A newly published case report recently indicated that two patients suffering from long COVID have been reported to have nearly fully eased their symptoms by taking an over-the-counter drug.
A ScienceAlert report specified that while the evidence is anecdotal, the significant results are not without precedent and the authors are hoping the stories they have reported can offer patients hope and point scientists in the right direction for examining treatment in the future.
Currently, there are no evidence-based treatments to deal with long COVID also called post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection or PASC. However, antihistamines in particular, are a promising avenue as they are in general, safe to take every day so long as they do not impede other medications.
According to Melissa Pinto, a nurse from the University of California, Irvine, most patients are telling them that providers have not recommended anything that has helped them.
She also said "if patients wish to try over-the-counter antihistamines," she urges them to do so as long as it's under medical supervision.
Since providers may not know about new potential cures, Pinto said she would encourage patients to be active in their care and consider taking research works and case reports like theirs to appointments with providers in order for them to help develop a regimen that might be effective.
Intake of Antihistamine
The first case which the UCI researchers reported involves a "healthcare worker in her 40s" who would have been one of the first patients in the United States with COVID-19.
According to the report, this patient was possibly infected sometime in January 2020, although testing at this time was limited. After three days of falling ill, the patient said she experienced a headache and a wall of severe fatigue.
Days after, the patient broke out in a rash and started to experience chest pain, night sweats, and fevers. The worst of the illness lasted 24 days, although many of the symptoms remained. In March 2020, she began to report experiencing "brain fog," a new symptom.
It was only when the healthcare professional took an antihistamine for what this report termed a "cheese allergy" in June of the same year that she suddenly felt better.
50-Milligram Dose of Over-the-Counter Drug
She began to take 50 milligrams of a common over-the-counter antihistamine called diphenhydramine (frequently marketed in the US as Benadryl) everyday.
She eventually took a new thought, to her doctor who prescribed a different drug to try and arrive at a dose that would alleviate her symptoms.
Now, this patient has been taking a prescription drug, a 50-milligram hydroxyzine pamoate for more than nine months, and her long COVID symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, exercise intolerance, and chest pain are almost gone.
The second case involved a middle-aged teacher with a similar story as the first. One month from contracting COVID-19 infection, she was still experiencing insomnia, joint pain, difficulty concentrating, and a rapid heart rate. One year after the infection, the symptoms were still incapacitating.
Almost Complete Recoveries
The second patient randomly changed her antihistamine drug from fexofenadine to 25 milligrams of diphenhydramine, as the latter-mentioned was easier to find.
The following morning, she noticed her long COVID symptoms like fatigue and brain fog had improved. Hence, she continued taking it.
Now, the patient is taking 25 milligrams of diphenhydramine at night and 180 milligrams of fexofenadine in the morning. As a result, she reported feeling 95-percent better.
The almost-complete recoveries of the two patients in the case study published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners are remarkable. However, they are not the first stories of this kind.
The long COVID symptoms are quite similar to ME-CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is an underfunded and understudied medical condition affecting up to 23 million people globally.
Related information about antihistamines for COVID-19 cure is shown on Nicola Haseler's YouTube video below:
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on Science Times.
