Podcast Summary
Understanding Long Covid Syndrome: Long Covid Syndrome is a condition that affects many people who have had Covid-19, with symptoms ranging from mild to debilitating. It is important to understand how Covid-19 has impacted one's health and seek appropriate medical attention.
Long Covid Syndrome, also known as Post-Covid Syndrome, is a major public health issue affecting a significant percentage of people who have had Covid-19. The condition has many different faces, and its symptoms can vary from mild to debilitating, impacting daily life, and making people partially or fully disabled. People with the syndrome experience residual symptoms of Covid-19, which can last for months and sometimes even longer. Dr. Leo Galland, one of the world's leading experts in Functional Medicine, suggests asking not whether someone has Long Covid Syndrome, but rather how Covid-19 has impacted their physiology and present state of health. He has created a series of documents and videos on the topic, which can be found on his website drgalland.com.
The Potential Impacts of Long COVID: Long COVID is a persistent problem with symptoms that can last for months and lead to other complications. The cause is related to the vascular problem that COVID-19 creates in the body, and treatment should focus on restoring blood flow to the microcirculation.
Long COVID is a persistent problem that affects many people who have recovered from COVID-19. The symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, and impaired exercise capacity, and they can last for months. The cause of these symptoms is related to the vascular problem that COVID-19 creates in the body. The virus enters the body through the respiratory tract, but it goes to the blood vessels and creates inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels which results in blood clotting, affecting different organs. Treatment should focus on restoring blood flow to the microcirculation. Long COVID can also lead to other complications such as heart attacks, onset of diabetes, high blood pressure strokes, and psychiatric disorders.
Testing for Blood Clot Indicators: What You Need to Know: The thrombotic marker panel test can detect four indicators of blood clots and can be completed in almost any lab. These abnormal markers may persist for months, even in healthy young people recovering from COVID-19, and are triggered by inflammation of blood vessels.
Testing for blood clot indicators, or the thrombotic marker panel, is a sensitive measure of four indicators of blood clots that can be completed through almost any lab. This test looks for evidence that a clot occurred, and doesn't have to be a major blood clot. When your blood is clotting, there is a whole system of clotting, and those factors are part of the clotting system that can be measured when they're increased. These abnormal markers may not produce symptoms but may persist for months, even in healthy young people recovering from COVID-19. The inflammation of blood vessels triggers the clotting phenomena, which involve these tiny fragments in the blood called platelets. Platelets are involved in clotting, and they clump together when they can transmit signals that activate various cells in the immune system.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Gut Microbiome: COVID-19 can affect the gut microbiome, leading to dysbiosis, a leaky gut, and overgrowth of some toxic bacteria. The virus can also leave fragments or live virus in the GI tract, which can be an important driver of inflammation in long or post-COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 can leave fragments of the virus or live virus in the cells of the body, especially in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can be an important driver of inflammation. In people who have long COVID-19 symptoms or post-COVID-19 symptoms, viral fragments could be identified in biopsies, whereas people who had fully recovered and had no issues couldn't. Italian researchers found that the SARS COV-2 virus could be isolated from gut bacteria in people who have COVID-19. This is especially interesting because the bacteria most infected by the virus are important beneficial bacteria that are depleted by having COVID-19, such as ti bacterium prosi, which is a keystone species that's anti-inflammatory. Thus, COVID-19 has an impact on the gut microbiome as well, leading to dysbiosis, a leaky gut, and overgrowth of some toxic bacteria.
Covid-19, Gut Microbiome and Long-term Health Issues: Covid-19 can disrupt the gut microbiome, causing long-term health issues such as inflammation and cognitive decline. Restoring a healthy gut microbiome is crucial for post-Covid recovery. Metformin may reduce post-Covid fatigue, while Fluvoxamine could have negative effects.
Covid-19 can cause an imbalance in the gut microbiome, leading to a loss of beneficial bacteria and an increase in toxic bacteria producing harmful substances known as postbiotics. This imbalance can lead to long-term health issues, including inflammation and cognitive decline. Restoring a healthy gut microbiome is crucial in preventing these issues. Moreover, research shows that Metformin, a diabetes drug, may reduce post-Covid fatigue by 42% in the long term, while an antidepressant called Fluvoxamine could have a negative impact on long-term health. Overall, post-Covid recovery must focus on restoring a healthy gut microbiome and managing inflammation to prevent long-term health issues.
