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Brain fog - ask your doctor about amantadine
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: Oct 20 12:53pm | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
I missed this conversation. I have somewhat different neurological issues affecting my hearing and eyesight. I suppose I have some “brain fog” as well. It’s hard for me to say. I have been focused on my health problems for the last couple years, and not really doing anything normal.
I’m curious if you are still on this therapy and how you have (hopefully) continued to recover.
Replies to "I missed this conversation. I have somewhat different neurological issues affecting my hearing and eyesight. I..."
Hello. @emo addd as well. I had Covid April 2022. The Northwestern neurologist working on long Covid decided to try amantadine. It helps brain neurons reconnect, which made sense. I probably started in June. Within a week, people said my whole appearance and behavior changed for the better. In October 2022, I found myself slipping and he doubled the dose. I saw him summer 2024 and he said there’s no research to suggest I keep using it, increase dosage, or stop. I’m afraid to stop.
In December 2023 I caught Covid again. I got the week long paxlovid and that made me feel great. Brain fog was lifted- I could play guitar again and do well at work.
I started to decline again in July. I got into the clinical trial and wrapped up three weeks of paxlovid last week. I felt great when I was on it. Now I feel a bit crappy.
There’s a new drug approved for long Covid trial that seems to work like amantadine.
https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/biovie-announces-fda-authorization-of-investigational-new-drug-application-for-phase-2-trial-to-evaluate-bezisterim-in-long-covid
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I'm really curious too, as @ericy210 is the only person I've seen in this forum who's mentioned trying amantadine. But maybe those who get better no longer have need of the forum >_< .
I can tell you that it's worth asking your doctor about. The Long COVID Clinic at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago routinely prescribes it, and you can find published papers about it online.
I'm just really nervous about side effects because I'm very sensitive to medication, and I like to know what to expect so I can weigh pros/cons, but I can't find any others who've taken it for Long COVID or even for MS-related brain fog who've shared in more detail about their experience. My neurologist said it's something they use, but it might be more specialized since it's been used for MS-related brain fog.
I can and have asked my doctors of course, but they always say something to the effect of: "It's a low dose, and it's generally well-tolerated, or side effects are short-lived," but they always say that, and it hasn't been true in my situation in many cases, so I get frustrated. Then, "The only way to know is to try," true. But if I'm going to try, I want at lease some semblance of an idea of what to expect. Sigh.