Towards the end of last summer I felt wiped out. Working from home so didn’t really take any time to recover, resulting in a couple of months off work from November to January with post viral fatigue, most likely due to Epstein Barr Virus ( I say that as Cav had it and sounds cooler than glandular fever). Was pretty annoyed to have got ill, especially with being so careful re covid. Looking back though, may have been something lurking for a long time.

Am getting a bit better, but just been wiped out again all day after a steady family walk on Monday. Am getting pretty fed up of it now and wondered if anyone else has experience of this and how you approached recovery and building back up to being able to be active again?

There doesn’t seem to be much information available on the subject, so I’d be grateful for anyones experience.

thanks.

Had it through 2018-2019. Basically I was probably overtraining and over-racing in 2018 and just had flare after flare through the winter and spring. Recovery involved taking three months spells off the bike and resting. With little training and one ride around the M25, I came back and rode a 233 mile 12hr TT on a tricycle in September.

So my advice is don’t worry about the fitness, concentrate on the rest. And I’m now trying to recover from covid, which was much worse.

thanks TiRed. How did you approach the recovery? I’m not doing anything more than a gentle walk, keeping HR low too(not too hard when in lockdown!). Had been seeing improvements but knocked sideways by today. Am amazed at how little info there is around the subject, although it seems covid may also advance knowledge on post viral fatigue.

I had it last year after Covid. I was only just recovering around Christmas. Got Covid again at the beginning of this month and now back to square one. Blacked out from coughing earlier today and had to lie down for half an hour after taking a shower.

Just listen to your body and take it easy. I know it is extremely frustrating, but don’t overdo it. I did last summer and it massively set me back.

Take care and good luck

It could equally be the crippling fatigue that comes and goes after having Covid i.e. a form of long Covid.

As above, listen to your body.

Generally I’ve turned a corner since November having had Covid last March and quite possibly again in October (both times mild symptoms compared to my partner), but compared to this this time last year, I have to be a lot more selective of how many races/TTs/workouts and when I do them. I did a flat out ~25min Tempus Fugit TT on Monday after work (postie, so even more physical these days than it was pre-pandemic), worked Tuesday but did nothing after, today on a scheduled day off I’ve taken it very easy and done nothing (as is often the case now on my first day off of the week). Usually two or max three z4+ turbo sessions a week.

Currently battling this 2 months post Covid. It really is shit and you feel like a pensioner not a person in their prime years. I have no advice other than I guess we can only take it easy for a while.

Funnily I logged into stw looking to post in the long COVID thread and saw this. I’m now 12 weeks with long COVID (officially post COVID syndrome – unwanted achievement!). I have recently found the fatigue to be improving. I have put it down to rest, rest and more rest – I’ve had more baths in the last 3 months than my entire life; work has been v supportive with phased return and I’ve just given up trying to do anything more than walk and Pilates. (I’ve also been on antihistamines for the past 3 weeks which I think has made a bit difference – but that’s personal circumstances). If you read online there is loads of advice on ‘pace, plan and prioritise’ which I have tried to use as general guide. Rather than doing too much on the good days and end up in a boom and bust cycle. So today I did some gardening (phased return means I currently don’t work Wednesdays), but I didn’t go for a walk as well. As my energy envelope goes up and stays consistent, I can then think about adding a bit more to each day, but thought about as a whole week. I don’t know if it’s the answer but it appears to be helping.

That said I still have daily persistent headaches and breathlessness. I was wondering how long COVID folk are finding the breathlessness – are you trying to do some more exercise (when energy is ok) to increase lung function? I am able to walk up to 6 miles (not every day!) but sometimes have to stop on slopes. I have been referred to the long COVID clinic (yet to get apt) but I think I’m already functioning more than enough for the NHS – even if it is isn’t my normal of long rides, big hikes etc. Maybe this should be for the long COVID thread though.

I had Covid in April last year and was still suffering from breathlessness in late August. Ended up being sent for chest X-rays and ECG to rule anything else out. The fatigue was full on until September, then became more intermittent. I used to suffer from migraines when younger and they’ve come back with a vengeance too. Long bike rides out of the question, medium length walks of a couple of mile were okay.

Had a plan to increase activity and had just started before Christmas. Three weeks ago I had a blinding headache and awful kidney pain. Came home from work and developed a fever. Positive Covid test on the Thursday. Worst symptoms eased and now I’m back to coughing, breathlessness, fatigue and (strangely) occasional nosebleeds.

To be blunt it is **** shit and I’m dreading the next couple of months. Exercise has always helped me cope with serious depression. Haven’t been able to do any real exercise since last April. My mental, physical and emotional health is screwed. Still there are people in much worse situations and I count myself lucky

Sorry to derail OP and for the negativity. It’s just been a difficult time with this and other things. Genuinely hope you recover quickly and are back to your old self in no time.

I sporadically suffer from post exertions malaise, which is one of the main symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s crippling and I end up in bed for 2 weeks. People say how lazy, but it’s not like I’m tired, more like I have lost 99% of my physical strength and walk-in up the stairs is a huge effort. By body tells me I need to be horizontal and sleep.

