Corticosteroids

Prednisolone helped my fatigue & headaches too, but a couple of months after taking it I was back to my usual LC symptoms. (And it can’t be taken long term). 😢

Long story.. but

The patient has been on steroids for two years. They were originally put on them in 2022 by a doctor trying to treat their long covid. They were on 40mg for several weeks, then the doctor rapid tapered them which caused their brain fog to begin (very similar symptoms to what they’re having now). They were hospitalized in a psych unit and went back on the 40mg, then tapered more slowly.

Then they started feeling better and after getting down to 7mg after tapering for many months, they had felt 90% recovered from all long covid. So they stayed on the steroid because at that point they developed adrenal insufficiency. Fast forward to July 2024, they had lots of stress which caused LC relapse, including diarrhea every day. Their endocrinologist said if having diarrhea, double the dose of steroids until it’s gone then taper back down. So they took 14mg for 8 weeks and just started tapering but now they gotta taper slowly because they still feel awful and at this point they don’t know what’s from long covid, or adrenal insufficiency. They’re a mess.

Dr. Bruce Patterson expresses skepticism about using corticosteroids (steroids) for Long Covid treatment. He argues that steroids suppress the immune system, which could potentially create reservoirs for the virus to persist and lead to chronic symptoms. Instead, he advocates for treatments like Maraviroc and statins, which modulate the immune system without suppressing it. Patterson emphasizes that his approach targets the underlying mechanisms of Long Covid, such as inflammation and immune dysregulation, rather than broadly suppressing immune activity.

Dr. William Li, a physician and scientist, discusses the potential use of corticosteroids like prednisone and dexamethasone for treating autoimmune symptoms in Long Covid patients. He notes that dexamethasone is already approved for acute COVID treatment and suggests exploring its application for Long Covid, especially for patients with severe autoimmune symptoms. Dr. Li emphasizes the importance of trialing treatments responsibly, using medical judgment to avoid errors, and providing relief to patients who are struggling.

This study looked at how effective systemic corticosteroids were in treating patients with long-COVID symptoms, particularly those with lung-related issues. Researchers followed 49 long-COVID patients for three months after they were treated with a steroid called deflazacort, given in tapering doses over 8-10 weeks.

The study found significant improvements in symptoms like breathlessness and cough, with breathlessness dropping from 91.83% to 44.89% and cough from 77.55% to 8.16%. Additionally, 71% of patients who were initially hypoxic showed improvement, and the number of patients with normal chest X-rays increased from 12% to 71%.

For people dealing with long-COVID, this study suggests that systemic corticosteroids could help speed up recovery, especially for those with lung-related symptoms. However, it also highlights the need to be cautious about potential side effects, like reactivation of tuberculosis in certain regions.

This is a retrospective analysis, which means it looks back at existing data rather than conducting a controlled experiment. While the findings are promising, they should be interpreted with caution and ideally confirmed by more rigorous studies like randomized controlled trials.

This study looked at how systemic corticosteroids, given during the acute phase of COVID-19, affected long-term symptoms and quality of life one year after hospital admission. Researchers conducted a telephone survey with 76 patients who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020, collecting data on symptoms, quality of life, and treatment history.

The study found that patients who received corticosteroids during their initial COVID-19 illness had fewer long-term symptoms, such as headaches, chest pain, and depression, compared to those who did not. These patients also reported better quality of life, particularly in areas related to physical pain and mental health.

For people living with Long COVID or caring for someone with the condition, this study suggests that corticosteroids given early in the illness might reduce the severity of long-term symptoms and improve overall well-being. This could help guide treatment decisions during the acute phase of COVID-19 to potentially prevent or lessen Long COVID.

As an observational study, the findings are valuable but not definitive, as they rely on patient-reported outcomes and lack randomization. The study was published in a reputable journal, but further research, such as randomized controlled trials, would strengthen the conclusions.