Weird post covid skin issues

Hello everybody,

I've just finished to read Alan Gordon's book and discovered this forum. I will try to not be long.

I had covid 3 times since march 2023. Since I've developped strong chronic fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, digestive issues (like SIBO), chronic diarrhea, diffuse pain all over the body (especially in the neck, jaw and back), pressure in the eyes ans sensitivity to light and the last one, which is very weird is ... skin issues.

I'm a 40 years old man, almost bald so I shave my hair. People always told me I was looking 33 years old. After my second infection, I started to lose all the volume under my scalp. My scalp was before very round and tight and in few days it beame lose and mushy. I can't even shave my head because i feel the nerves underneath and it's painful. In few weeks I've noticed a degeneration of my skin in the face : very dehydrated, thining very fast, crepey aspect, detached from the skull, sagging, wrinkly. I lost all the volume under my skin in few weeks that made me look very old and and sick, almost like a drug addict. I started to panic because I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't understand why I was aging suddenly, like something was eating my tissues from the inside. My skin kept degenerating and now it's like I just have a thin layer of chewing gum on my face, which is not attached to the stuff underneath, very strecthy but without any elasticty. I can see all my veins under which are very dilated. I look like an alien. Also my beard is greying very fast.

I've tried different harsh products on my face to save it, like retinol, but it made things worse. I couldn't even look at me in the mirror and was not even turning the light on in the bathroom.

After some months, I've seen the tissues to degenerate all over my body, every centimeter on my tissues are eaten from the inside. It took me time to make the link with long covid. I've talked ot toher oeple on reddit, younger, who developped the same symptoms post covid. We don't understand what's happening.

Also a girl, 26 years old, had the same symptoms, bedridden for one year, did the vaccine, and she recovered in 2 weeks, and her skin came back to normal. Few months later, she did the second shot and all the symptoms came back suddenly, skin included. Other people have seen improvements by managing their gut health. Others with time. Another woman, with a severe condition and also with EDS before covid, recovered only from skin issues without doing anything. All the other symptoms remain.

I have to say that I had a severe depression episode before my first covid. Years before I also had diffuse and moving pain on my neck, jaw, back, eyes, and dizziness. I've did many things that helped me but never cured me.

I've started to do the somatic tracking and now I'm convinced that my pain comes from my brain and already see improvements in my pain and dizziness too.

I'm very depressed about my connective tissues problems, I feel like I'm not the same person anymore and I have been taken my appearance and identity. I fell into depression again.

Is anyone have seen or experienced the same issues? How to use somatic tracking for post covid issues? It is still difficult for me to understand it.
Also it's hard for me to understand how such a sudden and deep degeneration of my skin and tissues can be caused by my brain.

I'm stuck in a fight or flight mode and I'm obsessed with this problem everyday. I'm scared that it is not reversible. I lost my identity and self confidence. I can understand hat my attitude is not the right one for recovery but I can't understand how the nervous system can create suck a skin destruction.

I opened to any advice. Thank you very much for your attention and help.

I wish you all a good evening and recovery.

Tony

 

Hi @Tony
There have been several studies in the last few years that show long Covid and it's myriad of bizarre symptoms are most likely mind-body related. Your nervous system is out of whack.
The nervous system and your brain can do ANYTHING, and the more bizarre the symptoms, the less Doctor's can truly explain what is going on (like with long Covid) the less likely it is structural or a true illness, however the symptoms can masquerade as illness.

Before you start attempting to use various tools to help your situation, you really need a firm understanding of what TMS is

This website is inspired by the ideas of Dr. John E Sarno who’s pioneering work in the field of TMS has led to many scientific discoveries about the human chronic pain experience. We suggest you begin to learn more about TMS by reading one of his books. Here is a short biography and bibliography of his life work. https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/John_E._Sarno,_MD (John E. Sarno, MD) (the book the Divided Mind is a good one for learning more about some bizarre mind body symptoms)

Not sure if your chronic pain is mind body related? This free, short quiz from the PPD Association (PPD is another term for TMS) can help you gain a clearer vision of your chronic pain. https://ppdassociation.org/ppd-self-questionnaire (Self Quiz — Psychophysiologic Disorders Association)

Feel free to explore more of this website at https://www.tmswiki.org/ (The Tension Myositis Syndrome Wiki)

Somatic Tracking is a tool used in Alan Gordon Pain Reprocessing theory to work with unexplained symptoms. His short book "The Way Out" explains all the concepts and theories. More info at his website: https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/ (Pain Reprocessing Therapy)


We look forward to hearing how you identified with Dr. Sarno’s book and about what you think of Alan Gordon's work

We’re here to provide support and answer your questions!

