Scientists hail new treatment for one of most common Long Covid symptoms

Researchers rejoice in promising results ahead of more extensive clinical trials

Scientists say they may have uncovered a new treatment for one of the most common symptoms of Long Covid.

Researchers at Yale University managed to lift the “brain fog” of eight patients with the condition who were given a mixture of guanfacine, commonly used for ADHD, and an antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which in the UK is mainly used to treat paracetamol overdose and respiratory illnesses.

So far, the treatment has only been tested on a small number of Long Covid sufferers, who were also mainly women, though researchers said the study looked promising for more extensive clinical trials.

But given the potentially devastating and widespread impact of Long Covid, researchers believe doctors should consider prescribing guanfacine to patients.

“If patients have a physician who can read our paper, we’re hoping that they can access help right now,” neuroscientist Amy Arnsten said.

She and her team believe that the combination of drugs could prove “immediately useful“ to millions of sufferers.

Some 2.3 million people in the UK are estimated to be living with long Covid, official figures show.

According to the NHS, brain fog elicits a similar feeling to the effects of sleep deprivation or stress. It lists common symptoms of brain fog as poor concentration, feeling confused, thinking more slowly than usual, fuzzy thoughts, forgetfulness, lost words and mental fatigue.

It’s not necessarily a symptom of those who were hospitalised with Covid and people usually recover from it.

“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,” neurologist Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh explained.

“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.”

Mr Fesharaki-Zadeh first decided to try the drug combination after considering the inflammatory effects of Covid on the human body.

The team of researchers has since tested the treatment on a dozen other patients suffering from Long Covid. Participants took 600 milligrams of NAC daily and one milligram of guanfacine at bedtime.

After a month, the guanfacine dosage was increased to two milligrams.

All eight participants who finished the trial reported substantial benefits to their memory, organisational skills, and multi-tasking abilities. While some said it cured their brain fog completely, others said they had recovered their sense of self.

The study was published in Neuroimmunology Reports.