The Unique Impact of Metformin on Gut Microbiome and Understanding the Root Causes of Long Covid: Metformin's effects on gut microbiome contribute to its beneficial impact on diabetes and insulin sensitivity. Understanding the root causes of long Covid, such as damage to ACE two and mitochondrial dysfunction, is important for effective treatment.
Metformin has beneficial effects on reversing diabetes and improving insulin sensitivity, but its impact on the gut microbiome is what distinguishes it from other substances. The changes in the microbiome that accompany the use of metformin are responsible for many of its effects on health. Covid-19 damages ACE two, an enzyme that is involved in many aspects of our health, and causes mitochondrial dysfunction, which affects energy production in cells. These two factors are responsible for many of the severe complications of acute Covid-19 and can persist for months after recovery. Treating long Covid therefore requires understanding these root causes and resetting the system, rather than just treating individual symptoms.
Restoring Immune Function through ACE2 Activity and Mast Cell Treatment: Restoring ACE2 and mitochondrial function can help immune function. Mast cell activation can cause inflammation and neurologic issues. There are no set treatments, but antihistamines may help. Blood and urine tests can be helpful but not always accurate.
Restoring ACE2 activity and mitochondrial function can help restore immune function and homeostasis. Inflammation of the lining of blood vessels drives clotting, and mast cell activation syndrome can occur without obvious symptoms like hives. Mass cells release histamine and other chemicals that impact different parts of the body and can cause neurologic dysfunction. Antihistamines may help with mast cell activation syndrome, but there are no set rules for treatment since the mast cells can react unpredictably. Blood and urine tests can be helpful in diagnosing mast cell activation syndrome, but they are not always sensitive.
Imbalanced Cells and Antibodies in Long COVID Diagnosis and Treatment: Long COVID diagnosis is based on imbalanced production of cells and antibodies that can cause symptoms like inflammation. Intravenous gammaglobulin is an effective treatment to prevent inflammation.
In long COVID, the imbalanced production of cells and antibodies is a clinical diagnosis based on the nature of symptoms, pattern, and response to treatment. The mast cells produce enzymes such as tryptase, but missing the peak of 200 different chemicals can be an issue. Monocytes, also known as macrophages, gobble up bacteria, viruses, and damaged cells and have regulatory functions. Imbalanced monocyte polarization in long COVID can be traced to ACE two deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction. B lymphocytes produce autoantibodies that recognize components of the individual's cells, with up to 20% producing these antibodies. Intravenous gammaglobulin is an effective treatment that ties up autoantibodies, preventing the aggravation of inflammation.
Autoantibodies and T Lymphocytes in COVID-19: Inflammation and cell damage activate autoantibodies which can be tamed through anti-inflammatory practices. T lymphocytes help the immune system fight infections, and a high polyphenol diet can benefit their function and overall immune regulation.
Research suggests that autoantibodies may play a role in COVID-19, but they only become active when there is cell damage and inflammation present. Calming down these factors can render autoantibodies ineffective. T lymphocytes, also known as T cells, are the generals of the immune system that remember what the body has been infected with and facilitates antiviral immunity. Those with post-acute equality of COVID, or long COVID, have shown a significant reduction in a group of T lymphocytes called T effector memory cells (TEMs), which are essential for antiviral immunity. These cells require fat to function adequately and are negatively affected by inflammation and sugar. A high polyphenol diet can help with immune regulation, gut microbiome curation, and regulating the nature of the immune response.
A Comprehensive Functional Medicine Approach to Address Long COVID: To effectively address Long COVID, target root causes such as mass cell activation through dietary interventions, probiotics, and personalized approaches for those with special conditions. More information available on Dr. Galland’s website.
