Long Covid
What is Long Covid?
Long COVID refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after an initial COVID-19 infection, sometimes even after a mild case. These ongoing symptoms can affect multiple systems in the body and may include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, joint pain, sleep disturbances, and changes in mood.
Long COVID is thought to be linked to lingering inflammation, immune system dysregulation, and other underlying imbalances. At Helios, we take a comprehensive, functional medicine approach to help identify these root causes and support recovery over time.
Long Covid Treatment at Helios
Helios Integrated Medicine has decades of experience treating post viral syndromes. West Nile virus, Epstein Barr syndrome, mononucleosis, post influenza, Dengue fever, and varicella and herpes simplex syndromes are all conditions that conventional medicine has struggled to treat.
Pierre Brunschwig, MD brings over 30 years of clinical experience integrating conventional and holistic medicine. He offers a blend of disciplines that are ideally suited to the challenges of long-term COVID. In particular, the integration of Functional Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine holds great promise for successfully confronting the unique challenges long term COVID. What’s more, Dr. Brunschwig’s other degree is in molecular biology. This allows him to incorporate the evolving scientific understanding of COVID-19 in virology, epidemiology and infectious disease.
Our Long Covid Approach is Different
We supply a probiotic confirmed in studies to improve core symptoms of Long COVID.
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We Leverage the Microbiome
We use functional medicine testing to identify the physiological subtypes of each Long COVID patient.
Functional Medicine
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We complement the use of pharmaceuticals with our pharmacy of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and homeopathics.
Complementary Medicine
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We stay up to date with medical science advances and patient driven therapies.
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We have 30+ years of treating post viral conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Deep Experience
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We employ the power of intravenous nutrient therapy to produce medicinal effects.
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Infusion Therapy
We integrate traditional Chinese Medicine to expand further our therapeutic reach
TL;DR: We practice integrative medicine
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Chinese Medicine
Ongoing Research
Long Covid Testing at Helios
Each person’s treatment will vary based on their symptoms. Here are some of the tests we may run as part of your long covid testing and treatment plan.
Pulmonary Testing
Peak Flow
Pulse Oximetry
Sleep Oximetry
Gastrointestinal
Inflammation
Microbiome Assessment
GI Pathogen Assessment
Transit/ Motility Assessment
Mal-digestion/ Malabsorption
Nutritional/ Metabolic
Nutritional/Metabolic
Comprehensive Nutrient Assessment
Blood Sugar Dysregulation
Mitochondrial Function/Energy Production
Cardiovascular
Inflammation
Platelet Activation
Cholesterol Balance
Carotid Intima Thickness: CIMT
Immunity
Assessment of reactivation of EBV, CMV, HHV6 and parvovirus 19
Autoimmunity Assessment
Food Intolerance
Gluten Intolerance
Neurological
Wavi Functional Brain Scan
Neurotransmitter Assessment
Sleep phase analysis
Hormonal Assessment
Adrenal Hormones
Sex Hormones
Thyroid Hormones
Insulin Function (continuous glucose monitoring)
Laboratories we work with
Vibrant America
Quest
Labcorp
Boston Heart
Genova
Diagnostic Solutions
Diagnostechs
Doctors Data
Dutch
Quicksilver
Meridian Valley
Great Plains Lab
Long Covid Treatment
We have still much to learn regarding the details of COVID-19’s attack on the human body. However, what we do know is that it can damage many systems: pulmonary, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune. Post COVID patients display a wide variety of symptoms. Each patient being unique. Not only will post-acute COVID patients need close coordination of their specialty care, they need some one to put their care together holistically and comprehensively.
Our approach includes a complete understanding of each patient, selective functional testing and personalized treatment across a variety of disciplines. Additionally we integrate their specialty medical care with our complementary care. We believe all of these elements are essential for substantial and lasting relief for sufferers of long-term COVID.
Treatments May Include:
Antiviral Therapy
Antiviral therapy can come in many forms: vitamins, herbs, prescriptions, including Palovid (currently being studied in Long Haulers). Long term COVID patients commonly have reactivation of herpes viruses such as simplex or Epstein Barr. In addition, COVID itself may remain active in the body in some patients. Some patients have benefited from Paxlovid with a durable response. Directly attacking all viral infections can unburden the immune system and set it on a path to repair.
Digestive Support
COVID 19 is known to infect the digestive tract, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. When this digestive disruption persist it drags down the healing process. As two thirds of immune system resides adjacent to the gut lining, our immune function is intimately dependent on gut health. Poor digestion, abnormal bacterial, yeast, or parasites burden the immune system. Fostering healthy microbiome, removing detrimental organisms and restoring healthy digestion and absorption serves to speeds up recovery from COVID19.
