How to Treat Dysautonomia in Long Covid | With Ashok Gupta and Dr Tamsin Lewis
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- One of the key drivers of many Long Covid symptoms is dysautonomia - that is to say dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, leading to tachycardia, palpitations, dizziness, breathing issues, insomnia and many more symptoms besides.
In this film I speak to Ashok Gupta and Dr Tamsin Lewis about the role of dysautonomia, how it can be treated and why it might just be at the root of ALL long covid symptoms.
Note: The Gupta Program is free for clinicians who would like to take part or have access to resources. For more information contact on the website.
0:00 Introduction
1:31 What is Dysautonomia?
4:40 What is the Gupta Program?
8:45 What's going on with PEM?
14:17 What is neuroplasticity?
16:58 What does the program involve from the patient's perspective?
18:16 What research and evidence is there for efficacy of the program?
20:13 What is Ashok Gupta's background?
26:54 What does the medical establishment think of this?
30:21 Could dysautonomia be responsible for all Long Covid symptoms?
33:28 Conclusion
REFERENCES:
Unconscious amygdalar fear conditioning in a subset of chronic fatigue syndrome patients, Ashok Gupta, 2002.
www.guptaprogram.com/wp-conte...
Mindfulness-Based Program Plus Amygdala and Insula Retraining (MAIR) for the Treatment of Women with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial , 2019.
www.guptaprogram.com/wp-conte...
The Gupta Program
www.guptaprogram.com/long-hau...
Dr Tamsin Lewis, Wellgevity:
www.wellgevity.com/about - Наука та технологія
This makes SO MUCH sense to me. I developed dysautonomia during a stressful financial period and I was able to calm it down by 70% by changing my habits, resting, and mostly making myself feel SAFE.
What Dr. Gupta said resonated with me, that during that “life threatening” period your brain and body think you might not survive and make your autonomic nervous system go crazy. With dysautonomia I wasn’t even able to watch an action movie trailer because i felt like fainting. It’s as if my brain differentiate fiction from reality. It could not recognize that it was just a character in a movie, it perceived it as me “being in danger”, and up until this day I have many weird triggers that I still need to rewire and tell myself that I am safe. It is so weird but that is how it is.
Last week I was exposed to covid and now the dysautonomia is worse than before. I did have flu like symptoms for about 5 days and then boom, I started having dizziness, nausea, muscle spasms, i felt like my brain had fireworks, i feel drunk all the time, etc. It is absolutely crazy. I’m not sure if all of this was triggered by covid.
How are you feeling now ?
I'm positive it was triggered by covid. I am having the same issues. It's been a nightmare.
Update Claudia?
did you try it?how did it went
This is spot on! I'm going to a Covid Clinic and I've done my share of research. If anyone wants to understand their symptoms after Covid, they should study the Autonomic Nervous System. Stress is horrible on Long Covid patients and even activities that are enjoyable, yet cause the body to work harder than normal. Knowing your limit of activity is so important. Long Covid is like getting a new body that doesn't want to cooperate. 😔
Let us know how you get on with the clinic Angela!
@@RUNDMC1 I certainly will. They have me in speech therapy now for memory and I'll be going to PT for vestibular issues. My daughter is getting treated for POTS and they are saying she hopefully will get better with time. That's what we keep pushing for! 🙏
@@ncangie has her pots improved? i was 90% healed of long covid after horrendous 11 months including my post-viral pots that disappeared. then i took the second vaccine pfeizer a week ago and all my long covid symptoms came back in its full glory, including pots :( and im crying like crazy...i know it will pass, but i just dont have the strength to do this another 11 months...
@@headfullofmusic422 I hate to hear you are back to square one. Her symptoms come and go. She has metoprolol on hand for when her heart starts to speed up, or palpitate. I've noticed if she stays busy it helps her a lot. She still gets very fatigued at times. It's definitely a challenge and not one I wish on anyone.
@Head fullofmusic avoid anti biotics in the future too unless absolutely necessary .. actually anything from pharma .. unless you have no other choice
One of the most underrated channel
Thank you 👍
I think run DMT throws people off.
Opps! I meant Run DMC 😆
I think it's very important to not to identify as a "sick person", to not let it become or replace your identity - to still find things that bring a spark in your eyes (something that's not tiring, at first). I've discovered this only recently
I've also found that Ashwagandha is very helpful. It just calms the nervous system down and improves the quality of sleep for me.
Completely agree
PTSD is definitelly a complicating factor. Thanks for this (first symptoms march 12, 2020) your videos have been so helpful this year
It’s a pleasure.
