- Source of the Story
- Provided to Health Rising
- Resource Type
- Patient Story
- Name
- Dr. Mathew Robinson
- Diagnosis
-
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- POTS (Postural Tachycardia Orthostatic Syndrome)
- Long COVID
- Disease Course Over Time
-
I was infected with COVID in February 2020 and was incredibly sick for one month. After getting through the initial infection, my “Long-COVID” symptoms began about a month later, in April 2020. It started with sporadic dizziness that eventually became chronic, unrelenting dizziness that was present always, for 4 years.
Then, fatigue set in a few months later, along with post-exertional malaise (these would become my most problematic symptoms over time), and brain fog started about a year into my illness. Triggers included screen time, sun exposure, heat, and any physical or cognitive exertion.
I was bed-bound about 20-22 hours a day but still managed to work for all but 4 months as a University professor.
- Type of Onset
- acute flu-like
- Duration
- 2-5 years
- Functionality at it's Worst
- Mostly bedbound
- Symptoms
- chronic dizziness, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, brain fog, upset stomach, lower back pain
- Treatments That Made A Big Difference
- Midodrine, low dose Abilify, and low dose naltrexone reduced my symptoms by 80 percent over 2 years. Ultimately, 3 months of hyperbaric oxygen therapy made me all the way better
- Treatments That Had No Effect
- acupuncture, diclofenac, Verapamil, prednisone, nortriptyline, gabapentin, ivermectin,
- Treatments That Made You Worse
- clonazepam, meclizine, oxalacetate
- Present State of Health
-
- Fully recovered - no restrictions at all
- Practitioner Associated With Recovery
- Bateman Horne Center / Aviv Clinic
- Words of Advice
- Never give up. For years, I thought recovery would be impossible and that I would never get better. I also thought my illnesses would kill me, that I would pass in my sleep and be found dead in my bed. But I never gave up hope that something would eventually work, and I kept seeking out help from as many experts and doctors as I could. I slowly got better through medicines at Bateman Horne Clinic but then had a major relapse which lasted more than a month. That is when I found Aviv Clinics and 3 months of treatment there completely healed me. I got better because I never gave up!
- Suggested Resources
-
- Please see my book: The Long-Haul: My Four-Year Battle to Beat Long-COVID, ME/CFS, and POTS, available at Amazon:
- Also, check out the websites of Bateman Horne Clinic, where I saw 80% Improvement over 2 years:
- AND Aviv Clinics, where I got my hyperbaric oxygen therapy and got all the way better over 3 months:
A PhD gets knocked down by long COVID but finds his way back.