I got through COVID-19 recently. Even though a connection to POIS is likely, still I couldn't judge whether there is one. I don't even know if POIS actually helped or if it was the medication I use for it. I lean to opt for the latter as at least they made me feel better POIS-wise and my symptoms were rather mild contrary to my expectations. I thought it could be interesting so I documented it. Well it didn't turn out to be so fortunately, but some bits might have relevance.
COVID-19 progression from symptom onset:
- day 1-3: Coincidentally I had an O on day 1, so at first I thought only POIS was acting up. I had a mild-weak tonsillitis from day 1 to 3. The pain was way weaker than the recurring tonsillitis I usually have. On the evening of day 3 I began to develop a headache reminiscent of a flu onset. I was dizzy and I might had a mild fever, but I didn't measure it as it wasn't anything serious. I began to suspect coronavirus infection as my mother also had flu-like symptoms at the time. This was the time I began my haphazard counterattack. I took a lot of things and I think they helped. I had a moderate pain in one hand and I took aspirin for it which really helped. My brother also had covid a few months earlier and aspirin helped with his leg pain. I also stopped taking MACA as I suspected a risk for thrombosis.
The medication I used henceforth: daily two cups of saffron tea (10-20 pieces each), daily one or two Aspirin [100 mg] (fortunately I didn't develop a heartache this time around), daily one pill of vitamin D (4000 IU), some vitamin C, daily one zinc and selenium pill, a mixed herbal tea made of chamomile, lemon balm, lime and dandelion root of which I drank a lot. I also made a strong Cistus incantus tea that I took a sip of from time to time, but I didn't drink more than one cup a day, because of my previous negative experiences. I also dripped some of it into my nose from time to time and it helped to reduce the dryness and burning pain so it probably inhibited the proliferation of the virus. It may be possible that this was the most effective treatment, but I can't be completely sure and maybe risky to try for others so be careful. I also took some MACA and L-Tryptophan occasionally, but mainly from the last days of the infection.
- day 4: No symptoms at all. Maybe only the dry nose.
- day 5: I developed a moderate tonsillitis again, but nothing else. On this day I had another O as I am really-really stupid.
- day 6: The tonsillitis got weaker, but I was not feeling well generally even though I used the usual medications. I don't know if it was only POIS or the additive effect of the two diseases.
- day 7: In the morning when I was half-asleep I felt some intermittent pain in the testicles, which is not a usual symptom of my POIS. The tonsillitis almost disappeared and I was feeling moderately well. Pus began to be produced, but only small amounts.
- day 8: I didn't sleep much this night. When getting up I had a moderate headache and pus production was also moderate. I had to go somewhere and I rode the bike for twenty minutes. When I stopped a severe nausea overcome me and I almost vomited, but it passed shortly. I sneezed quite often this day. I slept some in the afternoon and the headache went down afterwards. Surprisingly this was the moment my sense of taste and smell completely disappeared. Before sleeping I ate something and had no problems. I hardly had any symptoms besides this. Maybe the occasional little pain in the chest, but I have this all the time due to my chronic POIS anyway. Actually my usual acute chest pain is so much stronger that this can't even compare. I also didn't have breathlessness although I was sitting most of the days, which might have made it harder to notice without exertion.
- day 9: An occasional sneeze or cough still appeared. Also no taste or smell henceforth. I couldn't sense nor coffee, sour herbal teas or even toothpaste, which was a really horrible experience. In the afternoon I began to have a strong muscle ache (mainly the upper arms and upper legs) were involved. This was stronger than the usual fatigue-like weak to moderate pain I experience with POIS. On day 8 and 9 I ate some cookies with apricot jam and I don't think it was a good idea as it is one of the top food that enhance my POIS and it caused a burning stool that I could suppress in the preceding days with the increased amounts of POIS medication I took. However it is not clear if the increased coronavirus symptoms were due to the natural course of the infection or if POIS was really involved somehow.
- day 10: I had a moderate muscle ache during the day. I think this was the last day I had testicular pain which occurred occasionally and randomly. I can't define it better as it was always a short burst of pain and by the time I took notice it was gone.
- day 11: Only weak muscle ache.
- day 12: Muscle ache disappeared.
- day 13: I had a serious red eye in the morning, but it got better after taking my medication. In the afternoon I began to regain my sense of taste.
From this day forward I didn't document things, but everything got better day by day even though I also began to work again (only part time). In the following days I somewhat regained the sense of smell too, but even after more than one week the sense of taste and smell is much worse than before, but at least there is a little. I also had an O after one week, but it doesn't look like anything changed as I still have the usual POIS symptoms that are neither weaker nor stronger or at least it is hard to notice with treatment.
Pus production was also much lesser than with the usual tonsillitis I have, although so far I only lost my sense of smell with that, but never my sense of taste. As I have began to take effective POIS medication recently it is possible that they could ameliorate other infections as well.
I have a blood type of 0 Rh- which might have helped somewhat.
Also as I lost my senses in a later stage of the infection it could mean that I had the British variant, which is quite prevalent in my country, but I can't be sure of course.
Not in relation to covid, but somewhere I mentioned that I have this strange symptom I call ass muscle inflammation that I am not even sure if is in connection to POIS. I haven't had this for months now, but what I noticed is that it tended to appear again after taking zinc pills. The next day a mild pain appeared, but it usually disappeared in a few hours. When I only took selenium pills it didn't occur at all. I am still not completely sure if zinc really induces this symptom, but it seems more and more likely. Otherwise I don't think zinc has any impact on my POIS, but it might have helped in ameliorating the infection so it was worth the risk.
I also didn't dare to try NAC for which I am a bit sorry after writing so much about it.
