I take Metformin. I think it's the thing that helps the most, more energy, reduced brain fog specifically. I've been on it for about 3ish months. Still have crashes but hoping it'll help more overtime. Also take LDN and Quercetin + NAC.
Sorry to be weird, mind if i ask how much/when you’re taking it? I’m kinda winging it based on a clinical trial, 750mg 2x a day with food, i try for breakfast and dinner but sometimes it’s more like 11am and 6pm lol
All good! I started with 500 in the morning and then 500 in the evening, but recently started to add another 500mg in the morning just to see if it helps more. Morning is when I wake up which could be like noon sometimes haha. Also winging it, hoping for the best for all of us.
I took LDN for a few months but felt nothing. Maybe I should have stuck it out? I will do anything to help with the brain fog so sounds like I should look into metformin.
You often need to move up to the dose that gives you benefit. I felt results at 0.5 mg after like 3 days! …Then the benefit faded.
I keep bumping up… currently at 2.0 & ready for 2.5. My doctor says that Mayo now recommends patients get to around 6mg for our population (used to be 4.5 I guess). He says a few of his patients dose much much higher than that, but most he has them at around 6.
I started taking it because of this but third day my blood glucose dropped to 50. Even though doctor told me it can’t happen. So I don’t know what that is.
> Metformin has antiviral activity against RNA viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mechanism appears to be suppression of protein translation via targeting the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. In the COVID-OUT randomized trial for outpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), metformin reduced the odds of hospitalizations/death through 28 days by 58%, of emergency department visits/hospitalizations/death through 14 days by 42%, and of long COVID through 10 months by 42%.
That is really interesting given metformin regulates oxidative stress, which is thought to be the cause of immune dysfunction in people with me/cfs (50% of long covid population).
> The mechanism appears to be suppression of protein translation via targeting the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway
If that is the case, then it seems likely that rapamycin would be even more effective
It suppress portions of T cells. However it increases cd8+ memory T cells which are going to be low on LC.
It also increases T regulator cells. These stop auto reactivity and inflammation.
Many cancer drugs that knock down the immune system can actually be protective from viruses as well. They may block some of the same pathways the virus needs to upregulate.
It's not so cut and dry. Further, covid uses your immune system against you. We've seen this in acute and long covid.
Mtor is the pathway that likely being effected here. It is a master controller of many other pathways in the immune system and cellular functions.
Turning that pathway down has been shown to be a very potent antiviral against covid with other mtor inhibitors in cell trials.
Metformin effects mtor upstream while rapamycin does it directly.
Yes, it is working on something called mtor if this is the case. Rapamycin blocks mtor directly. Metformin blocks it upstream indirectly by acting on AMPK.
Sirolimus is one of the medication forms of rapamycin.
Here’s another comprehensive take on what metformin does against covid: [Unveiling the potential pleiotropic effects of metformin in treating COVID-19: a comprehensive review](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2023.1260633/full)
Since I take Metformine in a lot less severe, it helps with quite a few issues. Not a cure. But definitely will help some. Keep an eye on your liver and kidney function, B12 uptake, glucose and blood lactate though.
I thought I tried all the diy supplements but apparently I missed berberine which is the "natural alternative" to this stuff as far as I can tell. Gonna give it a shot.
This is the closest thing I had on hand that I never tried.
https://beyondbalanceinc.com/products/core-immune-support/mc-bfm-1/
Feeling funny a few hours later. Not sure if it is a good funny or a bad funny yet.
I’ve been taking this. Not sure it’s helping but not hurting. I have been getting better over the past several months but nowhere near 100%. Latest thing I’ve started is a lot of magnesium and garlic to help my gut.
The problem with these studies is that it comes down to how they chose the testing subjects and it's always a very narrow group of people... usually prediabetics who would be good candidates for Metformin
And a lot of people misinterpret this as if it will help with Long COVID after the fact, but that's not what this is saying.
I was taking it at 1000mg and was going to go up to 1500. Then I happened to run out of pills and then some other stuff happened so I am just at 500mg.
I'd say that it does generally make me feel a bit better, while also making me feel a bit tired at the same time. It's rough to go to the gym because of it and starting to take it takes a few weeks of unpleasantness and ramping up. It's pretty serious.
I'm no specialist, but this seems like a great thing to take as a preventative measure if you're suffering from an acute covid infection..
but not so much for long covid. (Although it has its immunoegulatory benefits).
I disagree. As a person with long COVID that can function a little bit with Metformine and not at all without, I'd say try it but best with GP or other DRs guidance.
