Struggling with long covid and me/cfs

Hi, im new here although ive browsed the forums before. A little background i am 39 year old male. Ive suffered with TMS type issues for a long time. Since my late teens, early 20s ive been the guy who always has something going on. Broke this, sick with that etc ever since i was young. I remember taking supplements from gnc as a kid, not knowing they were steroids and they had “shut me down”. This is my first possible TMS i can remember. All i thoight about all day was my testosterone levels. I went to dr after dr. Now some of this was likely legitimate from the hormones. But i at least somewhat recovered. For years i would abstain from sex too often as it was make me feel sick and depleted. I would feel more tired the next day etc. i still to this day feel the same.

Next was chronic muscle strains from weight lifting or issues in my mid back from ribs dislodging(says chiropractor). My next obsession was massages and constant chiropractor appts for years (early 20s). It became where i basically need to be treated to feel ok. Once again real injury likely as i was pulling things but my focus on it consumed me and felt i needed something or someone else to cure me.

Next i had an accident on a bicycle as a young kid, handle bar cause hernia in my lower abdomen. Healed and was ok. Was very in to lifting weight and exercise in early 2000s bc i was scrawny growing up. Once i got in to my current job (law enforcement) that hernia popped open likely from gun belt weight and pressure. I felt it pop, hadnt thoight about it for 15-20 years but knew what it was. Intially Drs said i didnt have a hernia i was fine. Additional follow ups, it was confirmed and fixed. 6 months later popped it open again. Fixed with a large intra abdominal mesh in 2016. Caused me chronic pain for a years. My new obsession, mesh pain in my stomach. Day and night. Once again likely realy intially. But became my focus, couldnt work or do anything strenuous without w stomach/back support strap. This lead to what i think is a torn/strained abdominal muscle further in my abdomen. Mesh pain faded or was on and off with this torn muscle.

2019 got hurt at work, upper back and neck pain. Buldging discs, stenosis, ddd, arthritis main complaint chronic tension in neck. Suddenly like every other time, the stomach pain was so bad this was my new focus. The post sex illnesss, stomach pain never fully left but it wasnt the center of my attention.
Years of chronic neck pain led me to Dr Sarnos book then youtube Dr schubiner and Alans book. My neck pain went from debilitating headcahes and tension to manageable. But throughout that reading my new obsession was once again massages, PT etc. always feeling like need someone to make me feel better.

finally gets me to today, as all of thise while not gone were manageable. Got my 4th bout with covid end of 2023. Intially got better but went back to the gym likely too soon and about 10 days post positive covid test i got a secondary viral or bacterial sinus infection. Lingered for most of Jan and Feb. drs said its post covid it should get better but it didnt. Exercise kept making it worse then i would stop exercising for a period slightly feel better and repeat the cycle. Started having chest pain, high heart rate, shirt of breath and insane fatigue. all scans normal(stress test ekg cardiogram blood work). Now im almost bed bound from push crash cycle that is getting worse and worse.

Finally got into a long covid clinic and stating i likely have Dysautonomia, post exertional malaise etc which are common and symptoms of Me/CFS.

sorry for the long post but has anyone treated anyone with ME/CFS-Long covid with success. At first i thoight it was another TMS illness. But its getting harder and harder to see it as such. But if course its another illness that is not curable and am expected to suffer if i dont recover naturally in next few months. Anxiety and fear of course make it worse. The anxiety only really goes when the symptoms are at the worse like today. While ive always been overthinker and anxious, anxiety has never really crippled me or prevented me from living. It feels like my nervous systems is definitely disrupted and my stress response is not what it was.

thanks for any help and sorry for lengthy post once again

 

My previous TMS coach, Rebecca Tolin specializes in assisting people with ME/CFS and long covid. Her success story might help you.