Success using serotonin and dopamine relieve post-Covid depression

That’s very promising. I have been planning to start on an SSRI soon. I have been concerned about side effects, plus having to avoid alcohol. I enjoy an occasional glass of wine. I have a tight, whole food diet, work out daily and take the things you list above. Maybe, I should go ahead and start the med.

With appropriate caveats (I am not a doctor, you should consult your doctor, everyone is different, every drug works differently) I sometimes enjoy a glass of something - particularly with friends) even with my otherwise disciplined regimen.

Nothing I am doing has eliminated the physical effects of long Covid, but it has eased the mental toll.

A high percentage of seratonin is produced in your small intestine. This regulates breathing, heart rate, the Digestive Nervous Sytem (DNS). If you are like me and many others yout food intake, type, what causes bloating, what digests, and so on has changed and is a problem..

Serotonin is low to very low causing misregulation of the Vagus nerve in the brain. Also, causing diaruption of signaling for production of seratonin.

Train wreck. Symptoms of all this.... fatigue, memory loss, effects on organs down regulated by the Vagus nerve, loss of attention, inability to focus and so on. Sound familiar.

In severe situations depression occurs at the minimum or depression then suicide.

I am new to this platform. They will not let me post yet or otherwise I would link everthing ai wrote to mulyiple in each topic, published, refereed, journal publications.

You can find if you search key word (s) strings, no commas, just spaces and all words relevant in the specific topic word string.

One day they will let me post.

I have had Covid, recouted it with my journal notes, 12 times since December 12th, 2020. I have Covid Reactive Viral Arthritis. This started in December 2021. VReA is only supposed to last two to six weeks with the longest extreme cases (very rare) last about two years. I had three pulmonary embolisms March 2023 and on as well as one deep vein thrombosis (groin to bottom of ankle) and four shallow vein thromboli. I had Covid four times in 2023. I had Long Covid 12 times in all and overlapping itself four times in 2023. The last cut short to less than two weeks. The prior long Covid cut to about 60 days.

New published research papers in 2023. Nicotine, not tobacco, in the form of a patch, gum, or pouch.

First, there is a dose response by person. Probably metabolism, weight, and many other factors.

One study dosage was a 7 mg patch. It did nothing for me, 10 days. I adjusted rate per day upward and changed form to gum. Bingo.

After a couple weeks dose/response testing myself, I found my rate which produced maximum positive daily, repeatable effect.

Nicotine is a bit like vitamin C. If you get too much it may cause some nausea or jumpy type short term (minutes to hour) symptom.

My daughter is positive for Covid (lost smell and taste, plus other symptoms). JN.1 tests for rapid are not out yet. This week CDC stated 86% of cases in the U.S. are JN.1.

Point, she used one Zyn (what I prefer) at 6 mg. She had been sick three days from first symptom onset. It made her nauseous and she only kept in her cheek a short time. She also got a Copenhagen buzz (what we called it back when I used Copenhagen).

That was last yesterday afternoon. Before bedtime, she said she was able to smell a little. This morning she smells and tastes and is feeling better. She is going to get some gum (4 mg) and try it and then cut in half and try. With gum, just chew a bit, then put it in your cheek. This absorbs in blood stream versus swollowing when chewing the gum which can cause nausea. The patch makes my wife sick to her stomach. A third piece of 4 mg gum is ok.

Point two: indirect effect of nicotine; major impact reducing flares from CVReA. Now manageable. Another side effect, increased focus, clarity (above when long covvid ends).

Worried about the use of nicotine. Good more recent research has shown the addiction was other products in cigarettes.

Tobacco is in the Solanaceae (common name: nightshade) family. The nicotine producers. These include tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant, tomatilla are the major vegetables in this family. There are no addictions here. Our human cells have many nicotine receptors specific to nicotine or broad type receptor which accepts nicotine and is a pathway for other molecules.

I am sorry for misplelling and typing issues. I try to correct, but fine motor skills and spelling have been seriously effected by Covid.

Why 12 times? On July 31, 2020 I was in a bad car wreck. I had a very significant TBI. Research shows this allows in Sars CoV-2 until my brain blood barrier and brain is healed.... I developed Long Concussion Syndrome. I had never heard of it.

It sounds like Covid and Long Covid and acts like the brain portion of Long Covid.

Hope this helps.

Cropdoc
I also am a train wreck. Had Covid 2/22, recovered after about three weeks.
Six weeks after I felt “recovered”, a plane flight to Hawaii my ears closed and have never reopened. Over time I developed tinnitus, hyperacusis as well as the original muffled hearing loss. Vision became blurry, and balance is off. I have fallen a couple times.

