My guess: some of the anxiety and depression is partly about stress, but mostly it is about an inflammatory state, which increases the body’s demand for NAD to mop it up, which eats all the serotonin, which makes people really unhappy.
Post-COVID is all about constant inflammation. S1 gets stuck in the monocytes (and/or - maybe - ongoing low-level viral replication in the gut? maybe?) and then that causes the constant inflammation. So does obesity. So do a lot of things.
This can be addressed (at least from my personal experience) using my now-favorite compound, niacin.
For me it was a simple fix. I just had to check to make sure there wasn’t any interaction with the heap-o-meds I was already taking. (Basically one).
I know its boring to hear about niacin all the time. But it sure worked for me. I didn’t need any sort of massive dose, just 500 mg/day was enough. And when I can’t sleep due to “too much excitement”, another 500 mg post-meditation and I drop right off.
I’d love to run a trial on “niacin’s effects on POST-covid syndrome”, but - who would fund it? “Not I”, said the NIH.
There’s also the issue of gut disregulation - much more than just post-COVID, it has many manifestations - and that’s its own long story.
DaveDD-
Yeah. Vitamin D and NAC prophylaxis together probably makes “symptomatic flu infection”, if it happens, perhaps not really noticeable. And you can always nuke it with Elderberry if it does show up. Odds are, you get the flu, you don’t notice, and life goes on with a new immunity boost. I do an every-other-day NAC + glycine supplement.
I had a mild case of COVID. Tested + on January 25th. Two weeks later I was feeling great. Third week I went back to work, my tongue felt like it had a dead 9 volt battery stuck to it, and my throat lung area felt cold when I inhaled. Later that week I got insomnia, and would only sleep 3-4 hrs, but had more energy then normal, and not tired. Also felt more mentally clear, happy, confident,and libido was much higher.
On Sunday the 13th I got up at 4:30am and walked 2 miles on treadmill at %15 incline. Felt the same as before. After breakfast around 8am I started to feel a little funny, like mentally fuzzy, “anxious” maybe. Ignored it, went to town then to parents house with my two kids. By the te I got there I felt very strange, anxious, felt dizzy, like I might pass out, felt like lungs weren’t getting air even though I was breathing. Took blood pressure when I got into house, it was 185/92. Called my wife to come out, and bring oxygen meter thingy, my O2 was at 89, and pulse was around 120. So 1 1/2hr drive to ER. O2 was at 85 bout 1/2 hr before getting to ER. Heart was doing weird things at this point also. I have had heart palpitations in the past and Cardiologist said they were fine. These were different. Felt like heart would just stop beating, then take off again a couple seconds later. Anyway get into ER and I start feeling a little better, O2 goes up to low 90’s, BP way up there, heart rate is all over the place. I get EKG, take blood, chest X-ray, everything checked out for not having a heart attack. So I start wondering did I just have a panic attack? They release me, wife and I go eat lunch. I still feel kinda funny but doing OK. On they way home it starts again, so back to ER. They seem kinda irritated that I’m back after they told me I wasn’t having a heart attack. BP still really high, O2 levels stay normal, even though it felt like I couldn’t get air. They tried to give me an anxiety pill, that I refused. They left me alone for along time. I got very tired and noticed when I nodded off to sleep the alarm on machine wood go off saying I wasn’t breathing. It would wake me up, and I would take a big gasp of air. 2 more blood test that didn’t show anything, and a Holter monitor stuck to my chest to record my heart. Stayed the night, went to Dr. next day. He keeps telling me it’s COVID, I try to explain to him that it felt like I was over it, and I’m really worried about my BP, and heart symptoms. He put me on a blood pressure medication, which brought it down to prevent event levels, but he didn’t seem worried about my heart, or breathing difficulties. Forgot to mention the symptom of face/head feeling cold, and numb, with slight pins and needles that would come and go. So mailed off heart monitor today. Today is first day heart hasn’t done anything weird. I did find this yesterday, and all symptoms matches up except for dropping BP. Other symptoms I left out for brevity. I am taking ivm again, plus all my vitamins, pepcid, Claritin, and will be on low dose naltrexone Monday. Any ideas? Feeling a little better each day.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220215/covid-symptoms-linked-to-vagus-nerve
Edit: Dave tried niacin awhile back. Flush was kinda cool, but somthing happened where I got real light headed, and fell out of my chair. Not sure what happened there, but not gonna try that.
Edit 2: forgot that this morning I was feeling pretty decent, so got o. Treadmill at 15% slow walk. Heart rate started off in mid 60’s, made it about 1/8 mile and HR dropped to 50. I Felt kinda strange, so got off. Seems weird for HR to go down that low during any activity that should make it go up. HR has been lower then normal when I have been taking my BP also.
I was really only suggesting niacin for post-COVID depression and anxiety. That’s because it worked for me - and I didn’t even get COVID. I have another inflammatory condition which (I now understand) has a relatively high incidence of depression and anxiety.
I’m not taking blood pressure meds though. Always check for interactions before trying something new.
Fell out of my chair couple months ago. Wasn’t on any medication at the time. Not sure what happened. Not blaming you in anyway. Was trying to be humorous with comment in previous post. Enjoyed reading all the post about niacin. Tried 125mg to start. Everything went fine till I got light headed.
DF- a while back you posted me Dr. Patterson’s methods for vax injuries. This week medically I was ‘cleared’ to have my second jab, I’m not doing it.
It has taken me 5 months to get my energy back and feel better. My bloods showed high inflammatory markers until this month and the chronic fatigue and joint aches are almost gone.
My recipe has been - chaga mushroom tea twice a day with manuka honey, Vitamin D 1x10,000IU and 2x daily dose of you guessed it …NIACIN 1000mg per day. I am a niacin convert, tapered now to 500mg.
Yogmonster,
What are all your vitamins?
Have you considered seeing a Functional Medicine doctor?