Thread by @SalvMattera

After a 6 month wait, I finally talked to a cardiologist today at Stanford who specializes in long COVID. What he told me was pretty disappointing, but not surprising:

For context: After my second COVID infection in October 2022, I developed heart problems. Initially it was palpitations and odd spikes in my heart rate. At first, doctors told me it was just stress.

But after the third infection in January 2023, it became much worse. I would have palpitations all day, every day for months. I could feel my heart beating in different parts of my body, like my neck and legs. And the chest pain - so much chest pain.

Chest pain of all different varieties. Stabbing pain in the center of my chest. Achy pain near my heart and in my back. Sometimes it would last for hours. I went to the ER once thinking I was having a heart attack because it felt like someone was sitting on my chest.

Coincidentally, my ER doctor told me that the exact same thing happened to him for several months after his last COVID infection.

Other potentially related symptoms: random shortness of breath episodes. Racing heart after minor activity, or in the shower. Rarely, my heart would go the other way and beat too slowly.

I'm glad to say that after 1.5 years, the heart issues have gotten a lot better. Maybe 80% better. Still bothers me rarely, but nothing like the first half of 2023. Still, when it does bother me, it sucks, and I wanted to see if there was any kind of treatment.

The first cardiologist I saw recognized it immediately as long COVID. He ran a few blood tests, an echocardiogram, a couple ECGs, and had me wear a monitor. When nothing major was found, he told me to start taking CBD oil and wished me luck.

Disappointed, I found an expert in another city and had him review my records. He wrote me back with a list of a dozen additional tests that could be run, which I wrote about here:

https://twitter.com/SalvMattera/status/1720314787652092063?t=VQB5edQc4ZePoH_6NOuLag&s=19

When I presented this list to the first cardiologist, he refused to do any additional testing. So I found the Stanford long COVID cardiologist and got on his wait-list.

I finally talked to him today. He told me that the only other test he could run would be an MRI on my heart. He expected that the MRI would show slight abnormalities, but even if it did, he wouldn't know what to do with the information anyway.

He offered to order it, but persuaded me not to ask for it, as he didn't think it would be a good use of my time. Since I don't have PEM, he told me to get back in the pool and start swimming laps. Maybe you'll be back to normal in another 2 years, he said.

He told me that he thinks the long COVID chest pain is actually caused by issues with the nerves and joints in the chest cavity. He said there was simply no solution for the chest pain, and didn't think any other specialist would be able to help me.

I don't know if I believe that, but he certainly knows more than me about this subject. Regardless, another reason to try to avoid getting infected with COVID. Because, if this happens to you like it happened to me, you can seek out the best doctors in the world

And there's nothing they'll be able to do for you. The only thing you can do is wait, and hope, and to eat CBD oil and Asprin. And maybe after a few years, you'll mostly recover like me, but maybe you won't.