Extreme post-viral fatigue, immune overreaction, and crashes – does anyone else feel like this?

Hi everyone,

I’m writing this out of frustration and desperation to find others who might be going through what I’m experiencing. I’m 28 years old and was severely hit by a viral infection (COVID-19) about 3 months and 3 weeks ago. While the acute symptoms like cough and fever resolved, the fatigue I’m experiencing now is absolutely crippling, and I feel like I’m living in a body that isn’t mine anymore.

Here’s what’s happening: • Every morning feels like I’ve been hit by a truck. When I wake up, I can barely move and have to stay in bed for 2 hours stretching just to get enough strength to stand up. Even then, I can only manage about 30 minutes of being upright before I have to lie down again. • I tried slowly increasing my activity, starting with 5 minutes of walking and working up to 10 minutes. But as soon as I did that, I had a massive crash that felt like catching the flu times 50. It’s been 2 weeks since that crash, and I’m still stuck in bed. • The fatigue is so extreme that I feel like I’m in the terminal stages of a serious illness, even though doctors say my test results are “normal.”

Here’s what has been done so far: • I’ve had blood work for anemia, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies (B12, D, folate), and inflammation markers like CRP. Everything came back normal. • I’ve been taking iron under medical advice, but I stopped magnesium and vitamin D after trying them for a while. I don’t take supplements without reason, as I know they can sometimes do more harm than good. • Additional tests are ongoing (hormones, muscle function, etc.), but so far, there’s no clear explanation for why my body feels like this.

What frustrates me the most is that doctors often dismiss this as psychological, offering antidepressants instead of investigating further. I’m not depressed – who wouldn’t feel anxious or frustrated in this situation? If my doctor were in my place, I guarantee they would demand every possible test to figure out what’s wrong.

I feel like my immune system is in overdrive and that it’s responding excessively to even minimal exertion. The fact that a 10-minute walk could send me into a two-week crash feels absurd.

I’m not looking for a magical cure – I just want to know if others are experiencing this same intense, life-altering fatigue months after a viral infection. Has anyone found anything that helped or even just felt understood?