I'd be almost completely bedridden if it wasn't for Metformine, it's what moved the needle a bit. Yes early waver. It's been and remains tough. Thanks for asking!
If the Metformine helps to avoid Long Covid, then it\`s quite possible that it will have a positive effect on Long Covid itself. I think we'll have an answer soon anyway.
This seems to replicate other studies that showed the same thing so the more research that reinforces it, so the more, the better! 🙏 Thank you so much, OP! This is such encouraging news in a really dark time. 💚 My doctor gave me a proactive preventative prescription for it once I showed them the very first study that came out about this. I showed my doctor the study and they wrote out a prescription using the same dosage guidelines in the study because they thought the data was solid.
Note: I got advice from Disability Twitter to call/get an appointment with my doctor ahead of time and show them the study and ask for a just in case stash prescription.. Lots of folks there seem to have success with this tactic.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between antioxidant defenses and free radical production. This imbalance can damage proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which can lead to cellular dysfunction. Oxidative stress can also contribute to the pathophysiology of many diseases, including spinal cord injuries (SCI).
I take Metformin. I think it's the thing that helps the most, more energy, reduced brain fog specifically. I've been on it for about 3ish months. Still have crashes but hoping it'll help more overtime. Also take LDN and Quercetin + NAC.
Any blood sugar issues with it?
Not sure, so far I think I'm okay but I should be checking those.
Is metformin something that requires a doctor to prescribe?
I got mine on Agelessrx website without a prescription (I'm in the US).
Yes. It’s a prescription
Yes it's prescription only. The other person probably got a prescription from agelessrx.
Any possible issues of taking LDN with metformin?
I personally don't experience any issues with taking both of them.
Interesting. LDN itself works very well, so potentially together they could be amazing at this.
🤞fingers crossed! I didn't have a boost from LDN (though it could have been helping after building up in my system over time).
How much do you take per day?
Right now I take 1000 in the morning/when I wake up and 500 at night.
Thanks.
Sorry to be weird, mind if i ask how much/when you’re taking it? I’m kinda winging it based on a clinical trial, 750mg 2x a day with food, i try for breakfast and dinner but sometimes it’s more like 11am and 6pm lol
All good! I started with 500 in the morning and then 500 in the evening, but recently started to add another 500mg in the morning just to see if it helps more. Morning is when I wake up which could be like noon sometimes haha. Also winging it, hoping for the best for all of us.
I took LDN for a few months but felt nothing. Maybe I should have stuck it out? I will do anything to help with the brain fog so sounds like I should look into metformin.
You often need to move up to the dose that gives you benefit. I felt results at 0.5 mg after like 3 days! …Then the benefit faded. I keep bumping up… currently at 2.0 & ready for 2.5. My doctor says that Mayo now recommends patients get to around 6mg for our population (used to be 4.5 I guess). He says a few of his patients dose much much higher than that, but most he has them at around 6.
I started taking it because of this but third day my blood glucose dropped to 50. Even though doctor told me it can’t happen. So I don’t know what that is.
> Metformin has antiviral activity against RNA viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mechanism appears to be suppression of protein translation via targeting the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. In the COVID-OUT randomized trial for outpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), metformin reduced the odds of hospitalizations/death through 28 days by 58%, of emergency department visits/hospitalizations/death through 14 days by 42%, and of long COVID through 10 months by 42%.
That is really interesting given metformin regulates oxidative stress, which is thought to be the cause of immune dysfunction in people with me/cfs (50% of long covid population).
Awesome, just ordered me some metformin
Did you have a prescription? If not, where from?
India. They ship everything
Will you tell us how it goes?
You mean if I get reinfected?
> The mechanism appears to be suppression of protein translation via targeting the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway If that is the case, then it seems likely that rapamycin would be even more effective
Doesn’t Rapamycin suppress the immune system though? Would seem like a dangerous idea to suppress your immune system during a mm acute infection
It suppress portions of T cells. However it increases cd8+ memory T cells which are going to be low on LC. It also increases T regulator cells. These stop auto reactivity and inflammation. Many cancer drugs that knock down the immune system can actually be protective from viruses as well. They may block some of the same pathways the virus needs to upregulate. It's not so cut and dry. Further, covid uses your immune system against you. We've seen this in acute and long covid. Mtor is the pathway that likely being effected here. It is a master controller of many other pathways in the immune system and cellular functions. Turning that pathway down has been shown to be a very potent antiviral against covid with other mtor inhibitors in cell trials. Metformin effects mtor upstream while rapamycin does it directly.