Same! I wish I found your channel last year when I was battling this and being dismissed from ever dr u went to. I was dizzy every single day and have had complex ptsd for years so I have always been prone to trigger my panic response very easily. And June 2020 i started having hours long panic attacks where my bp would get so irregular and high and the monitor would register an irregular heartbeat. Last time I went into the ER (nov2020) my bp was 157/53 and respiration was 26. They dismissed me saying it was just a panic attack but panic attacks don't last for 4-6 hours straight with no relief. I was having cold sweats and tingling in my limbs. They kept cramping up and twitching. I was throwing up and had diarrhea with horrible stomach pains. Slight fever. I made them do a basic chem panel cuz since the first time I went in to the ER of june2020 i kept getting hypokalemic and my electrolytes would get unbalanced. Ended up showing i was very low in potassium. So they gave me a potassium pill and sent me home. Didn't get better till I got a new Dr that actually listened to what I was going thru. He didn't make the long haul post viral connection. But he did recognize it wasn't just anxiety. I stopped drinking coffee, consuming sugar in large amts, and started supplementing magnesium, potassium, and other supplements/minerals i was deficient in. I went to an energy healer also and within a month I was feeling back to normal. Now months later, i started to consume coffee again and stopped supplementing and I'm starting to notice all the symptoms coming back even after doing breathing exercises, especially the dizziness. That is always my biggest symptom which then triggers my panic response due to an over active amygdala. I even told my first dr that maybe my ptsd is what is causing these panic attacks to come on our of no where and last so long cuz I am prone to getting stuck in the sympathetic mode, and she flat out told me no. Finding your videos last year could have saved me so much suffering.
Colds showers or baths has been the go to treatment for post covid dysautonomia in my neck of the woods and has seen great success…
Yes, cold stimulates the vagus nerve. I used cold showers to heal from ME/CFS after a virus, along with using the Gupta program and homeopathics. I also used breathing - pranayama - to calm the vagus.
cold exercises the endothelium and circulative muscles and if those are creating a "dysautonomia like" symptoms that may well also explain
Can one just jump in the pool instead would that be equivalent cold showers are disgusting lol
I found this video to be quite interesting. And it somewhat mirrors both my experience with covid/long covid and my healing from it. From my personal perspective- a combination of both medical interventions and spiritual psychological and mental interventions are necessary. I am an ER nurse and prior to getting covid I took care of a wide spectrum of covid patients- ones barely sick, to ones who died in my care, to ones who have new onset heart arrhythmia, CHF, mental issues ect. So when I got covid and it was bad- I knew inside my head I triggered a fear response- in the form of- please dear god I don’t want a stroke, a heart attack, CHF and heart damage ect. Because I KNEW those outcomes were possible. So when this was raised in the video- it was an aha moment.
My healing from long covid has involved antihistamines, low histamine diet, meditation, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, removing stress triggers ( I am leaving the ER after 13 years and going to work in a different department in the hospital) and exercising as my body allows- and pushing myself a bit. I wish everyone who had long covid could access as many healing modalities as possible. Thanks again for an insightful video!!
Thank you for a great comment!
Lol you are a nurse and think you got better because of homeopathy and youtube videos?You either never had long covid or just got better on your own...
@@DocHoliday596 One of the gifts of covid that I’ve received is I don’t give a f*** about what anyone else judges of me. It’s theirs issue, not mine. You don’t know my story so don’t purport that you do. We all are on our own healing journey.
@@ariseamy1 well you cared enough to reply so...
Good for you for taking self-care and finding another department!
I have dysautonomia from covid :( I hope it goes away someday. I want my life back!
message me i will give you the protocol to regain your health,your weak immune system cant expel the virus,i will type the safe protocol out if requested,you will regain your health in a week
@@Beekind799 i wanna know too, how to message you?
I might as well I'm a long hauler and have had so many tests done over it already had covid 8 months ago
@@crystalwiser5980 take 18mg ivermectin and 50mg zinc for 4 days in a row that will safely end covid and long covid and all other post viral conditions,if you cant get ivm and zinc take 2 x 1000mg caps liposomal vit c every hour for 12 hours a day do that each day till all symptoms have gone both these methods will safely end long covid and covid ,your weak immune system cant expel virus particles from your system thats keeping you sick either of these methods will work , this is your immune system what got you in trouble low glutathione levels ,low vit a levels and low vit d levels thats a weak immune system that cant expel virus particles and can only use cytokine storms,they can kill you,after taking the ivm and zinc or the high doses of liposomal vit c take this its packed to the rafters with the stuff your immune system needs to work properly 2 x 600mg caps n.a.c.morn/eve this safely raises your critical glutathione levels - 1 x 1000mg caps cod liver oil morn/eve - 2 x 750mg caps beef liver extract morn/eve - 2 cloves [ not garlic] i have healed 1000s of post viral conditions, good luck
@@dyancautiver7574 you can message me right here,are you a covid long hauler, this condition is easily healed if you want me to type out the protocol what 1000s are using to safely regain their health,remember now i do this for free to help people
Thank you for all your videos! You're one of the few dedicated to this matter.
