Nicotine patches to treat long-COVID?

@jostrowski74 I also have major ear pressure most of the day. At times I feel like I have a stick in my ear. It’s very uncomfortable and I’m very sensitive to sounds. My daughter just moved to New York two weeks ago and I can barely talk to her because my ears hurt so bad. Any suggestions anyone? I’ve been putting heat on my neck and it helps a little bit.

https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/overactive-immune-system-seen-patients-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs
Speaks about how the human body due to long Covid ends up with overactive immune system.
I am getting ready to try Nicotine patch never smoke a day in my life but Drs on Maine are saying to my face long Covid does not exist. Treating me with things that don't work

After 2 years of emergency room follow ups for a Covid D diagnosis, and months of ENT visits, no lab work had been ordered for the symptoms I developed within 2 days after testing positive for Covid. Symptoms: yellow coating covering my tongue and loss of smell and taste. My journey began in 2023 with emergency room diagnosis but it also including a surgeon visit to discuss major surgery of the Sphenoid for diagnosed Chronic Spenoid (noted as Coccidioidomycosis in my records). This lead to 2 different head CTS, but again no labs were ever done on the tongue coating or the yellow strands of infections found in my irrigations. Over 24 months, I was given 3 antifungal drugs for thrush, Doxycycline, Meclizine, Fluconazole Nystatin, 4 different events of prescribed antibiotics for 14 days because when one antibiotic failed, they would assign an alternative another 14 days. The first ENT never called back to schedule the major surgery they had recommended via the CT scans, so enter the 2nd ENT who added steroids, then more antibiotics. These added drugs didn't work, and still no labs were done on discharges from nose or the yellow tongue. By now the yellow strands or tubes coming from the nose in irrigation were like a horror story unfolding. I began researching Covid long haulers. That lead to a doctor that treats loss of smell with Stellate Ganglion Block to stimulate the return of smell and taste. With a side effects that might happen being loss of eyelid control or permanent red color of the whites of the eye, the risk was too great. Suggestion from this doctor was he could treat loss of smell and taste but that tongue and discharge thing was not part of this process. Suggested: I might consider minimal invasive surgery to the sinus cavities and see what is living in them. Tongue remained an unknow for all the doctors. After 2 years, I finally asked my PA to do a lab on the tongue. After 7 weeks of studying the scrapes, there was discovery of a fungi but the lab had not been able to determine 'what it was'. That was May 2025 and there was apparently no one at the CDC to do further testing. So, next came my 3rd ENT : very conservative micro surgery was done and this saw 'some' improvements. Within a few months, the yellow drainage was returning but it was on a reduced cycle, not daily, so again the nose would drain and hit the tongue which was again coated and the taste, smell were still gone. By the end this 24 month journey I asked my PA to do blood work as I felt I was dying from the inside. I was: Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. Too many antibiotics over 2 years. Now I had a bigger issue than loss of smell and taste and a burning yellow coated tongue with sinus drainage. Nearly fainted to hear treatment for C.diff is another biotic, but I had no choice as C.diff kills from the inside out if left untreated. I put mystery with my tongue and nose discharged on hold to treat C.diff. Recently, as if a miracle was unfolding in my life, during a visit to a dermatologist to treat a new issue which was rosacea of my nose, I was asked if I was a Covid Long Hauler. I guess I am. She was also and she saw symptoms in me that she knew well. The questions began: did I have any issues with my smell or taste. Yes, I do. She asked me if I had tried the nicotine patches. I started to laugh. At this point why not laugh, I can't smell or taste anything. She spent the next hour of her own time with her story of Covid as a Long Hauler. She said for $30 at a local drug store I could try the patches, what do you have to lose. The 7mg patch was what she needed and her taste came back on day 3 and it's been years now with her smell and her taste intact. Mine came back after 7 days. As for my tongue coating, it's taking a little bit longer to treat. I've been on 3 different 5 days patch schedules. Put it on under my chin in morning and remove before bed. I allow 10 days between schedules; or 5 days on for 12 hours then 10 days off. I have had no side effects as I still to the rules, do not use for more than 10-12 hours for 7 days, and don't sleep with it on. My taste has returned and so has my smell. The tongue is still irritated having been so swollen for 2 years, but it's getting better. If I understand the science of why this is working for me, low dose nicotine, in this pure form without any other chemicals like are found in cigarettes or 'chews' that do harm the body, targets a protein tied to Covid and the loss of smell and taste. I put the patch as close as possible to the area most symptomatic and I do not have any allergic reaction to the tape or the dose of 7mg of nicotine. Have a discussion with your Covid doctors to see if this is something that might bring you relief. My ENT is thrilled and at the same time amazed.

@bgpage Super frustrating when medical professionals deny long-COVID's existence. They need to research Mayo Clinic's findings and many other respected institutions.

@pattig09 . Terrific outcome and story. May I ask ...were you a smoker or former smoker, trying these Nico Patches? I'm 74, male, since Jan 2022 we (the wife and I) have contracted COVID 3 X. We both had the 2 Vaccines - me form Moderna , the wife from Pfizer - my elder son is a Director at Pfizer). With young Grandchildren , their parents both Teachers, it was Inevitable that we would get COVID. The first case was just like a Cold for a few days for me, the wife a bit worse and longer recovery than I. But the next contractions were worse for me. I got LONG COVID both times. I still suffer with bouts of Brain Fog (which has various definitions) to this day. I never lost Taste & Smell , my wife did lightly, my younger son did lose taste and smell about 2 or 3 days into his last bout. As a Teacher He had to get the Boosters, the other son at Pfizer with a panican wife had every booster made - but they still got it too. We did NOT get the Boosters ! My Niece is a Nutritionist who advised most ardently NOT to get the Vaccines at all. The Spike Protein is the worst thing for your body! She and my Pfizer son had many an argument about it. He would say "she's getting her incorrect info from the Web"... He was Brainwashed by Pfizer IMHO.
What brings me here ? I just read posts on Line on a You Tube Video about The Vagus Nerve!! That posters said that He used Nico Patches and it did help him greatly dealing with bis long COVID issues . That Intrigued me to investigate some more. You comment about your ENT being amazed is no surprise to me. as a Long Time Sufferer of many Spinal Maldies - I have found that all doctors have little time to diagnose Causes for your ailments , just treat the symptoms. THey are just dispensers of Drugs. "Take This Pill For Your Ill". Bottomline, since we both use JUUL vape devices for about 7 years (we quit regular Cigs ). It's somewhat limited being better than Cigs, but not good nonetheless. As a elder former Washington DC cop told me years ago in a Gym where we were working out. I guess he could smell the Gigs on my clothes. He told me that 27 years ago He quit Drinking (1/2 Qt of booze a day); 3 Packs of Cigs per day, and he was over 300 pounds. He chucked it all and started aerobics everyday. After 27 years ......"I still Miss The Cigarettes. It's the strongest drug to mankind. Worse than Crack Cocaine. You do it all day long, everyday!" That kind of got my attention, yet 1 hour later, I lit one up!