Long-covid ... ME/CFS ... cured with nicotine?!
Background. I've been suffering for about fourteen years with problems attributed to
ME/CFS and nothing has helped much. In 2021 I had two Covid vaccinations
(Astrazeneca) which set me back into a worse (ME/CFS) state for about ten months
afterwards and have never got back to even where I was. Subsequently, I had covid but
it passed within three days with only minor discomfort. Most of the time
I am fairly debilitated.
To try to understand more I have been reading and watching everything I
could find (often with a liberal pinch of salt). One of the things I
found, which I wrote off as a crackpot idea, but filed away, was that
long-covid symptoms could often be cured with nicotine. However, reading
about this, I found that there may be some evidence to back this up.
Further, pondering the similarities between ME and long-covid, I looked for
information about ME and nicotine that led me here.
I'm in my seventh decade, and have NEVER smoked; but a week or so ago I
had an encounter with nicotine, when I was offered a pinch of snuff
(dried, finely ground tobacco that one sniffs a little up each nostril).
It was a curious experience - I'd had a pinch of snuff nearly sixty
years prior - given to me by my grandfather which made me sneeze
profusely to the amusement of all around. Trying it again after so long
seemed appealing.
Anyway, the next day after taking the snuff, I felt unusually awake, alert and found myself
moving around and doing more than what has become normal. Since then, I
have had pinch each day and continue to feel improved. At this point it
could be placebo effect, but it's certainly interesting and seems more than coincidence.
If this improvement does prove to be sustained I would probably move to nicotine-gum or patches
as a less harmful alternative.
Just some personal observations, I hope this is of some interest for discussion.