Thank you Shelley!
Cheers jez 😁👍 I’ve been doing weekly 36hr fasts , these are not easy but I would say I’m getting a small percentage better each week, fast number four coming up this weekend 😁 now back to your video , I lost my mum to cancer four months before I caught covid, and I’m positive that effected my covid out come , so like you I’m getting more and more positive about getting each day done with the limited energy I have and working towards better days in the future, I’m going to the gym once a week , I still can’t train but I’m just giving my brain a reminder that we will be back to it at some point , NO RETREAT!! NO SURRENDER!! 😂👍
That’s the spirit Richard! Very sorry to hear about your Mum - hope you’re coping ok. Don’t underestimate the power that that level of grief can have. I lost my mum four years ago and still feel it daily.
Fasting is definitely working for myself as well. Slowly but surely we will get better!
Please be kind to yourself. This guy is selling this pseudo science here, RUN-DMC even admits it's not even tested in randomized control trials, but already on sale. Google Pacing, it's really the only thing that helps. Don't push yourself. Good luck.
Fasting and avoiding histamine triggering foods has been the key for me. But, after both vaccinations of the Pfizer I'm still dealing with nephropathy issues.
Meditation, mindfulness, light exercise, and a clean diet have made a difference. I continue with supplements that support the NAD+ and mast cells. I'm investigating mitochondrial toxicity and making efforts to reestablish a healthier mitochondrial functioning and improve my overall level of health. The antioxidant cocktail is taken once or twice daily:
Coenzyme Q-10 50mg
Alpha lipoic acid 200mg
Acetyl-L-carnitine 500mg
N-acetyl-cysteine 600mg
Never give up!
He nailed it. Exactly the thinking I've had for Months
Very insightful videos! Thank you so much! Your work means a lot to me.
Thank you!
Thank you so much. Kept this to show husband. Thank you for helping him understand how I feel. We've had our first vaccine. Thank you 💜
Found so many things from your channel that most drs had no clue of. I knew I was dealing with long covid early on and only got reliable info from resources like your channel. So thank you so much for discussing this topic!!!!
It’s a pleasure!
Uhhh is anyone else falling head over heels in love with this man? 😂😂 Thank you SO MUCH for your commitment to helping and healing our community, Gez! To be seen, understood, and prioritized as a long hauler is a profound gift ❤️
Haha, thank you Kelly!
Me!
The Gupta program is known for their affiliate marketing program. They are known scammers (www.asa.org.uk/rulings/harley-street-solutions-ltd-a17-400324.html) in the ME/CFS community. Please do not fall for the psychological scams from private businesses.
They see COVID as a massive business opportunity.
This is very interesting!
Watched with great interest your presentations on dysautonomia. I had this in 1965 post viral infection, after a year or so, mostly recovered, then it recurred again in about 1968 after severe Epstein Barr infection. Recovered enough to finish my university study, but with great attention to pacing , and many trials of exercise, vitamin supplements, and so on. Now, in 2021, my history inludes 2 primary cancers with chemotherapy, and several years of brain fog after each one. A lot of time feeling stupid and unproductive. BUT so far, with great care no Covid! I still have the symptoms of cfs-me, but want sufferers to know that, though it can relapse after overdoing anything, one can have a good life. I am delighted to see that dysautonomia is now being taken seriously, an sincerely hope that sufferers, (whether of cfsme or long covid), can get relief of at least some of the worse effects, much sooner than what was available in the past!
Very helpful information, thank you. I feel like we intuitively know this is happening within our thought process but just don’t understand how or when is the time to stop or slow the fearful thoughts before it gets the better of us. You have done some awesome research 🧐
Thank you!
Thank you to Gez for his continued research and quest for a way through…your tenacity and dedication are greatly appreciated by all❤
Thank you so much for your content! I wonder if you could possibly explore GI issues related to covid? Not sure if you have already have but it would be awesome if it could be explored.
GI issues are definitely an issue with long haul Covid. The GI system is part of the autonomic system. When there’s a dysautonomic dysfunction then you will most likely have GI issues like - Nausea, Gastro Paresis…
I’m certain I got Long Term COVID because of a Chronic Yeast Infection.
I have had gi symptoms for 2 years 2 days after second physer vac horrible always diarea
This makes so much sense that habits shape chronic illness. Speaking from experience (Crohn’s disease , IBD etc…)this program sounds so good 😊 that I’m trying it especially now that I have debilitating LC symptoms. Your channel is so helpful. Can you discuss maybe the effects the virus may have had on the vagus nerve? It’s probably not widely accepted as theory that the vagus nerve has implications with LC but it might be worth looking into ! Leah
Did you tried the program?How did it go?