 

Hi Tony,
In addition to what Cactusflower recommends, I wanted to mention that it is sometimes helpful to do the TMS helping practices as you're doing, and notice some of the good changes, and really understand they are mind-body. Often some symptoms tend to resolve first, and others follow. It is the ones you're most afraid of that might take a little longer. Take confidence.

Being "stuck in fight/flight/freeze" is common and understandable given your symptoms. It is probably very helpful to: find ways to reassure yourself you are safe, find ways to self-soothe, find ways to focus on other, enjoyable aspects of your life, connect with those around you, just for fun. Do things you enjoy. Do things not focussed on curing yourself which take focus and hold your interest. Do everything you can to forget the fears about appearance, the future, etc, and enjoy small things. Life is precious and fleeting. These practices will give you more enjoyment regardless of symptoms, and while these ideas may not seem so important in the face of your fears and research, they may be the most important aspects for you to "deescalate the nervous system." Again, without focussing on "outcomes," but rather moment-to-moment experiences.

Best to you on your journey.

Andy

 

I've been checked by many doctors. Some of them were a joke and didn't take me seriously, other ones were very professional and admit the problems. We tried different protocols and medications but with no effect at all. I keep working with one doctor for more lab tests.

 

Thank you so much for all these informations. I discovered dr Sarno's work thanks to some people I've talked ot on Reddit. They recovered form different issues thanks to his method but none of them had the same weird skin issues.

As I said, I just finished the Alan Gordon's book which made me convinced that my pain in neck, back, shoulders, eyes, jaw come from my brain. I did the quizz you mentionned and my score is 10/12. I still need ot read Sarno's book.

I understand the process to cure chronic pain thanks to somatic tracking, because we can't see th pain but we can feel it in our body.

I see a lot of people had success for long covid symptoms. Some people experienced rapid aging after covid, which came back to normal (not extreme as me though). My questions is : how to use the same method for different symptoms. Foir example, for my skin issues, I don't feel them, but they are visible. It's the exact opposiite with neck pain for example, I can feel it but not see it. How can I use somatic tracking for these skin issues? Do i need to look at them and send to my brain safety signals? Do I need to ignore them?

 

Hi Andy, thank you very much for your message. I think without these skin issues I would be already cure or almost. It's been almost one year that I see myself detiorating rapidly in the mirror everyday. I've lost a potential good reliationship because of it and I'm very depressed and isolated. Tha's a vicious cycle of depression now. That skin symptoms are very vicious.

 

It is exactly the SAME as neck pain. It is all generated from feelings of lack of safety and the internal stress we created, predominately about how we are thinking about ourselves. Many people who come to this forum have visible symptoms, and have overcome them.

You don't need to look at your symptoms, and you don't need to ignore them (ignoring symptoms is what got you here in the first place)... you just accept that they are here now, they are temporary and are a sign of your stress.
Then you do the work to work on sending messages of safety to yourself not focused on the symptoms, but about your life and your thoughts and the things that stress you.

What is this work? You can find the Structured Educational Program which is free, right here: https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Structured_Educational_Program (Structured Educational Program)

This program is based on the work Dr. Sarno outlines in his books.

Here is a page about people who had visible skin problems and got better: https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Dermatological_conditions,_such_as_eczema,_hives,_acne,_psoriasis,_and_other_rashes (Dermatological conditions, such as eczema, hives, acne, psoriasis, and other rashes)


It is possible with time and patience for yourself.

 

Thank you very much! It's all clear for me and I will try to do my best to do the job. I will let you know about my results.

