so here's the deal on COVID vaccine injuries - they are real. I'll give you the straight dope on the situation...
- COVID vaccine injuries occur at a greater prevalence than other vaccine injuries. unfortunately, the MAHA movement has extrapolated that this means all vaccines are bad. terrible conclusion.
- The reason for COVID vaccine injuries is not mRNA technology, it's actually the copy of the spike protein from the COVID virus. If you ask COVID clinic practitioners how they treat Long COVID and COVID vaccine injury, they will whisper, "exactly the same". The primary theory is that the spike protein in the virus and the copy of the spike protein in the mRNA vaccine causes micro-vascular clots. This is well supported in the medical community. the MAHA movement has used this to say mRNA vaccines are especially bad. terrible conclusion.
- if you are at risk for Long COVID, you very well could be at risk for a vaccine injury as well. now there are several sub-types of Long COVID and doctors and researchers are still trying to figure things out, but if your Long COVID as a micro-vascular clotting component, you're squarely in the risk profile. progressives often dismiss the risk of the COVID vaccine, but this patient is heavily weighing whether I will get the vaccine again given my history with Long COVID. dismissing the risk is ignorant.
- if you have micro-vascular clots they may not be easily detectable and you likely deep into specialists to find them. your symptoms can show up a lot of different ways, but suffice it to say, when you show up to the cardiologist with unspecified angina they may just call it costochondritis when your simple heart tests come back clean. take 2 advil and don't call me in the morning is a very common script. these micro-vascular clots can impact other organs as well. terrible medicine, leaving many very frustrated.
- treatment for micro-vascular clotting varies, but for my second cardiologist opinion, I saw the chair of internal medicine at the medical school in Fort Worth, a cardiologist, researcher and teacher and he determined I likely had a significant micro-vascular clot injury from COVID. He's prescription? baby asprin, L-arginine and L-citrulline. I was not given heavy pharmaceuticals, just asprin and amino acids that have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. many progressives assume natural remedies are not the gold standard for treatment when heavy pharma has their own solution. terrible conclusion.
- research is actually pretty clear on the anti-coagulant benefits of nattokinase, it's really a remarkable substance. I took it and consider it a major factor in my recovery. dismissing substances that have research to support them is a really bad decision.
- research is actually pretty clear on the benefits of curcumin and quercetin though it's not easy to absorb (note that curcumin is the pigment in tumeric and quercetin is one of the primary phytochems that give plants their color). They both have significant and wide ranging benefits including on heart and vascular health. Bromelain actually helps with absorption of these compounds. dismissing the use of bromelain with them is a bit ignorant.
- hydroxychloroquine is the odd one, research does not support it but the anecdotal stories are everywhere. It does have the effect of modulating the immune system in some which is how it became a thing but in the end I didn't ask for it, I wasn't offered it, I don't support its use as there is no research to support its benefit even though the theoretical underpinnings could be there. I don't know what to say about this one, it definitely is a flag waiving MAHA treatment and I don't get it.
- in the end, there are quite a few natural remedies that are truly quite powerful in the battle against Long COVID and vaccine injury. others include full spectrum hemp oil, the triad of vitamin C (high dose), quercetin and zinc and several others.
- the biggest problem with Long COVID and vaccine injury illnesses is that the vast majority of pharmaceutical treatments either don't work, they only mask the symptoms or worse the side effects make you miserable. so when people come to me and ask how to treat Long Covid, I tell my story - at first I was on harsh pharamceuticals but in the end, there were three traditional treatments that helped - none of which were harsh long term pharma treatments. they were the stellate ganglion block, ketamine (for PTSD, anxiety and depression), and EECP (a mechanical heart disease treatment). EVERYTHING ELSE was natural - strict diet, no alcohol, no exceptions, traditional supplements like B complex, D, etc., nerve tonics (yes herbs), some of the treatments ridiculed on this string of posts and some not mentioned yet (most focused on brain health as I had to endure a significant neurological injury), and it was the combination of medical treatments other than harsh long term pharma and natural remedies that let my body HEAL.
- so while some of these people are fucking crazy, I'll tell you this, I fucking nailed the approach. It's traditional, alternative, and natural remedies and diet with an express goal of avoiding the harsh pharma drugs that require long term use if at all possible (gabapentin, all the Z drugs for sleep, SSRIs, benzos, low dose naltrexone, etc.). and if anyone for a minute thinks plant based medicine has no value, I feel really sorry for you, and if any of you think for a minute that some of these substances MAHA are advocating for are smoke and mirrors and can't have a substantial positive impact on your health well then I don't know what to say.
- I'm absolutely pro-vaccine, and anti-RFK, I'm pro-paxlovid (and metformin to reduce Long COVID risk) but I am also 100% anti-pharma if possible (not always possible) and 100% all in on diet, exercise, sleep, relationships, stress and cognitive health as the path to true wellness and when you're ill it's often the same path back to wellness.
- I'll add that my post may come off as ableist a bit because I got well, and I know of several on this site that are still suffering from Long COVID or more specifically injuries caused by Long COVID and when that happens and there is permanent damage, the course for treatment is much different and much more difficult where the long term use of harsh pharmaceuticals may be the best treatment available.