Reducing Inflammation
Inflammation generated by COVID19 sets the immune system on high alert and depletes the body of its anti-oxidant protection. This can also result in micro blood clots of small blood vessels throughout the body. By identifying specific nutrient depletion we can effectively prescribe oral, intravenous, or topical replacement therapy to put out the fire and resorb small blood clots. Chinese medicine can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to restore healthy blood flow. We can also help each patient identify inflammatory foods in their diet. Removing these foods can greatly speed recovery.
Immune Support
Natural killer cells are the specialized part of your immune system that targets and removed virally infected cells. Their function can be measured with a blood test. Based on your natural killer cell function, we can target your immune support with intravenous and oral Vitamin C, low dose naltrexone, medicinal mushrooms, thymic protein, and immune herbs to achieve a once again robust immune system.
Nutritional Medicine
Treating disease with nutrients has been a discipline that conventional medicine has lost touch with. We, however, have been practicing nutritional medicine for 30 years. Liposomal preparations can help target nutrients to the brain to repair the blood-brain barrier and respiratory tract. This gives each CCC patient the option to treat some of their conditions with nutrients as medicines, a more natural approach.
Improving Deep Sleep
Removing all obstacles to restorative sleep is a central goal of treatment of long term COVID. Deep sleep is essential for healing the brain and its detoxification. We use a variety of pro-sleep nutrients, rebalancing stress hormones and identifying any oxygen needs to restore the healing benefits of sleep. We also prescribe nutrients that speed the repair of the blood-brain barrier when their is evidence of its injury.
Healing the Lungs
A great deal of basic science research has illuminated the various ways COVID19 wreaks havoc on the fine structure of the lungs. Lung blood vessels and the microscopic air sacs where the exchange of oxygen occurs often need repair. Glutathione delivered by inhalation, infusion, and oral liposomal form, speed the restoration of these fine structures. Cooling off the heat in the blood vessels is equally important for the lungs. Likewise, resorbing microvascular blood clots is important to improve healthy blood flow in the lungs. Supplementation with omega three fatty acids, nutrients that speed resolution of blood clots, and nutrients essential for cellular energy production are the core of our anti-inflammatory strategy. These very same treatments may rejuvenate lost sense of smell and taste.
Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
Chinese Medicine, including herbs and acupuncture, has been successfully treating epidemics for over 2000 years. Modern research backs up tradition. Chinese herbal combinations have been rigorously studied and used to repair lung tissue, damaged blood vessels and stimulate the growth new blood vessels. The right combination of acupuncture and herbs will calm an over-active immune system, combat fatigue, heal injured tissues and regulate the digestion to bring the body back into balance and restore health.
Intravenous Nutrient Therapy
The use of intravenously high dose nutrients has been a potent and safe therapy for decades. At CCC we have seen profound results with using these nutrients in medicinal and antiviral doses. The most common I.V. nutrients include:
High dose vitamin C-a broad spectrum antiviral
Glutathione- neural and respiratory protectant, detoxifier
Alpha lipoic acid- essential in energy production, neural restorative
Myer’s cocktail- excellent adrenal formula, restorative for deficient magnesium
B12 shots- Neural restorative
Taurine for improving heart function and calming nerves
Folate for treating migraines and methylation disorders
Hormone Balancing
Hormones play an essential role in our health and are likely to become dysfunctional under the stress of COVID19. Restoring stress hormones, sex and thyroid hormones is essential to recapturing your health.
POTS and Other Autonomic Disorders
Autonomic disorders including postural orthostatic syndrome (POTS) are a frequent subtype of Long COVID. While conventional medicine has salt, pressure hose, and recumbent exercise, we find that vague nerve stimulation and traditional Chinese Medicine Herbs are especially helpful in building autonomic competency.
Homeopathy
Many idiosyncratic or unique symptoms are amenable to homeopathy. These symptoms by virtue of their unusualness may defy conventional medical explanation and treatment. Such symptomatology is just what homeopathy is wonderful at treating.
Mitochondrial Depletion
Mitochondria are the power generators in the cells and their depletion are likely responsible for brain fog, fatigue post exertion malaise and even depression or anxiety. We have found that supporting mitochondrial populations can be instrumental to improving a wide variety of Long COVID symptoms. We have found PQQ, low dose nicotine, our Long COVID probiotic, and urolithin A are among the most effective.
Ready for Long Covid Relief?
If you’ve been suffering for too long without answers or relief, we invite you to experience a different kind of care at Helios.