Potential New Treatment for “Brain Fog” in Long... - Thyroid UK

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Potential New Treatment for “Brain Fog” in Long COVID Patients

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
16 Replies

Although brain fog in thyroid patients has often been dismissed by medics (whether not understood, not believed, or some other reason, I cannot say).

However, it is coming through as a recognised symptom of Long Covid. Hopefully, even if the actual detailed causes are slightly or radically different, it just might help to get brain fog better recognised.

Further, treatments are being discussed. Again, what works in Long Covid might not be appropriate in thyroid disorders.

Potential New Treatment for “Brain Fog” in Long COVID Patients

Amy Arnsten, PhD

Individuals with long COVID, sometimes referred to as “long-haulers,” experience symptoms that may persist for weeks, months, or even years after their acute viral infection. While symptoms vary widely, a common complaint among patients is “brain fog”—a colloquial term for significant, persistent cognitive deficits, with consistent impairment of executive functioning and working memory. Long-haulers may experience a lack of mental clarity, poor focus and concentration, memory problems, difficulty with multi-tasking, and more. Brain fog can be debilitating, but there currently are no treatment options that are approved for the condition.

While the number of patients they studied is too small for their results to be definitive, Yale researchers—using their extensive experience with two existing medications—have published initial evidence that those drugs, given together, can mitigate or even eliminate brain fog.

Guanfacine, developed in the lab of Amy Arnsten, PhD, Albert E. Kent Professor of Neuroscience and professor of psychology, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ADHD in 2009, but clinicians have also used it extensively off-label for other prefrontal cortical disorders such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD. Now, Arnsten has joined forces with Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and of neurology, who has been treating long COVID patients with a combination of guanfacine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-oxidant also used for the treatment of TBI. The combined therapy, they found, was successful in relieving brain fog for their small cohort of patients. And while larger, placebo-controlled clinical trials will be needed to establish these drugs as a bona fide treatment for post-COVID-19 neurocognitive deficits, they say patients can obtain them now if their doctors wish to prescribe them.

If patients have a physician who can read our paper, we’re hoping that they can access help right now.

Amy Arnsten, PhD

“There’s a paucity of treatment out there for long COVID brain fog, so when I kept seeing the benefits of this treatment in patients, I felt a sense of urgency to disseminate this information,” says Fesharaki-Zadeh. “You don’t need to wait to be part of a research trial. You can ask your physician—these drugs are affordable and widely available.” Because they are FDA-approved and have been used for years, their safety for patients is established.

The researchers published their case study in Neuroimmunology Reports on November 25.

Do read fully! The above is only the first bit of the article. and the full paper is yet another document.

medicine.yale.edu/news-arti...

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helvella
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16 Replies
Alanna012 profile image
Alanna012

Thank you Helvella!

Was it on this forum that I read that the FDA has been either reclassifying NAC as a pharmaceutical drug so that it very hard to buy now in parts of the US as an over the counter supplement or purchase from a nutritionist, because it was found to be very effective as a treatment for pneumatic chest and cough conditions?

I always get woolly on the details.

Guanfacine I've never heard of.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Alanna012

I hadn't noticed anything about change of status of NAC. Which says nothing about the issue!

BNF pages about Guanfacine:

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/guanf...

userotc profile image
userotc in reply to helvella

Yes its sadly going to big pharma! suzycohen.com/articles/say-...

Jumbelina profile image
Jumbelina in reply to userotc

That is so depressing

userotc profile image
userotc in reply to Alanna012

Yes its sadly going to big pharma! suzycohen.com/articles/say-...

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame

T3....

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to DippyDame

In the context of this forum, I think we can say: Of course!

But many still report brain fog symptoms even when taking what appear pretty reasonable doses of T3 (with or without other T4 and desiccated thyroid).

Sparklingsunshine profile image
Sparklingsunshine in reply to helvella

Vagus nerve stimulation has ha promising results for CFS, Fibro and Long Covid. healthrising.org/blog/2022/...

userotc profile image
userotc in reply to Sparklingsunshine

Yes sad that all funding is going into drugs yet again when other options indicate promise!

SarahJane1471 profile image
SarahJane1471

interesting! Also studies on use for PTSD and GAD…….

Although can cause bradycardia which I have already 🤦‍♀️

Tythrop profile image
Tythrop

I've just sent this article to GP friend who suffers brain fog from what is called Long Lyme Disease but is really untreated and ignored ( by.NHS protocols) Tic born infection , because Lymes bacteria is only one of many.many bacteria carried by Tics but NHS only treat Lyme bacteria .Friend has brain fog from.non treatment .We with Hashimoto have Brain fog from failure to treat Low T4/ 3 because of the tsh devotees

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe in reply to Tythrop

Seems Cheltenham are a leading light in pushing for Lyme disease treatment recognition... only this weekend they lit up a building (I think a hotel) green to raise awareness...

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to TiggerMe

Link to the campaign:

lymediseaseuk.com/2022/04/1...

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe in reply to helvella

👍 I just happened upon it on the local news, stuck in my mind as there happened to be a chap walking past as they did the switch over and it frightened the life out of him 🤣

HashiFedUp profile image
HashiFedUp

I am being refused basic drugs like T3 and vitamin D by my local commissioning board /GP, so there’s little hope of them prescribing anything experimental I would think !

Jumbelina profile image
Jumbelina in reply to HashiFedUp

You can easily buy Vitamin D3 over the counter- and it is cheap- or you can get it from sunlight in the summer.

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