Written by Dr. Patrick Massey, MD, PhD. A recent medical study (2022) published in the medical journal Nutrients, the combination of vitamin C and the supplement L-arginine lead to significant improvements in 97% of the patients with symptoms of “long” COVID including fatigue and brain fog.
Some people who have contracted COVID will have persistent symptoms long after recovering from the infection. These symptoms are referred to as “long” COVID.
There is no identifiable reason for these symptoms and they can last for a few months but some may experience them for over a year. No medications seem to work except steroids. However, in this case, steroids like prednisone should not be prescribed for more than 10-15 days because of complications associated with long term use.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, common and debilitating symptoms of “long” COVID are:
- Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
- Symptoms worsen after any physical or mental effort
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heart rhythm especially with minimal activity
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating (brain fog)
- Dizziness when standing
- Change in smell or taste
- Depression or anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Joint or muscle pain
A recent medical study (2022) published in the medical journal Nutrients, the combination of vitamin C and the supplement L-arginine lead to significant improvements in 97% of the patients with symptoms of “long” COVID including fatigue and brain fog. The length of the study was 28 days and follow-up not done.
Arginine can increase the production of nitric oxide (NO) and that is enhanced by vitamin C. NO dilates blood vessels and may improve organ function as well as accelerating healing. More research is needed but this is good news for many people whose lives have been affected by “long” covid symptoms.
Even though arginine is quite safe, there are some contraindications to taking it… so if you have “long” covid symptoms, let’s chat before starting this regimen.
Of note…I have seen very good success in treating “long” covid symptoms with intravenous vitamin C, adaptogen supplements (ginseng, ashwagandha, etc) and energy medicine.
Dr. Patrick Massey is medical director of complementary and alternative medicine at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network, and president of ALT-MED Medical and Physical Therapy, 1544 Nerge Road, Elk Grove Village.
Posted December 19, 2022.