 

Hello @Tony, I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. I wanted to reply because I have had COVID relatively recently and, unfortunately, my nervous system (because of childhood trauma that has resulted in me living with CPTSD) will latch onto any illness I have and prolong symptoms. I am still very much working on creating internal safety but it's been a very long road for me and I have a long history of distressing TMS symptoms. I am experiencing problems with my taste and smell post covid which I know is a symptom that can linger but I am pretty sure mine is TMS because of the discrepancies that I experience with it...which has given me some lightbulb moments and because I know myself and how my system operates. I get very down on myself easily for still experiencing symptoms and returning to this place time and time again. I have worked really hard in therapy and it can feel disheartening. But when it's like this I just put one for in front of the other, pray alot for guidance and hope and try to reassure myself that I am safe and loved by many. For me, it's like I need to do less around TMS not more. This is very hard for anyone who has suffered childhood trauma though because an illusion of control was often how we got through to adulthood. I'm sending you lots of healing thoughts. And for anyone that would like to reply to me for a bit of comfort, reassurance and support I would appreciate that

 

I have a 2 cents to add to the conversation.

One of the things that can happen post virus is CYTOKINE induced anxiety and/or depression. Cytokines are produced to help the body fight the virus.
You probably heard of "cytokine storm" at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic which was responsible for the deaths of many people.
Cytokines also produce whatever chemicals or whatnot (sorry, I don't remember the details) that cause anxiety and depression. This is a known medical fact.
Post virus, this anxiety can take the form of health anxiety.
The healthy anxiety then tricks the mind's eye on what it is seeing and experiencing. You will see things that might always have been there but they look different and scary.

Here are two examples from my own life and then I will show you how you can prove this to yourself.

1) Years ago I had to have surgery. I had to stay overnight in the hospital for a few nights. When I returned home, I was looking at my arm where they had the IV and suddenly I noticed how strange my wrist bone looked. It was huge and my arm so small. It jutted out and looked like it must be swollen. It was frightening enough looking for me to actually call the doctors to ask if I should come in and have them look at it because something WEIRD was going on.
The reality: I have tiny bird bone arms and my wrist bone looks weird. I had never looked at that that carefully before. If I look at it right now, it still freaks me out a little. LOL

2) This second example is fun. If I'm worrying about having some kind of disease that causes one to lose weight, I notice that it seems like my belly looks smaller or my pants looser and my thighs not as big. I am certain as I look at my body that I am losing weight. YET -- The very next day, I can worry about a disease that causes one to gain weight and guess what, suddenly when I look at my body I look fatter. The same areas that I looked at the day before seem completely different. Plumper. I "look" fatter.

My body isn't different from one day to the next. But my MIND sees it differently.

Now, here is how you can explore this phenomenon yourself.
Do you sometimes look at photographs of yourself and see all the problems with your appearance? Maybe your skin looks weird, your color not good, the bags under your eyes, the face thinner or fatter, your mouth looks stupid, your hair too thin, etc?

What about when you look at your friend's photos?
Usually we when you look at photographs of your friends and family, you look at them holistically. Oh, they look nice. And look at that pretty beach they are at. They seem happy with that big smile on their face. Now look again at that photo pretending that YOU are that person in that photo. You will suddenly see all the flaws that make them look ill or yukky or how if it was you, you'd feel bad about yourself.

Again it's a matter of your brain and what it is focusing on. What it expects to see. What it doesn't bother to look at and what it hyper focuses on.
We distort thing based on all of this.

Well, there you go. $0.02

 

Thank you for your contribution but it's off topic. My problem have been identified by doctors and by my friends and family. They all say something is not normal with me and my skin. This is not in my mind or a distorded view of myself.
My tissues are being eaten from the inside. I can't shave my head anymore. The scalp is so thin that a simple pressure from a razorblade is painful. I can feel the nerves underneath. This is real.

 

I understand. Post my virus my hair fell out, my skin got yellow and my face looked like I was dying.
The anxiety makes our bodies not function up to par. We might not eat well. We are hyper focusing.
And as I mentioned above, it all appears magnified and worse because we are focusing on it.
Once I was told by a doctor that I "felt, worse than I was" and I was able to set it all aside my symptoms began to clear up.

