Is it Long COVID?

 

This is a question I get asked a lot these days. Almost all of us have had COVID-19, and many of us have lingering symptoms afterwards. Research suggests that between one month and one year after having COVID-19 one in five people ages 18 to 64 have a health condition related to the infection.  This is known as post-COVID-19 syndrome (also known as post-COVID conditions, long COVID-19, long-haul COVID-19, and post acute sequelae of SARS COV-2 infection (PASC). Below is a list of the most common symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome according to the Mayo Clinic.  

The most commonly reported symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome include:

• Fatigue
• Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort
• Fever
• Lung (respiratory) symptoms, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath and cough

Other possible symptoms include:

• Neurological symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness when you stand, pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety
• Joint or muscle pain
• Heart symptoms or conditions, including chest pain and fast or pounding heartbeat
• Digestive symptoms, including diarrhea and stomach pain
• Blood clots and blood vessel (vascular) issues, including a blood clot that travels to the lungs from deep veins in the legs and blocks blood flow to the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Other symptoms, such as a rash and changes in the menstrual cycle

It can be frustrating to tease out what is causing these symptoms, and often they are due to multiple factors (i.e. COVID-19 is just a part of the puzzle). However, if the symptoms developed soon after a COVID-19 infection, it is a reasonable hypothesis that it is at least in part to blame. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see you medical provider to rule out other causes and do any necessary testing.

I also get similar questions in regard to the COVID-19 vaccines. Is it a vaccine injury, or is it something else? There is increasing evidence that both long COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccine injuries have a lot to do with spike proteins sticking around in the body. If you are suffering from either of these conditions, your body may be struggling to clear spike proteins.

Before I go on, a note about the COVID vaccines. Acknowledging that there have been documented vaccine injuries does not imply that I consider these vaccines bad. There has been a lot of tribalism in our country regarding both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines, and this is a shame. COVID-19 vaccines are a medical intervention, and like all medical interventions, they have benefits and risks. There is abundant evidence to show that these vaccines have saved many, many lives. And, they are also known to have caused harm in some individuals. Acknowledging the second fact does not negate the first. I think there is a fair amount of medical gaslighting that has been going on regarding both long COVID-19 and vaccine injury (those of you with chronic illness are probably no stranger to medical gaslighting). My intent with this article is to encourage an open dialogue, and to emphasize that it is important to look at all the facts in order to make an informed decision your health. This is not about choosing a side.   

Ok, back to spike proteins. As I mentioned earlier, some of us are not as good as others are at removing spike proteins from our bodies. You will recall that most of the covid vaccines work by inducing your body to create the spike protein to COVID-19, which is just a teeny tiny part of the virus. Your body then mounts an immune response to this protein, and thus has some immunity to the full virus.  When you get a natural covid infection, you also get lots of spike proteins in your blood stream because they are part of the virus.

These spike proteins can cause a lot of inflammation. So, when we are treating both long COVID-19 and vaccine injury, we need to lower inflammation and help clear the spike proteins. We also need to address any underlying medical conditions that you have, as they may have been exacerbated by the spike proteins.

A comprehensive list of all the possible testing and treatment options for these conditions is more than I can fit into a blog post. However, I’ll give you my top recommendations for supplements that lower inflammation and break down spike proteins:*

1. Nattokinase 2000 FU (100 mg) twice a day on an empty stomach

2. Bromelain 500 mg daily

3. Curcumin 500 mg twice a day

I hope that you have found this article helpful. Please remember that if you do suspect that you have long COVID-19 (or a vaccine injury), I am here to help.

 

*The information contained in this blog post is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you are experiencing symptoms it is important to see your medical provider to determine their cause. Please discuss all medications and supplements with your medical provider, especially if you are pregnant or have a health condition.