You have described me. Hospitalised 5 times with “long covid” and doctors dismissing me. I had normal covid but collapsed after a dog bite then an ear infection. 6 weeks later? Brain fog, nightmares, out of body experience, hallucinations, shattered, fatigue. Like Dr Gupta says, if I walk 200 yards then excersise wrecks my system. I have photophobia and can’t talk, watch TV etc. typing this will trigger revolting nausea. I have nausea everyday. It’s hell.
I’m so sorry Paul - that’s horrific :(
@@RUNDMC1 Thank you.
@@pauldavid167 how are you doing now Paul?
Another piece to the puzzle and another mini-breakthrough thanks to Gez Mendiger, the Sherlock Holmes of Long-covid!
nope its nonsense ,covid and long covid is easily healed ,their weak immune system cant expel virus particles thats whats keeping them sick,i have healed 1000s all over the world,i designed a protocol its the fastest safest method to regain your health,takes about a week
Thanks but you do realise that’s not how it’s spelt? 🤣
@@Beekind799 so tell us about it
@@itsjudystube are you a covid long hauler,would you like me to type out the protocol so you can regain your health,so tell us about it wont cut it with me
@@Beekind799 exactly. That is what I mean. I had covid 20 March 2020. I have long Covid that has worsened in the last three months. It would be great if you would post the protocol on here. Thank you x
Hi I am writing from Poland, thanks for your videos, I am long covid hauler, and have all of these symptoms since december,
Thank you Joanna - hope you’re making progress in your recovery!
Great explanation by doc gupta
Fantastic video thank you
Thanks Aoife!
Really like the keystone metaphor! I’d imagine the keystone differs from person to person but certainly possible dysautonomia is at the center for many.
Agreed, this is one messy jigsaw puzzle!
Priceless!!! Thank you so much Gez!!! 🙏❤️
I have tried to watch a selection of theories behind the symptoms of LC, and this is the best so far for explaining of what’s going on. It doesn’t say what the ongoing cause is ie. is this a viral protein or even virus replicating within the gut etc etc .
Often my body feels like it wants to switch off or close down and then followed by a reaction to that of increased heart beat, inflammation, fatigue etc. POTs now added on to my Post Covid Diagnosis and of course this is all part of the autonomic nervous system. The only problem with this then becomes that the physical symptoms we all experience are now just “in our heads” ! That’s going to take some thought changes....we’d all like to blame something more physical.
We now just need specialists to collaborate with others and share their findings so a working treatment(s) can be given to the whole LC population.
When i hear Gupta talking and putting out his claims the way he does, with his single case examples, all my alarms go on, screaming scam. After checking the online price it became worse. That does not mean his aproach is not going to work. I think he just put several known widely ignored techniques that may work for some longhaulers together and made an expensive online course out of it. He did not give much usefull advice like other doctors or therapists do, all you can do is buy the expensive package and see yourself.
All in all he sounds to me much more like a salesman than a doctor or someone who honestly wants to help.
I will check out Wim Hof breathing method next, its free or you can buy his book.
Have a nice day everyone.
Hi Earl, he’s been using this method to treat chronic illness for almost 15 years - it’s not a scam or something put together quickly to capitalise on the situation. Even if you don’t want to join the program I think there’s something all of us can take away from this line of thinking regarding limbic system dysfunction. And agreed, have a good day everyone!
I am actually doing the program it’s not a scam! The program only cost $250 which is way cheaper than all the vitamins I have bought in the last 6 months! I have been doing the program for 1 month and I walked for 20 min this week for the first time when I have been bed ridden for 3 months taking tons of pills which did nothing!
I want to add also that most of these technique had been explained to me by my therapist also who doesn’t even know about this program. Neuroplasticity is known and have been proven, it’s not something that juts comes out of nowhere, the Gupta program presents it in a more easier way to understand and guides you instead of being completely on your own
@@RUNDMC1 I am doing the Wim Hof breathing for almost a week now and it feels awesome. My resting heartrate came down nicely and i feel kinda relaxed. And would not have started this without you and Gupta, so i defenitely took away something from your video.
Thanks a lot for all your work and have a nice day!
Earl Hickey That’s great Earl, and was the only intention!
Well done you 👏
Thanks Enda!
Fantastic stuff Gez! This explanation for long covid has really struck a chord and seems to make sense in my head. I’m recently ‘back to work’ (light and reduced hours) and stopping every hour or so to practice deep breathing has definitely been helping.
Thank you for all the hard work, these videos have been a godsend 👍🏻
It’s a pleasure Aidan, glad to hear you’re improving.
did you try it?how did it went
Thank you for the content .
Thanks Marlene!
Hey another great video. You mentioned it quickly at the end, but what are the breathing techniques you are currently using?
Exactly those ones I mentioned in the film, nothing more complicated than that!
