While many are already rejoicing at the end of the pandemic, let us remember that the pandemic is still there and that many individuals continue to suffer from Covid-19. Among these people, we can cite those who suffer from long Covid. But perhaps these patients could also rejoice, because it is possible that a common drug can solve this problem.
A treatment discovered by chance
If some individuals who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 come out with no symptoms, others develop bothersome symptoms that can persist for very long periods of time. These symptoms can range from mild – like a mild cough, headache, and loss of smell – to more serious effects like brain fog and intense fatigue. Faced with these long forms of Covid-19, patients sometimes find themselves helpless because of their inability to get rid of these symptoms, despite compliance with the treatments given to them.
But this problem could potentially be solved, because a report recently published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners has shown that over-the-counter antihistamines can help relieve symptoms of Covid long. Note that antihistamines are generally taken to treat allergies. This discovery was made thanks to two middle-aged women who discovered by chance that antihistamines helped relieve the symptoms of their long Covid. The two women were indeed victims of bothersome and persistent symptoms of Covid-19.
In one of the two women, these symptoms included intolerance to physical exertion, chest pain, headache, rash and bruising. In the other, symptoms included joint and abdominal pain, as well as rashes and skin lesions. Both had taken over-the-counter antihistamines to treat other conditions. One of the patients had notably taken an antihistamine after the onset of her dairy allergy, while the other simply had to take the drug to replace her usual allergy medications.
Improvements seen in a short time
The dairy-allergic woman had taken a 50mg pill of the antihistamine diphenhydramine, and suddenly noticed that her fatigue was all but gone. As for the other woman, she stopped taking her antihistamines for 72 hours because she ran out of medication. As her symptoms returned, her doctor again prescribed her a daily dose of antihistamine, and after taking the medication, she saw a noticeable reduction in her Covid-19 symptoms.
If the case of these two women can in no way be used as proof of the effectiveness of antihistamines for the treatment of persistent symptoms of Covid-19, it does show that it is a possibility to be explored. So even though there are no studies that show it actually works, there is nothing stopping long Covid patients from trying this treatment, as long as these drugs are available over the counter. ” If patients wish to try over-the-counter antihistamines, I urge them to do so under medical supervision. “, however, recommended nurse Melissa Pinto, lead author of the report, in a statement.