 

Tony, This is an important piece to the discussion, in my opinion, with first-hand experience. Although "worrying less" seems like "thin soup," it is foundational to the situation, to the degree your situation is mindbody. And probably to the degree it isn't either. In a way, you might forge ahead without having to know so much. This is what we're about here. Finding non-physically based treatments. Probably no one has your exact situation, but where we swim the water's fine. Jump in!

 

This is very hard for anyone who has suffered childhood trauma though because an illusion of control was often how we got through to adulthood. I'm sending you lots of healing thoughts. And for anyone that would like to reply to me for a bit of comfort, reassurance and support I would appreciate that[/QUOTE]

Not to steal this thread, but I wanted to recognize and encourage what you're doing EmilyE. In a way, you're reclaiming your life by working skillfully with the conditioned past. This takes courage and tenderness. Good luck in your brave work. --Andy

 

@Andy Bayliss thank you. It feels particularly hard for me at the moment and I haven't experienced fear to this level for a couple of years. I never thought I would land here again but here I am. I appreciate your encouragement. It can feel very cruel at times. I don't mean this from a victim perspective but a very honest place where I wish deeply that my childhood had been different. I am reclaiming my life despite feeling floored right now. One foot in front of the other, quite literally. I try to focus on what's different this time to give myself some credit and self worth as trauma makes you feel like you are just completely back there with no resources. Thank you for your acknowledgement @Andy Bayliss

 

@Booble thank you for your input. I agree with alot of what you say. I am definitely hyper vigilant right now of my symptoms and because I am in a very sensitised state that will take a little while to come down from. I almost have to accept that that's what's happening at the moment and create a small bit of distance. For me the symptoms are so scary because I'm sensitised...from this place everything is scary! I don't know how this will resolve itself this time but I have, unfortunately, been through this many times before and I'm sure it will again. I am much better at identifying the patterns but as many people on here identify, this doesn't mean that they won't happen. It's just how we respond that makes the difference. I have been massively taken in this time because the symptoms I have were the ones I most dreaded having with COVID. But when I look back I have actually had snippets of these symptoms in the past pre COVID but paid them little attention because there was nothing to hook them onto like 'post viral', 'long COVID' etc etc and of course they didn't stick. For me, it's back to basics again and really pouring into myself the love and credit that I deserve for how brave and courageous I am to keep living on despite the setbacks that I am faced with.

 

Good for you for recognizing all of that. It's not easy and that's a great step to being able to set it aside.
One thing that I have found helpful when I'm in the very sensitized state is to give my self a "vacation" from the worry.
I visualize putting the worry in a box and putting it up on the top shelf of a closet. That way it's always accessible if I "need" it but I allow myself a break from it.
I don't know how you are when you get in worry mode but for me I get where I feel like if I don't worry about whatever the worry of the moment is, then I'm somehow being neglectful and then I'm really in trouble. Even though I don't DO anything-- just worry. Or worse symptom search.

It's not really ideal from a TMS standpoint where it's best to focus on uncovering the hidden emotional anger/rage, etc. , but if you are in a hyper health anxiety state over something it can be a nice break. Nothing is going to happen if you don't worry for an an hour, or an afternoon, or a day or a week.

 

I understand that it's hard to take in, especially when doctors are giving you signals to confirm your worst thoughts.
I was lucky post my bad virus. The doctor was older (and in fact retired shortly thereafter) and he was comfortable telling me that even though I felt horrible and my body was reacting in certain ways, I was OK. There was nothing wrong with me. Yes, I felt like crap and yes my body was reacting to things. But I was OK.

Most doctors don't do that and if they do patients get upset about it.
For me it was the start of healing. It still took several months to get to 80% and another several months to get to 100% but I swear I started feeling better the moment I walked out of his office.

 

I totally get that about the worry. I get this thing where I feel that it is all going to get worse if I don't worry! It's a real pattern of mine and every time something like this comes up for me it's a sign that I have more work to do. I have had several experiences like yours where I have been to see a doctor and they have been able to tell me that there is nothing wrong with me despite having symptoms. It's amazing how much comfort and safety this gives our brain. I'm very careful about going to see doctors about certain things because, like you alluded to, many doctors aren't skilled enough to do this and can sometimes exacerbate the problem. I'm really trying to reassure my brain that there is nothing physically wrong with me. It's an over and over again process.