If you look up Stasis breathing they have free onboarding videos and also Box Breathing is good.
Great research. Let me know how you do on the program!
Thanks Travis!
Gez,
Hope all is well my friend don’t know if you remember me but told you I’d keep you posted day 3 of 4 on ivig (several positive studies treated long covid patients ) I will keep you posted how I feel in the coming wks ... stay positive my friend thanks for another great video
Would you mind sharing your results with ivig? Very interested
Just on day 3 yet results I’m being told take wks if not a month or 2 will keep all updated but still have horrible brain fog (trapped in a dream like setting since last month) can’t operate a vehicle or complete some tasks.
Great stuff. Thanks John!
This information is eye opening and so helpful, thank you and Dr Gupta.
This explains so much about my symptoms. I did not have covid but my panic disorder has taken over since I received the booster a month ago, and I'm reacting badly to all sorts of foods, medications, having insomnia, fatigue etc. This gives me hope. Best wishes to all who are struggling!
A lot of us are getting uncontrollable adrenaline (ie “panic attacks” for the first time ever..)food sensitivities, neuralgia and all the “long covid” symptoms after the V. I collapsed 5mins after it and no one believed me or helped me. Took me 5months to figure out it’s the nervous system and then aha! Autonomic nervous system. Let’s HOPE this is as treatable as long covid. Thank you for the vid!
How you feel now? How is your insomnia?
@@StephanieAlice me too.
did you try it?how did it went
Cheers Gez & co. Interesting info yet again.. identify with the stuff about the stress triggers as I was just saying the other day about how afraid I was to fall asleep when I had covid itself badly, as I wasn't sure I'd wake up -& I'm now suffering insomnia as well as other symptoms.. so would make sense unfortunately.. I've studied psychology & my Dad now teaches mindfulness for the NHS so I've got a little insight in that side of things too..
It's my birthday today though, & wasn't sure I'd make my last one.. so much positivity on this side of things -much love to everyone! ❤️
Happy Birthday Laura!
@@RUNDMC1 Thank you!! 🥳
Thank you for providing this video and the other videos. I 100% agree with the chosen word “puzzle” and that we each have our own pieces which may fall under similar categories. Another breathing resource that provides visual feedback on the successful rate of your slowed breathing can be found at HeartMath. Thank you again. You look well rested in this video. I’m glad that you are feeling some relief from the application of various strategies and interventions.
Thank you Leslie!
Great content as always Gez. Is there any other more recent info or anecdotes about the effectiveness of Gupta program for long covid?? Thx!!
Nothing more recent - sorry!
I think the proposed phenomenon mentioned by Dr. Gupta could be exacerbating long COVID symptoms for sure but it's important to treat his explanation as one plausible interpretation rather than automatically subscribing to it as the primary mechanism.
💯
Thanks for the film Gez. Another weapon to handle LC. Wud u mind sharing ur experience on the Gupta Prog thus far.
Also, ur thoughts on Dr Bruce Patterson’s treatment methodologies. We wud be glad if you cud interview him as well.
I’m only a couple of weeks into the program so can’t comment just yet, re Bruce P - am eagerly awaiting his next paper.
My brain was screwed going into this with the pre stress and pre trauma. Bexause boy has that been my life story.
So your nervous system and hence immune system are primed to over-react. You can re-write your story, its not easy but it can be done. I've been following @drjoedispenza work for sometime. Maybe worth considering one of his retreats at some point.
Yep me too
Great channel!! Thank you so much for all that your putting out in the world. Do you have any videos on the Vax making CFS/Long Covid worse? I haven't had COVID, but the 4th booster has me suffering 3 months later with moderate CFS/Long haulers.
Yes - go through my list of videos - I deal with the vaccine impact in a couple of them!
I'm so happy you've made this video. I think you're on the right track and this type of approach is likely to be much more fruitful and longer lasting than any supplement or drug. Treating what is 'upstream' makes so much sense. Looking forward to seeing more content in this area in the near future!
Thanks Tom!
nope its nonsense
I started the program and it’s really great and I am actually in touch with Sandrine which was mentioned in the video and she healed completely 100% and was completely bedridden.
Anyone having mostly symptoms in the evening/ early morning? I suffer mostly from heart palpitations, strong anxiety which makes it impossible to sleep. Morning are also dreadful. But it goes better in the day…maybe linked to cortisol fluctuations disturbances? I suffered from adrenal fatigue a few years ago, and I was always worse in the night/morning. This is where my cortisol would be sky high
Have a watch of my recent film with Dr Tompkins - this is classic HPA axis inversion
Thank you Gez! Im happy that you considered neuroscience important in recovery. The brain is the master! I love dr. Gupta. His own rehabilitation inspired me to recover myself. P.S.: Nice haircut! 😉
The haircut has made me feel lighter just by itself :)
The Gupta program seems similar to the DARE (Defuse, Allow, Run Toward, Engage) program that treats panic and anxiety. It retrains the brain as well and in fact is thought to calm down the amygdala. Dr. Claire Weekes in the 1960s was probably the first person to use these techniques to treat nervous system disorders.
