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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
@ericy210, I was wondering how you were doing. The last time you posted things weren't sounding so good. I see you've posted several helpful and encouraging comments today. It's great to get some good news from long haulers.
Here's some info about amantadine from Mayo Clinic:
- Amantadine (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/amantadine-oral-route/description/drg-20061695
Except:
"Amantadine is an antidyskinetic medicine. It is used to treat Parkinson's disease and its symptoms, including dyskinesia (sudden uncontrolled movements). [...] Amantadine is also an antiviral medicine. It is used to prevent or treat certain influenza (flu) infections (type A). It may be given alone or together with flu shots. Amantadine will not work for colds, other types of flu, or other virus infections."
This seems to be a promising off-label use of the drug.
- The use of amantadine in the prevention of progression and treatment of COVID-19 symptoms in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COV-PREVENT): Study rationale and design https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551714422000817
Eric, how long will you have to take it? Enjoy the guitar playing.
Replies to "@ericy210, I was wondering how you were doing. The last time you posted things weren't sounding..."
Update- New research from Sweden on how Covid causes neuro issues by causing the brain’s microglia attack and destroy synapses. They use lab-created brain cells for the first view of Covid interacting live with brain cells. My neurologist tried amantadine on me with success, thinking it may help rebuild my synapses. There is some work being done in Poland to study amantadine and new Covid patients. However, if you Google amantadine Covid brain fog, this post is what comes up first.
A different neurologist from mine at Northwestern, but in a different building and department commented on the importance of this study in an article. I’m seeing my guy next month and emailed the info. I have seen minimal in my research on amantadine and Covid and nothing on amantadine and long Covid.
I’m providing this as something you may talk to your doctor about.
I still suffer from brain fog, and as the study says, it’s early in the research process to know if damage is reversible or not.
Below is an overview article
https://theconversation.com/long-covid-how-lost-connections-between-nerve-cells-in-the-brain-may-explain-cognitive-symptoms-192702
Below is the study
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01786-2.pdf
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Thank you. I got invoked in two university hospital long Covid programs. Tons of tests and doctors appointments. Five day hospitalization to do a visual EEG to assess if I was having seizures that were causing memory issues. Lots of vacation days spent on all of this. I got obsessed with googling long Covid news everyday, searching for research. I was desperate but my let Covid consume my entire life, well beyond the disease itself. So I had to take a step back from spending ALL my free time on Covid and shift some focus to things I can still enjoy within my limitations. At this very moment, I’m feeling pretty good. I know it could be bad tomorrow. So I’ll choose to do something fun with my family tonight.
FYI. I’ve checked in on some at work who have had Covid. A surprising amount say they are still having issues. When I confidentially share my experience, they say, “I thought I was the only one!” and we then chat about it. As bad as it is, I take comfort in knowing incan be of support to another long-hauler, it only to listen without dismissing their symptoms.