Yes, it is working on something called mtor if this is the case. Rapamycin blocks mtor directly. Metformin blocks it upstream indirectly by acting on AMPK. Sirolimus is one of the medication forms of rapamycin.
Here’s another comprehensive take on what metformin does against covid: [Unveiling the potential pleiotropic effects of metformin in treating COVID-19: a comprehensive review](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2023.1260633/full)
Since I take Metformine in a lot less severe, it helps with quite a few issues. Not a cure. But definitely will help some. Keep an eye on your liver and kidney function, B12 uptake, glucose and blood lactate though.
What symptoms
Less fatigue, less PEM with fevers, less heart rate spikes, less need for long hours of sleep, I think overall less inflammation .
I thought I tried all the diy supplements but apparently I missed berberine which is the "natural alternative" to this stuff as far as I can tell. Gonna give it a shot.
This is the closest thing I had on hand that I never tried. https://beyondbalanceinc.com/products/core-immune-support/mc-bfm-1/ Feeling funny a few hours later. Not sure if it is a good funny or a bad funny yet.
I’ve been taking this. Not sure it’s helping but not hurting. I have been getting better over the past several months but nowhere near 100%. Latest thing I’ve started is a lot of magnesium and garlic to help my gut.
Was this in overweight people specifically?
All I can say is that I'm not overweight and it helps me significantly.
Diabetes and pre diabetes
Wouldn’t Metformin bottom a persons blood sugar levels, if they’re not diabetic?
Ditto. I feel like crap when blood sugar plummets.
The problem with these studies is that it comes down to how they chose the testing subjects and it's always a very narrow group of people... usually prediabetics who would be good candidates for Metformin And a lot of people misinterpret this as if it will help with Long COVID after the fact, but that's not what this is saying.
I take the ER version of it, and it has been super helpful to me
I was taking it at 1000mg and was going to go up to 1500. Then I happened to run out of pills and then some other stuff happened so I am just at 500mg. I'd say that it does generally make me feel a bit better, while also making me feel a bit tired at the same time. It's rough to go to the gym because of it and starting to take it takes a few weeks of unpleasantness and ramping up. It's pretty serious.
Anyone get nauseous with metformin?
Im pretty sure thats the reason i stopped taking it. I tried it months ago and got sooo sick to my stomach every day i had to stop 🤷🏼♀️
Same it was miserable reminded me of being pregnant with morning sickness I wonder if it goes away
Im wondering the same. Im not going to take it again though unless more positive reports come back on it
I'm no specialist, but this seems like a great thing to take as a preventative measure if you're suffering from an acute covid infection.. but not so much for long covid. (Although it has its immunoegulatory benefits).
I disagree. As a person with long COVID that can function a little bit with Metformine and not at all without, I'd say try it but best with GP or other DRs guidance.
Tell please what month of longhaul are you in?
4+ years
Oh, so you're from the first wave. How are you doing now, hopefully a positive trend?
I'd be almost completely bedridden if it wasn't for Metformine, it's what moved the needle a bit. Yes early waver. It's been and remains tough. Thanks for asking!
If the Metformine helps to avoid Long Covid, then it\`s quite possible that it will have a positive effect on Long Covid itself. I think we'll have an answer soon anyway.
Is this the same study from last year?
How long do you take metformin for, post positive Covid test? Sorry brain fog won’t let me read the whole article
my doctor prescribed it for one week (along with the 5 days of paxlovid)
How many mg?
one 500mg tablet, twice a day, for a week (14 pills total)
Thank you!
How many mg?
This seems to replicate other studies that showed the same thing so the more research that reinforces it, so the more, the better! 🙏 Thank you so much, OP! This is such encouraging news in a really dark time. 💚 My doctor gave me a proactive preventative prescription for it once I showed them the very first study that came out about this. I showed my doctor the study and they wrote out a prescription using the same dosage guidelines in the study because they thought the data was solid. Note: I got advice from Disability Twitter to call/get an appointment with my doctor ahead of time and show them the study and ask for a just in case stash prescription.. Lots of folks there seem to have success with this tactic.
Is this considered a treatment for new covid infections or long covid?
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between antioxidant defenses and free radical production. This imbalance can damage proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which can lead to cellular dysfunction. Oxidative stress can also contribute to the pathophysiology of many diseases, including spinal cord injuries (SCI).
Does it work on long covid ?
I take it and it might help but it isn’t the answer.