Very interesting!
Just caught this recent video and really glad I did! Excellent work as usual. The Gupta Program sounds promising. Thanks again Mr. Gez!
Thanks Mad Wolf!
👍❤️👍
Cool!
Love from Belgium!
Stay save en don't give up.
✨✨✨
Thank you!
Thank you so much. I am struggling to understand what is happening to me.
Thank you for doing all this work to help!
I don’t have time to watch this at the moment but so glad you were able to talk about long covid with Ashok Gupta ! Can’t wait to watch it later !
That’s ok - and thank you!
Actually, my Sedimentation rate was 92 in a range of 0 to 40. I have Myalgia in my legs specifically in the calves, and also in arms and shoulders. Also constant stomach upset, pain and nausea. What do I do for that? Don't want to take Ibuprofen or Advil.
You’re such a legend Gez!!! Awesome once again mate. 🤗
Thanks Bradley!
Got yourself a post lockdown haircut I see 😁
And what an improvement it is!
Looks great!
@@RUNDMC1 long covid is a leaky gut syndrome. A doctor in pakistan is treating people long covid by prescribing them proton pump inhobitor like pantaprazole, eatung honey and yougurt in morning, eating raw onion and garlic with rice veggies, avoiding gluten, sugar, fast food, using olive oil etc. And people are healing in about 1 month of doing this
Hey Gez, thanks for this. One of my main long standing long covid symptoms is an intolerance to heat and generally being warmer all the time now. Moderately warm weather brings on headaches and I can't tolerate the Sun on my skin anymore (feels much hotter). Do you think this could be a Dysautonomia symptom? Or maybe something else, like a faulty hypothalamus? Because I also have chronic dry mouth too. Cheers
Hi Tony - this could be autonomic malfunction, also possible endocrine system but that might be downstream. I recommend breathwork and meditation anyway, for mental health reasons alone - and anything else is a bonus!
Before covid, I always felt cold. I was neurotically cold all the time. Now I know exactly what you mean. I'm always running hot. I also have chronic dry mouth amongst so many other symptoms. Today, I just want to sleep and sleep and sleep....
@@RUNDMC1 Ok thanks will probably try that
@@jennifercancio9606 I was exactly the same, running cold all the time pre covid. Now I am the total opposite! How long are you into Long Covid now? I'm over a year. I really hope this resolves as my plan was to move abroad to a warmer climate but I just can't hack the heat anymore
@@tonyg4058 did you recover? I have the opposite problem - my temp reads 34.0 degrees Celsius often! The cold brings on symptoms. Dysautonomia affects temp regulation surely, but I just assumed everyone else would also be struggling to generate warmth.
Great video, I’m sure there is something in this. I’ve been doing the STASIS breathing programme (as it’s free!) for 7 weeks now and noticed a big difference. My heart rate variability has improved loads. Thanks for all your work 😊
Stasis week 4. No longer having dizziness, shortness of breath, low BP and orthostatic changes, and some extra stamina. So far it has made the biggest impact. Still having PEM though. Have to make sure to pace.
Great to hear that Liz!
What is status program
@@raloufen4292 sorry- just spotted this reply- stasis is a structured breath work programme - ive found it super useful and really interesting to learn the science behind it. They have specific covid recovery programs 😀 stasisperformance.com/
@@shamama13 - Great to hear you have improved - did you have pots like symptoms - also interested to see how far along the line your u are?
Thanks for the video Gez! Re breathwork, I've been recommended to do coherant breathing. This is usually where inhale and exhale duration are the same e.g 6 sec/6 sec. I think the argument for this is that creating an equal rhythmic breath better helps to rebalance the body.
Very interesting. Thank you Henry!
Box Breathing this is called. There are many forms of breathwork. All can help parasympathetic function and most important help us to regain self-regulation
@@RUNDMC1 Hi Gez - you posted somewhere that your box breathing exercises twice a day were bringing your heart rate down - has this sustained throughout the day - out of curiosity or does your tachycardia return when you finish the exercise - any tips overall on what’s helped with the tachycardia? Thanks and so hope you are continuing to improve.
Very well presented video i feel. Many thanks. Your speakers are excellent. Bless you for asking, "What's your 'instinct' " ... instead of the ridiculously common "How does that make you feel?"
All the best to you. 💐🌹🎶🎵
(P.s. 70 yrs ago I developed an accidental fascination with Paramahansa Yogananda ...looking at the Life Magazine double spread of his body entitled ... "Dead for 27 days, still no decomposure" ...