I have however found a solution after plenty of googling and advise from a CFS forum.

My understanding it that the issue is how the energy you consume via food, doesn’t get into your cells and your body can’t produce a substance called ATP.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5959283/

I consume D Ribose, and since taking this I don’t get the post exercise malaise, or I haven’t had an episode for over a year since taking it. For me, it’s an absolute game changer.

Thanks @edward2000. I’ve ordered some from Torq to see if it can help the rest v exercise COVID recovery balancing act.

Also read online it is useful in helping with arythmia – I can suffer from this after extreme (for me) exercise and have taken beta-blockers for over a year now. Very interesting link.

@ahsat I hope it works for you.

Do be aware however that it actually lowers your blood sugar. I take it immediately after ive done exercise not before, followed by some quick absorbing carbs. My usual go to is a shake with finely ground oats added, a bit of protein powder and oat milk.

I run quite a bit. I used to take it before I went running and always noticed i’d chew through my gels in about 10 minutes!

Commiserations – it’s a rough thing to get over and it can take time. Mrs NBT (Bunnyhop) has had it and took a good 18 months to get to a point where she was apprachig the previous normal. but even now a decade on still has days where she’s not great (perhaps due to overexertion the previous day, or cumuklative stress) and has to rest.

There’ve been a few threads over the years that may be worth looking at. In essence though the advice all boils down to “treat your energy as a finite resource and don’t drain it too far”

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/post-viral-fatigue/
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/post-viral-fatigue-has-anyone-recovered-from-this/
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/post-viral-fatigue-recovery-suggestions/
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

https://www.google.com/search?q=bunnyhop+post+viral+site:singletrackworld.com&rlz=1C1GCEU_enGB897GB897&sxsrf=ALeKk00OiZ9KxZnci4JyYb0PoOHLwENOSw:1613645839032&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA8ZyYo_PuAhUCCc0KHazwD94QrQIoBHoECAcQBQ&biw=1858&bih=977

good luck with getting yourself back on the level

We did use torq recovery powders in the months after the initial episode and they did help a lot, but it’s no longer an option – mainly becuase of the associations with such a bad time. Same goes for Clif bars

FWIW while many of the symptoms are the same, i’m not sure that Long Covid is the same as PVF – though the management techniques will apply to both. I don’t recall breathlessness being an issue for Mrs NBT, more a feeling of gneral lethargy and utter lack of energy

There is multiple aspects of long COVID. The most common being fatigue which is thought to be similar to PVT. The breathlessness is definitely something different and specific. Everyone seems to be affected differently.

Thanks @edward2000 for the advice 🙂

I’m 11 months post covid and have enjoyed the lovely long-covid fatigue. All my other symptoms have gone. It comes and goes, but currently I’m feeling better than I have in the last11 months. I’m hoping this is a continuation of the albeit unpredictable upwards trajectory.

I’ve tried various forms of vits and supplements, but generally they serve to focus my concentration on the illness which in turn seems to exacerbate it. For me now it is quite mentally linked, so my current tack is too try to ignore it and push through (within reason). However I strongly advise against doing this until you feel ready to. And then only little steps at a time. Had I tried this even 2 months back I would have ended up in bed for a week.

I read somewhere that PVS typically lasts 18 months. So I’m aiming to have fully recovered by autumn. Positive mental attitude and all!

Thank you all for the comments. nbt that’s a great set of resources, thank you and Bunnyhop too.

Theres a lot of information to go though, my illness seemed to appear almost overnight, and not resting enough at the time then caught up with me I think. Combination of pandemic meaning could work from home, carrying on as normal then busy work all came together in the end.

As per many – its the peaks and troughs that catch me – think doing fine so try a bit more then go backwards again. Healthy diet and no alcohol to continue. Going to add some supplements and perhaps some recovery drinks – that isn’t something I’d thought of previously.

I hope you start to recover soon.
Some people sadly suffer from fatigue syndrome quite badly, others can manage their daily energy levels with time and as mentioned eating well (proper food), no alcohol too.
At the time I was lucky enough to get advice from a dietitian friend, who told me sugar was bad, bad as in not just aiding recovery, but preventing the body from having a decent immune system. I found this impossible, so had sugar from the odd bit of fruit and some very dark chocolate (small amounts), not in foods if I could help it. This was difficult.
The other thing I found was I was susceptible to catching things (low immune system again, which seemed to be part and parcel of the CFS). E.G a cold would last weeks rather than days. Something like the Norovirus which should be over in a few days, took weeks, putting me back and sapping energy.
Interestingly I learned to wash hands more, use hand sanitiser and cough or sneeze into the crook of my arm well before C19 gave advice.
Also as mentioned above, there were days when I would feel ‘normal’, then I would do normal things and overdo stuff and this would set me back, lessons were learned.

I’m afraid it may well be a waiting game.

Sorry to hear funkmasterP that you are struggling. Get well soon and take it easy.