# New EM last 6 months - likely post COVID **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** treatment\ **Created:** [December 16, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/new-em-last-6-months-likely-post-covid/5280 "2020-12-16T17:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![STEVE-EM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@STEVE-EM](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/u/STEVE-EM)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/new-em-last-6-months-likely-post-covid/5280/21 "2021-02-17T01:01:02Z")
Hi Lauren, Thanks for reply. Alas - things have gotten worse. My toes were relatively stable, with a mix inflammation and EM-like symptoms. I received the first dose of the CV19 vaccine and 8 days later started having inflammation with joint swelling, finger swelling, etc. Underlying all of this is likely a connective tissue disorder that triggering the vascular / blood vessel issues. With that inflammation, my hands - never previously involved until last month, also get a mix of reduced and increased blood flow, warming and cooling. Towards the end of the day, if lower my arms to gravity, the hands get immediately tight, similar to feet - with congestion. The cause of the symptoms in the hands is still being investigated. I was thinking about a diet change, to see if that would change the microbiota in the gut, and perhaps change the inflammatory symptoms. Read your post - thought I would give the gluten/diary free diet a try. Its been a few days - no change for me. Hard to find things both gluten and diary free! Have not tried the supplements though. Doing my best to stay hopeful - the hands really set me back. Hopefully some therapy is coming my way soon. [Previous page](https://forum.livingwitherythromelalgia.org/t/new-em-last-6-months-likely-post-covid/5280.md?page=1)