Kerry is a former Longhauler. That’s right, former. After suffering from LongCovid for just over six months, she recovered. The process of recovery was slow and difficult, with advances and set-backs, again and again. But she prevailed. And if you are a Longhauler, there’s hope. You can prevail also.

She mentions a wide range of different supplements and treatments that she tried, in her process of recovery. Please do not assume that everything supplement or treatment was effective. In the end, it was not entirely clear which supplements/treatments were most or least effective, though she did opine on what seemed to work the best.

I interviewed Kerry last week, and I present her answers here, lightly edited for clarity, and with some change in the order of the Q and A. And within the interview, I’ve added a few comments — not stated to Kerry at the time — but added now for our readers’ benefit, marked thusly: “Covid.us.org comments“.

Covid.us.org: Just few questions to start. What were the first weeks of Covid like? Did you receive treatment? If so, what?

Kerry: My Covid Recovery, Fell ill: February 27, 2020. Feeling normal: September 11, 2020

Pre-existing conditions: I have had repeat cases of Lyme’s disease, as I live in a Lyme-endemic area. I also had mono as a child, and so may still carry the Epstein-Barr virus. I wonder if these conditions set me up for long-haul Covid. A blood test from the week before I got sick showed that I was low in Vitamin D and was pre-diabetic. I am no longer pre-diabetic and never had that condition before.

Covid.us.org comments: Kerry wonders if she was susceptible to LongCovid due to a weakened immune system. The low vitamin D test is also important, as over two dozen studies have shown that low vitamin D increases risk of infection and severity from Covid-19.

Kerry: February 27: Quite ill for a couple days. Then for the next two weeks, it felt like I was pulling out of it. Almost three weeks in (March 18), I had another relapse which started with difficulty breathing. That set off a whole cascade of symptoms which were intense for a few months, and then would cycle in and out for the following few months.

In the early stages I would take Tylenol. A little later on I would take Pepcid AC for Gerd-type symptoms.

Covid.us.org comments: GERD is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. See the WebMD page here. The cycling of symptoms is commonly reported by Longhaulers.

Kerry: April: I took some Chinese herbs prescribed by a Chinese medicine doctor who saw that a surface level illness had transitioned to the organ level. I decided not to do acupuncture, but instead did moxa which uses heat on the pressure points. The moxa treatments helped to temporarily revive my energy. I started this in April.

Supplements: About the same time, I started taking some supplements. Sometimes taking the supplements would make me feel worse in the early days, so I would take them for a few days and then take a few days off. My first supplements included vitamins C, D, Zinc, Juice Plus, B complex, garlic, quercetin and turmeric. Later on, I started Omega 3 and Glutathione.

I have been focusing in on histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome as possible processes for long-term Covid. One of my last systems was tachycardia that may have been caused by foods. I started taking a supplement called D-Hist in August to address this issue. I also wanted to clear my body of any heavy metals that could have complicated healing. I began to use TRS Spray as a detoxification in July.

May: I purchased a Rife machine with pre-set frequencies. A Rife machine emits low-energy electromagnetic waves that can destroy unhelpful bacteria and viruses in the body. This therapy had helped me when recovering from Lyme’s disease. Although I was treated by a naturopath before, I wanted to be able to use the machine frequently and so decided to purchase a machine. I believe that underlying disease processes could have been compromising my recovery from Covid.

Covid.us.org comments: It’s not clear which of the above supplements and treatments were helpful, and which were not. None of the above seems to have given Kerry an immediate cure. Also, if you have LongCovid, please do not take any of the above (or below) as medical advice. It is an account of what Kerry did, not a recommended treatment regimen.

Kerry: Starting in about May I had a pinging feeling in my veins and would get occasional brain fog and headaches. I believe it was a stroke-like process that was underway. I started taking Tylenol PM as an antihistamine and aspirin as an anticoagulant almost every night between May and August. This helped my symptoms. I was very nervous about stroking.

