Extreme Fatigue and Brain Fog

@onpainsufferer LDN worked for me about three months in at 4.5 mg. I feel even better at 5mg for some reason. Every body seems to have a different dosage that works for then with some better at .25 and others needing over 6. Formulation also changes the absorption for me...in a pill form, I had more side effects and with the compounded liquid I react better. I still have to pace or will crash but I overall have more energy and much less inflammation.

Hi Jeff, Your mention of using the treadmill in the morning caught my attention. Before I was diagnosed, but very fatigued, I was determined to continue to work out and found I actually felt better for a short while after each session which convinced me that it was helping. Actually it was increasingly draining my energy battery until I ended up in bed for a few weeks and then housebound for several months. I am now building up with a little activity a few times a day which I am gradually increasing. Hoping you find what works for you.

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Extreme fatigue, brain fog, dizziness and shortness of breath are my worst symptoms.

Nothing has moved the needle except for a few days of taking L-glutamine, which gave me some energy. Days later, I started feeling a lot of anxiety and then insomnia. It could be that the long covid body disruption tranformed the glutamine into something toxic.

This may not help you. But I felt better, not cured but a bit more energy, from moderate (1.3x atmosphere) hyperbaric oxygen, followed by near and far red light therapy, all in a chiropractor's office. I definitely felt better, more energized and less brain fog.

Then I took a microdose of tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro), about a third of a 2.5mg vial. I'd read about the Scripps Institute trial for long covid, using tirzepatide, and got too excited. The next day, I awoke to worse fatigue, dizziness, and diarrhea. Apparently that peptide is not for me.

I tried three more sessions of hyperbaric and red light, but I did not recover to pre-tirzepatide.

Since then, I joined Rthm for free and have been reading their articles on long covid, ME/CFS and dysautonomia. They offer supplements such as tributyrin, which directs short-chain fatty acids into the GI tract to help with dysbiosis.

The Rthm AI had an interesting, detailed response when I asked it about my long covid symptoms and experience with hyperbaric and red light. The AI said that the hyperbaric was infusing my tissues with oxygen, "the fuel," and lighting the match with red light therapy, to create energy. It makes sense.

I can't discuss any of this with my latest PCP. He looks at me like a deer in the headlights. He knows next to little about supplements, and chronic conditions he can't prescribe a symptom-crusher drug for. I've had to treat myself for the past two years.

Tomorrow I'm going back to Banner Health in Phoenix, to get an echocardiogram. I'd gone there to see a cardiologist with questions about dysautonomia. His (it's usually a man) hospital profile said he knew about dysautonomia. Still, he dismissed me and said nothing about my symptoms. Before covid, when I ran, hiked or backpacked, I'd get very dizzy if I drank water during or after exercise. After, during gardening, I'd feel like passing out if I stood up too quickly. He had his assistants do a very sloppy lying/standing blood pressure reading, (not a NASA lean test) which he used to dismiss my concern about long covid and dysautonomia. Then he scampered away, clearly uncomfortable about my questions. I may not have structural heart issues, but I do have dysautonomia problems, which involve the autonomic nervous system. I suspect there might be a blood-flow issue to the brain, based on all of the neurological issues. Still, he ordered the echo, so I'll use that test to see if anything unusual pops up.

@bluesky6321
I have been researching phosphatidylcholine (PC) that can revitalize mitochondria which can help with fatigue and cognitive function. It is in egg yolks.
I ordered PC from Double Wood and will be trying it as a supplement.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a phospholipid with a choline molecule attached, and is the most common form of choline found in foods. Choline is defined as an essential nutrient by the FDA, yet between 80% - 90% of Americans currently don’t get enough through their diet.

Choline is used by the body to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a key role in supporting many cognitive processes including memory, fluid intelligence, and mood.

I believe that many of the symptoms of long Covid are similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, which is what I have. I have to be very careful about overdoing anything as I will then suffer from PEM—post Exertional malaise. That can last days, weeks or even longer. Research studies link the two conditions. Finally, more research is being done. The origin of CFS is thought to be a viral or bacterial infection. If you type ME/CFS into Google (or Google AI) you will see what the identifying markers are. The only known intervention thus far is low-dose naltrexone which relieves the fatigue for many. Google AI will help you explore that and help you find a physician who knows about that and will help you. One starts at a very low dose and tapers up gradually. I believe the maximum is 4.5 mg. Good luck.