#25: Metformin For Long Covid

Long Covid, MD

Send us a text

LongCovidMD.substack.com
LongCovidMD.com
In this episode of The Medicine Cabinet series, I explain how Metformin, a drug we often associate with diabetes, helps acute covid and may help Long Covid.
Metformin is an old, relatively inexpensive medication that has many established off-label uses. I explain its mechanisms of action, who it might be right for, and I discuss the recently published COVID OUT research findings that supported metformin's use in acute infection. It reduces hospitalizations, death, and the development of Long Covid.
What does that mean for those of us who already have Long Covid? I share my opinions.
Research Links
COVID OUT metformin dose used: 500mg on Day 1, 500mg twice daily on Days 2-5 and 500mg in the AM and 1,000mg in the PM on Days 6-14

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214027/

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.06.23290989v1

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(23)00299-2/fulltext#%20

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/79/2/354/7660393?login=false

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10595158/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9111510/#:~:text=Recent%20evidence%20has%20shown%20that,has%20immunomodulatory%2C%20anti%E2%80%90inflammatory%2C

CURE-ID Database
https://cure.ncats.io/home
Support the show

Subscribe for more at LongCovidMD.substack.com, and follow Dr Khan on X @doctor_zeest

Chapters

1. Introduction and Overview (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Metformin: Mechanism of Action and FDA USe (00:02:54)

3. The COVID OUT Studies: Metformin's Impact on Acute Covid Infection (00:08:02)

4. Metformin's Potential in Preventing Long Covid (00:12:21)

5. Considerations for Using Metformin in Long COVID Treatment (00:18:38)

6. Conclusion and Call to Action (00:25:47)