Long COVID can be effectively addressed through a comprehensive, functional medicine approach that targets the root causes of the condition. One of the key factors to consider is mass cell activation, which can be triggered by exercise patterns and must be controlled. Dietary interventions, particularly the use of polyphenols and fermented foods, are essential for restoring a healthy microbiome and supporting the activity of tfe memory lymphocytes. Probiotics may also be helpful, particularly a multi-strain probiotic like Tundrex, which was found to reduce fatigue in COVID-19 patients. Personalized approaches may be necessary for those with mast cell activation or post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome. More information can be found on Dr. Galland's website.
Long Covid Prevention and Treatment: A Step-by-Step Approach by Dr. Leo Galland: A healthy gut microbiome, specific probiotics and prebiotics, and supplements like butyrate, vitamin D, curcumin, and resveratrol, along with herbs like Medicinals nine and tok can aid in the recovery stage of Long Covid. Dr. Galland personalizes treatment based on individual patient symptoms.
Dr. Leo Galland has created an accessible document on Long Covid Prevention and Treatment that walks readers through different steps to restore normal function. A healthy gut microbiome is a critical part of getting better, which can be achieved through specific probiotics and prebiotics, and a healthy diet with supplements like butyrate, vitamin D, curcumin, and resveratrol. Herbs like Medicinals nine and tok can help with viral eradication and antiviral effects. Supporting mitochondrial recovery with supplements like CoQ10, vitamin B3, and lipoic acid can also aid energy in the recovery stage. Dr. Galland personalizes the treatment based on each patient's symptoms and mechanisms unique to Long Covid.
Dr. Leo Galland's approach to treating long Covid symptoms.: Dietary changes, gut health, and viral eradication are key components. Supplements can aid with specific issues like shortness of breath and POTS. Maintaining blood volume and avoiding dehydration is important for POTS patients. Full recovery is possible with proper management.
Dr. Leo Galland recommends a comprehensive approach to addressing long Covid symptoms, including dietary changes, restoring gut health, and viral eradication. For specific issues like shortness of breath and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), Dr. Galland suggests using supplements and exercise as part of a personalized protocol. He emphasizes the importance of expanding blood volume for those with POTS and avoiding dehydration while monitoring carbohydrate intake. With appropriate care and management, people with long Covid can fully recover, as exemplified by one patient who went from needing a wheelchair to running a 5K race within a year.
Peptide therapy for Post-Exercise Malaise in Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Patients: Peptide therapy is a promising treatment approach for post-exercise malaise, but it should be administered by a doctor and may not be covered by insurance. Compounding pharmacies provide peptides like thulin and thymosin beta four, and BPC 157 is a mass cell stabilizer available in oral and injectable forms. There are ways to address post-covid symptoms effectively.
Post-exercise malaise is a severe condition experienced by some individuals with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Even normal amounts of exercise can set them back for weeks or months, which is believed to be due to nerve damage. Peptide therapy is a promising approach to treating this condition, although it must be administered by a doctor and may not be covered by insurance. Compounding pharmacies provide peptides to treat neuropathy and mast cell activation, such as thulin and thymosin beta four. BPC 157 is a mass cell stabilizer available in oral and injectable forms. There are many ways to address post-covid symptoms, and individuals should not lose hope as there are ways to treat it effectively.
Functional Medicine Approaches for Post-Covid Syndrome: Post-covid syndrome can lead to long-term suffering, but a functional medicine approach that considers peptides, exosomes, plasmapheresis, ozone, and hyperbaric oxygen can help alleviate symptoms. It's essential to educate and promote sustainable healthcare systems, and resources like Dr. Leo Galland's guide can help navigate post-covid issues.
Post-covid syndrome or long covid is a major public health concern as Covid-19 becomes endemic. Most people can catch Covid-19 once a year, and having had it before does not lower the risk of getting long covid. However, there is a way out of the suffering by using a functional medicine approach that considers various aspects and treatment options such as peptides, exosomes, plasmapheresis, ozone, and hyperbaric oxygen. It is essential to create a sustainable healthcare system that promotes learning from the lessons of the pandemic and rethinking medicine entirely. Resources such as Dr. Leo Galland's professional guide and website can help navigate post-covid issues as not all information is readily available from doctors.
