just got lax about it. However, having such a significant and direct impact with gluten is new for me. It seems that my brush with Covid has enhanced this food sensitivity. Has anyone else experienced this?

Summer of 2022, the brain fog is gone and the GI issues are resolved. I have no more lingering COVID-19 effects.

What was your experience with Covid like? Do you have any long-term effects?

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.