Covid.us.org comments: Stroke as a result of Covid-19 is possible, but uncommon. I have not run across any Longhaulers reporting strokes.

Kerry: Progress has been incredibly slow, but despite relapses I knew I was moving forward.

The symptoms came on quickly like a flu…caught me by surprise. Sore throat and fatigue. No fever. Two days in bed sleeping. Then appeared to be on the road to recovery. Almost three weeks in, things took a turn south. Started with breathing issues. Couldn’t oxygenate. After that a whole cascade of other symptoms.

My cousin told me to follow the scientists on Twitter to get the latest info. I ended up finding a group of people who were having the same symptoms as me and we started to compare notes. We shared what we learned. It was comforting and helpful.

I went to the doctor in week 1. They wouldn’t give me a test because I had no fever. I went to the doctor again in week 5. They said it was too late and I wouldn’t show a positive.

I believe I had Covid, but was never able to test. I never went to the hospital.

Covid.us.org comments: Many Longhaulers report receiving little or no treatment, especially in the early stages of the disease. Then, when it becomes LongCovid, the doctors do not seem to have any idea how to treat it. Lack of treatment seems to be a big factor, along with some susceptibility in the Longhauler’s immune system.

Covid.us: It seems like the doctors were mainly focused on testing. Did any doctors acknowledge that you had LongCovid and provide any help?

Kerry: They basically said I needed to wait it out. They said it was probably Covid. But the long haul part of it wasn’t resonating with what they understood of the disease at that time. I was one of the earlier cases, so word hadn’t gotten out.

My husband got sick too. He had a cough. I didn’t. He was better in two weeks except for the cough which lasted 6. Our disease progression was different.

Covid.us: Did he get sick before or after you?

Kerry: He got sick the night before me.

Covid.us: What do you think was most helpful in your supplements and treatment regimen?

Kerry: This is all gut instinct. But I think vitamin D is key. And sunlight. I also think focusing in on histamine reactions at the tail end were helpful. D-Hist.

Covid.us.org comments: D-Hist contains vitamin C, bromelain (for absorption of quercetin), quercetin, NAC, and stinging nettle extract. Many Covid-aware doctors recommend vitamin C, vitamin D, quercetin, and NAC. Stinging nettle or hedge nettle contains verbascoside, which molecular docking studies have found is an inhibitor of the Covid-19 virus.

Kerry: I swear by one Tylenol PM and one aspirin before bed. Stroke was a major concern at the end, based on my symptoms. The TRS spray and the RIFE machine addressed what I think were underlying vulnerabilities. But I think there were multiple systems that were being affected and I needed a broad strategy to support the multiple systems. Histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome are possible issues in my case

Covid.us.org comments: Tylenol PM contains Tylenol (paracetamol) and Benadryl (an anti-histimine). Both are fine to take for Covid. TRS spray is a zeolite solution claimed to remove heavy metals and toxins. (I’m skeptical about that one.) I’m not familiar with the RIFE machine.

Covid.us: So you believe underlying vulnerabilities made the difference between Covid and LongCovid. That could be different in other Longhaulers. Would you say that the Central Nervous System was largely affected? What made you worry about stroke?

Kerry: Pressure in my veins that migrated. Headache. Brain fog. I had tingling on my right side: arm, hand. Also, vagus nerve pain. I think the nerves were affected/inflamed?

Covid.us: Yes, inflammation of nerves seems to be common in Longhaulers. The autonomic system is sometimes also affected.

Kerry: Yes. And then there is the platelet, endothelial cell issue–blood vessel issue. And the sensitivity to sugars/histamine reaction. It just seems to be a lot of things!

Covis.us: These are the symptoms of autonomic system involvement:
Anxiety
Blurry or double vision
incontinence
Brain fog
Constipation
Dizziness
Difficulty swallowing
Exercise intolerance
Insomnia
Low blood pressure
Orthostatic hypotension
Syncope (fainting)
Tachycardia
Tunnel vision
Vertigo
Weakness
You already mentioned some of them. Any others?