From that day on my intel became aware of the enormous power of a trained, focused human brain over the mortal coil. Your presentation of Gupta's well designed work reminded me.)
Thank you Rosalind!
I have had long Covid since March 2020 and the Gupta programm has helped me the most since the beginning. After folowing the programm for tow weeks now i feel way better. Not back to 100% but i think i get there.
That’s great news!
@@RUNDMC1 And also thank you for all your grat work all the time, helped me a lot to stay positive over the last jear
@@MrGuensch did you ever have brain fog also?
@@bigbuu4334 Fortunately not, but many other symptoms.
Thanks!
I did this program about 6 years ago. The basics of meditation, awareness, understanding yourself and your reactions to things can be found in any form of mindfulness teaching and is certainly useful for just about anyone on the planet. Kudos to anyone who found help through it, I did not. I am still very ill. To market it specifically for ME is taking advantage of a group of people with no treatment. Yes, learn mindfulness and meditation, deep rest and your body connection, but is not the end all be all for ME. I am glad it helps some.
Thanks for your experience and sharing it here Jenny!
@@RUNDMC1 I think it's one of those things that is highly dependent on certain socio-economic privileges - as Tamsin said it is a full time life overhaul - and you also always have to consider what these kinds of things mean for the most severe patients. Even with that, just a 40% positive rate is not that far off from placebo or natural recovery rates. My own disability level regularly fluctuates between 40-70% disabled (over 15 years).
@@ShermanTank13 hi Jenny, do you have long Covid as well or ME?
@@oliviarabossit2826 Yes Covid for 13 months, ME for 15 years. I made some videos about it on my channel (replying with the channel these videos are on!) if you fancy checking it out. :)
@@jennysrp i am so sorry to hear this, thanks for the info, I hope you get better soon.
Gez, are you going to
sign up for the Gupta programme?
I would like know if the link with methylation and detoxification has been looked at.
The Gupta program explains it well actually. If your body is in constant parasympathetic mode, it shuts Down digestion and detox of your body. This is not something that was invented by the Gupta program, there have been tons of researches on it and is something my therapist had told me long time ago actually. Which is why calming the nervous system is very important to enter the rest and digest mode which will allow your body to detoxify.
@@oliviarabossit2826 Hi, Would you mind elaborating on similar processes or programs, to Gupta, that may be available to access for free online? Thank you!
I personally experienced much improvement In mood and joint and muscle aches when I started SAM-E which supports methylation.
There is a genetic link here as I am an under methylater so everyone may not benefit the same (COMT gene and MTHFr)
I am the Alison that Ashok mentioned! I’ve followed your videos for the past year Gez and have always found them interesting. I tried a few things such as the stack of supplements and antihistamines, but they didn’t make much difference for me personally. The Gupta program has been amazing for me, dramatically reducing my fatigue within days of starting it.
So great to hear Alison! Which parts of the program made the biggest difference for you personally?
@@RUNDMC1 initially I think hearing the theory of why it was happening made complete sense to me from my personal experiences with long covid and also my clinical training, so I think the mental shift of being ‘on board’ with it was the first thing. After doing the first meditation I immediately noticed a difference, and doing those twice a day and giving the nervous system the opportunity for deep rest at regular intervals has been absolutely key. And When I first started out, bringing all the thoughts about my symptoms fully into my awareness and then interrupting and redirecting them through the brain retraining. I realised how much time and energy was taken up with thoughts about being ill and my physical limitations - I very rarely have them now, and it has freed up such a lot of mental space! I am able to lose myself in everyday activities (and also because I am able to do so much more again) and the only time my brain might drift to symptom thoughts these days is if I am not doing much to occupy myself. I’m not 100% there yet but long covid no longer interferes with my every day, I don’t have to think about my activity and potential energy demands at all, and I’m not worried about the future any more. I’m just getting on with returning to normal life again. That is a huge leap from where I was at the beginning of this year.
I hope you get on well with it 😊
Thanks fantastic to hear. Thank you Alison!
How can I retrain my brain to get rid of COPD, ground glass, lung fibrosis, emphysema, Lupus - all acquired after COVID in March 2020?
I was formerly healthy, didn’t need any medication, never a smoker, active lifestyle. Still have perfect biomarkers, perfect A1C, perfect CRP, BMI 18. Never went to the hospital, never was in an ICU, but my lungs are destroyed by COVID. Should I keep meditating?....
Yes keep meditating - maybe do try the Gupta program’s free trial and see if it suits you
My personal case of hypothyroidism and thyroid antibodies triggered by covid is due to leaky gut syndrome I suspect. Essentially the proteins in all of the dairy and gluten that I was eating look like thyroid proteins to my immune system so it got trained to attack them. I know I had leaky gut because as soon as I cut those things out of my diet all of my allergies went away, and once I went on the Candida diet I had a massive herxheimer reaction. I suspect with the Candida and leaky gut fixed, my thyroid antibodies will disappear over the next few years. If you have leaky gut, the proteins from anything that you eat will end up in your bloodstream, and you will develop antibodies to them, and any tissue that looks similar to those proteins.