Digestion is totally wrecked with constipation. It have seen dozens of doctors. So far, no significant help.

I have tried the nicotine patch treatment three different times. I always get pretty sick with vomiting and increased dizziness, and have had to discontinue. Gum was ok, but I felt no improvement. Maybe I will give it another whirl. I probably didn't stay with the gum long enough?
Thanks for your comments.

1/28/24
Some methods and foods I have used and continue as their effect was and is good.

Changes I have made and live by:
1) Cut out all the sugar (maltose, dextrose, sucrose, plant syrups, altered sugar additives, alcohol sugar, and other forms). Read every label and ingredients. Inflamatory.

2) As much as possible eliminate carbohydrates (I eliminted all then after some months added back dry roasted almonds, dry roasted peanuts, black beans, pinto beans, and sweet potato). Inflamation.

3) Drink water and tea or coffee (I drink only water and coffee). Good hydration takes attention. Over hydration can cause minor issues to if excessive major interference with electrical signaling. Fruit juices, even 100%, are loaded with extreme amounts of sugar in addition to fructose.

4) Fruits, small dosages, before activity or in the morning. Blueberry, apple, and blackberry are what I prefer for numerous health effects.

5) No plastic water or other bottles (plastic microparticles - mimics estrogen). Much research published.

6) All foods prepared grilled, steamed, or roasted.

7) Significant weekly intake of broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, (all roasted with olive oil, light salt and black pepper and decent amount garlic powder), peppers (all types), onions, butternut squash on the grill (in foil), carrots, green beans, spinach (fresh, steamed, in eggs, etc..), and grilled sweet potato (in foil). Lots of natural sugar in sweet potato, but it has loads if vitamins and phytochems. The next vegetables we eat are prepared many ways: cauliflower (used many ways), zucchini (used as noodles or traditional), cellery, carrots, beats, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, cabbage, pickles, cucumbers, and garlic.

Spices for seasoning: salt, black, red, and chili pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and cilantro dominate most foods. I eat a prepared mix of herbs, bitter herbs, and spices which provide a mass dose of phytochems. Too much to write here, but I fast and eat the herb mix once per day. The last I do after the post covid time has settled. This is to kill the remaining Sars CoV-2 virus existing (likely in my GI from all research published to date) in my body so I can heal and so the Reactive Arthritis will subside.

In effect this is "like" plant phytochem chemo. A virus or bacteria replicate at a much higher order of magnitude than any human cells. The virus is much faster than bacteria. Exposing the pathogen to high rates of allaloids and many other classes of phytochems causes toxicity to the virus. It is the only product/method and nocotine treatmebts which have recovered me from Covid and ended Long Covid.

Continuing:
I used to eat good salads daily, with the good greens (micro, black lettuce, spring mix), but I am not back at the point with my GI that I am ready for these yet.

Salad dressing should be vinegrette with no sugar, make your own, or oil and vinegar.

8) Sleep. Good sleep. Rest. Reduce TV, noise, screens as much as possible. Read, sit quiet in the sun, read a relaxing book.

9) Time with family. Talk about your symptoms what you think, it helps oneself and them.

10) If or when you can, excercise, start slow, build. Heavy fewer repititions is better than high frequency and low weight (think roofer versus mail carrier...which is healthier). This is like the food. It is a life change. Two to three times a week when you are able. Keep fighting.

11) I take three Korean Ghensing in the morning each day. There was a good response to this supplement. No miracle, but it helped. Focus, clarity. Ginko Biloba has a minor response, but I take it daily. Garlic oil or garlic is used daily in capsules, foods, seasoning, and dips for lots of reasons. Other supplements with recognized impacts include magnesium, D3, curcumin, high omega fish oil, general vitamin, B complex, bioavailable vitamin C, and Spike Protein Supplement (plant extracts more or less) which made a hige difference in my Covid Reactive Arthritis pain prior to the nicotine.

The last addition was the nicotine. People either react with nausea or not. Sometimes some may sense a feeling of being light headed. I dipped snuff for 39 years and when I started I remember the kids either vomited or loved it. Probably the same.

12) Monitor your health statistics when you "feel good" and when you don't. Journal your experiences and these numbers. You are your advocate. You should know your body under all situations going through this mess we have to experience.

The goal in all this for me was be as healthy as possible at all times, because we need this to endure and endure well as we walk through this difficulty.

Jt