Fatigue is a common symptom after viral infections, and is prevalent in patients recovering from COVID-19, which often leads to long-term post-infection symptoms known as long COVID.
A recent study in China looked at more than 1700 patients who were hospitalised with COVID-19. Six months after the infection, 63% reported fatigue or muscle weakness, 26% suffered from sleep disturbance and 23% experienced anxiety or depression.
These longer-term symptoms can be experienced by patients whose initial course of infection was at the milder end of the scale.
Recently, German researchers from University Medicine Rostock reviewed the data from nine previous studies into the effectiveness of high-dose intravenous vitamin C in the treatment of fatigue.
They identified nine clinical studies involving 720 patients and found that high-dose vitamin C showed a significant reduction in fatigue in almost all studies – this is despite a range of different underlying diseases being to blame for the fatigue.
Oxidative stress and inflammation can cause fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression and sleep disturbances. The research shows vitamin C’s anti-inflammatory effects at high doses reduced fatigue and other symptoms in patients with underlying issues including cancers, allergies and herpes zoster infection.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with COVID-19 infection, and vitamin C deficiency has also been shown to be a factor. The German researchers conclude that high-dose IV vitamin C should be investigated in clinical trials as a potential treatment for long COVID.
At PIM we have a particular interest in intravenous nutrient therapies. Contact us to learn more.