Long Covid Tips

Migraine Cocktails for Emergency Pain I hate to keep coming back to headaches as I am aware that chronic post-viral migraines affect only about a quarter of long-COVID patients (typically those with a history of migraines).  However, given how debilitating they can be, if even one reader learns something here that helps, it is time well spent. From time to time, even with all of my treatments, my migraine gets increasingly intense until I cannot handle it.  It can reach pain levels above what I experienced passing a large kidney stone, having a hand covered in 400 degree oil (commercial kitchen accident) and broken bones.  But the good news is that migraine cocktails can quickly beat it back in an emergency. What is in a Migraine Cocktail? My neurology and pain relief specialist has standing orders with a local hospital for me to be able to order an emergency intravenous (IV) migraine cocktail infusion.  This is a custom-tailored mix of drugs she developed for me and...

My last article discussed how to use pacing and energy budgets to improve performance and reduce symptoms.  However, I did a poor job of listing common signs of brain fatigue and how to recognize when a rest and cognition break might help so I decided to remedy that with this post.  Many of the warning signs are counterintuitive, so without a list it can be challenging to recognize when a symptom might be caused my mental fatigue and thus when a mental break is needed. Below is a list I copied nearly verbatim from a handout from a long-COVID recovery program from a highly respected research hospital.  It is not copyrighted nor proprietary, so I am free to share it here: Common Signs of Brain Fatigue Cognitive Symptoms of Brain Fatigue Difficulty concentrating Forgetfulness Slow speech Headache Word-finding difficulties Emotional Symptoms of Brain Fatigue Irritability Nervousness Withdrawal Physical Symptoms of Brain Fatigue Loss of appetite Low energy Nausea Balance ...

How Fatigue Can Trigger Other Symptoms I recently discussed how symptoms can be interconnected, and how decreasing one symptom can improve the others. With post-viral fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or even ordinary fatigue, the more tired you get the more likely you are to experience other symptoms such as brain fog.  This is supported by countless Occupational Health studies that have shown people who work too many hours develop: Mental and physical fatigue Stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues Hypertension and other cardiovascular issues Poor sleep Reduced performance and productivity Impaired planning, prioritization and decision-making In other words, exhaustion triggers negative symptoms.  Since I have chronic fatigue, I have less capacity so I must be careful about how and when I expend mental or physical effort to minimize exhaustion. Pacing for Energy Management My specialist recommended “pacing” as a tool to prevent overtaxing my nervous...

How Long COVID and CFS Symptoms Can Be Interconnected Chronic pain can create or worsen other symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, memory loss, stress, depression, anger and more.   My healthcare providers initially focused on post-COVID chronic migraine relief because pain is a well understood problem with a wide range of treatment options, as opposed to my mystifying mix of other symptoms.   The hope is that by tackling an easier problem first, it would have a ripple effect that would lessen the other symptoms. While my experience started with migraine pain, this same principle could apply to any collection of interconnected symptoms. Anyone who has ever taken an injured animal to a vet or small child to the emergency room has seen how pain can turn a sweet creature into a berserker.   Pain triggers adrenaline, fight or flight response, and stress.   If I asked you to read a story while I hit you with a hammer, you would find it challenging to focus and remembe...

Therapeutic Origins and Purposes of Botox Most people think of Botox as a cosmetic vanity procedure to hide wrinkles.   But cosmetic uses came long after it was invented for therapeutic purposes.   In the 1970s, botulinum toxin (Botox) was used to weaken muscles that cause crossed eyes, as an alternative to surgery.   After positive outcomes, it started being used to prevent muscle spasms for people with other neuromuscular conditions.   In 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a variation known as BOTOX ® Cosmetic for cosmetic use, almost 30 years after it started being used therapeutically.   In 2010, Onabotulinum toxin A (Botox) gained formal approval from the FDA to treat chronic migraine headaches.   I share this history because it is important to understand that Botox is a legitimate medical treatment for many serious problems.   Botox is a big help with my chronic migraine pain as it partially numbs the areas where heada...