Kerry: I only had brain fog, exercise intolerance (first four months), POTS, Tachycardia, weakness.
But not the others.

Covid.us.org comments: POTS is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a circulatory disorder that can make you feel faint and dizzy. Tachycardia is a fast heart rate.

Covid.us: Were most of your symptoms cyclic, or just certain ones?

Kerry: The symptoms cycled in sets. So for example I would have what felt like a blooming of bacteria in my throat, that later would give me chest pressure, then GERD , then GI symptoms. After a few months I didn’t have that process anymore. The biggest ongoing issues were chest pressure, chest buzzing, fatigue, and tachycardia.

Covid.us: I think that perhaps many cases of LongCovid are caused in part by persons not receiving treatment early for Covid. You’ve talked with other Longhaulers. What do you think about that?

Kerry: My husband and I both went to the doctor and they said to go home and get better. I honestly don’t think there was anything they could do. I think it was about my immune response.

Covid.us: OK, so a weak immune response on your part, triggered the LongCovid. One particular physician who treats LongCovid thinks that steroids (strong anti-inflammatory effect) are key to resolving it. Would you agree?

Kerry: So, I didn’t take steroids, but perhaps, yes. It was like I was having an inflammatory over-reaction

Covid.us: One theory is that the virus hides in the CNS, and periodically multiplies and spreads throughout the body, causing usual symptoms of Covid including inflammation, then the immune system fights back, reducing symptoms for a while. But it’s hard to get at the virus in the CNS.

Kerry: That makes sense. It is consistent with how my symptoms played out.

Covid.us.org: What would you like to say to other persons with LongCovid?

Kerry: I would like to say that our bodies responded differently to Covid because our immune response was compromised for some reason. Each of us may have a different reason. But we can get better.

Covid.us.org: Thank you!

Covid.us.org final comments: The interview was conducted last week by messaging, not in person, nor on the phone. I’d like to remind readers not to consider every medication or treatment Kerry took as if it were a prescription. I’m glad that she recovered, but it is disturbing how little help Longhaulers receive from the medical establishment, and there does not seem to be an accepted treatment regimen, proven to work for most persons. So research studies are needed.

An Addendum on LongCovid

1. Some of Kerry’s symptoms (tachycardia, POTS, difficulty concentrating, i.e. brain fog) sound like thiamine deficiency. Some other thiamine deficiency symptoms have been reported by other Longhaulers. And we know that Thiamine is used in the MATH+ protocol to treat severe Covid-19 cases in the hospital. So I would suggest Longhaulers try Thiamine, along with whatever else they are taking.

2. A particular physician, Dr. Mobeen Syed (see DrBeen’s Medical Lectures on YouTube and DrBeen.com) has publicly stated that he successfully treats his patients who have LongCovid with a “steroid pulse”, i.e. a short course of steroids. So, for those readers who may be physicians with Longhauler patients, Dr. Syed uses prednisolone, as follows, quoted from his Twitter post:

“My regime for long haulers:
Deltacortril 5 mg x TDS x 2 Days
Deltacortril 5 mg x BD x 2 Days
Deltacortril 5 mg x OD x 2 Days

“While tapering I keep the dose earlier in the day.

“Disclaimer: This isn’t a prescription for anyone. Just information for my management method.”

Deltacortril is Prednisolone. (I’ve corrected the spelling of Deltacortril in the above quote from Twitter.) TDS is three times a day; BD is twice a day; OD is once a day.

Dr. Syed has also emphasized that he posted the above treatment regimen for information purposes only, and not as a treatment for persons who are not his patients. But if any reader is a physician with LongCovid patients, you might want to try the regimen or contact Dr. Mobeen at via drbeen.com.

If you are a Longhauler, please try to find a physician who will work with you to find an effective treatment. Don’t go to the doctor with a passive attitude, as if you could simply present your symptoms and the doctor would know what to do. Instead, you need to convince the doctor to work with you in trying different treatments, such as prednisolone, doxycycline, high doses of vitamin D, ivermectin, etc.