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+--- Thread: COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on the Brain. (/Thread-COVID-19-Leaves-Its-Mark-on-the-Brain)
RE: COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on the Brain. - Maxmars - 06-08-2024
It occurs to me that Long COVID has some similarities with other conditions that may hint at an unrecognized parallel. Specifically, PTSD.
I was wondering about this when I ran across this article:
From ScienceAlert: One Patient's Long COVID Improved After Taking Hallucinogens in Therapy
While work continues to better understand and treat long COVID, one 41-year-old woman has found remarkable relief from her symptoms through the use of psychedelics: specifically, MDMA (3.4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms.
Both mind-altering drugs were taken in consultation with a therapist, and according to the patient, they offered "significant improvement" in long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, anxiety, joint pain, and headaches.
...
But until this particular case study, there was no prior literature on the use of MDMA or psilocybin for long COVID treatment. The report suggests psychedelics might be one way of tackling a debilitating condition with few treatments that now affects millions of people worldwide.
The woman in the case study was healthy prior to contracting COVID-19 in February 2022, and she had received three vaccinations for the virus. Her reported symptoms of long COVID included severe anxiety and depression, as well as debilitating headaches and cognitive difficulties.
She told researchers she tried a variety of methods to try and get some relief: fasting, massage therapy, acupuncture, and meditation, for example. This either didn't work at all, or only provided temporary relief from her symptoms.
...
Over the weeks and months that followed, there were minor setbacks and a couple of additional doses of psilocybin. By the end of 2022, the woman was able to report "complete resolution of her symptoms" and go back to full-time work.
This link between long COVID and psychedelics isn't without explanation: previous studies have linked long COVID to damage in the brain, while many long COVID sufferers report having brain fog as one of their symptoms. It's possible that psychedelics that interact with the brain could have some positive impact on those symptoms.
It's only one case study... but I'm guilty of hoping there is something here which points to a potential solution...
Edit to add content: Long-COVID symptoms improved after MDMA and psilocybin therapy: A case report