Hi Gez, trust ur doing well. Was curious to know the time you dedicate to breathwork/ box breathing & meditation in a day ? How much time ideally should one invest in these ?
As much as you possibly can. I do about 45 mins on average and it’s not really enough
While there may be some merit to this whole training neuroplasticity aspect of dysautonomia I feel like reducing it to this is not taking into consideration a variety of other aspects which seem to have separate reasonings for working. Anecdotally I have seen people say that they have fully recovered using fasting, some using thiamine supplementation, rarer few using ivermectin or fluvoxamine, so on so on. A lot of the explanations that favor why some of these works contradict others so I do believe this is a very case by case situation.
Hence the jigsaw puzzle I talk about in the film!
How long have you had the symtoms I understand now why I get exhausted after my cooking or going to the doctor he has no idea about the symptoms
It seems a lot of the symptoms associated with long COVID are very similar to hypothyroidism. A family member contracted Guillen Barre after a flu shot in the 1970's. Working with an endocrinologist, they started on thyroxine and their symptoms of arthralgias, fatigue, problems sleeping, anxiety, etc... abated. Viruses cause trauma, massive cell death, and these post viral symptoms.
Very similar to virtually any symptom for any illness. Literally ANYTHING.
I actually developed hypothyroidism immediately after my covid case. My TSH levels were normal pre-covid and clinical hypothyroidism post covid. My thyroid antibody levels were at 135. I've been taking Synthroid for quite some time now and the long covid is definitely not gone. Synthroid does not really help anything. Post exertional malaise still happens, and the tissue hypoxia in the presence of 100% blood oxygen saturation still happens. The Synthroid actually makes me jittery, which makes the condition even worse. You think you have energy so you might go for a fast walk, then end up with tissue hypoxia in all your muscles causing free radical damage, and then more post-exertional malaise. Caffeine and cocoa have the same effect. Giving yourself a boost of energy is very bad until you can solve the oxygen transport issue.
Any idea how this plays a part in the histamine intolerance so many of us seem to have as well ?
I'm hoping that most of us have SIBO/Leaky Gut which is causing the histamine issue and hoping its not true MCAS (cure vs no cure)- but I'm curious how these two fit together since most of us are being diagnosed with both Histamine Issues and POTS.
This is a very good question and one we don’t have a proper answer to yet!
I can tell you from personal experience that post covid I definitely had leaky gut. I went on a Candida diet (Google it) and experienced a massive Herxeimer reaction has all the Candida died off, followed by the clearance of a foot fungal infection I've had for 5 years. Gluten and dairy can be contributors to the leaky gut because incomplete gluten proteins release a chemical called zonulin which tells your gut cells to open up and just let everything into your bloodstream. At that point you have foreign proteins from all of your food circulating in your bloodstream which causes big histamine reactions. All of my allergies and stuffy nose cleared up once I stopped eating gluten.
Very interesting video, certainly think this is a piece of the puzzle. However, I do think there are other parts that need to be addressed e.g viral persistence, inflammation in the immune system etc. As you mentioned, I think Bruce Patterson is onto something in his studies and treatment!
Hi Harry - there’s a good chance that viral persistence or debris is present in the vast majority of recovers from COVID - the difference in long covid is the way we react to them, and it’s this that creates the symptoms. Hence in a way, the viral persistence/debris doesn’t really matter - we just need to get ourselves to the place of those others who have recovered, whether some virus or debris lingers or not.
@@RUNDMC1 What’s your opinion on the differing inflammatory cytokine panel that presents in long haulers as per Dr Patterson’s research? Would you argue this response is all from the sympathetic nervous system?
Harry Boby the question is what’s causing this inflammatory immune response - what’s switching it on? I think there’s a very good chance it’s limbic system dysfunction
@@RUNDMC1 Very true, am going to give the Gupta program a go and put my all into it, can’t do any harm can it!
@@harryboby7563 Only the money spent on it... If it's a mindfulness program, I believe you can do this by your own.
Thanks for this video. These methods might work for some cases, but I think the whole picture is more complicated.
At least for those who feel recovered after being vaccinated, although the vaccine will remind the brain that the body is in danger, they are getting better after it.
I am quite pessimistic that we will be stuck into statistics for another two years until finding a quite thorough answer.
Stay safe ✌🏻
I’m sure a mix of everything is what is needed especially rest, pace and diet. Still got covid toes at times so .....
@Gez thanks for the excellent reporting as always. I’ve been concerned about trying neuroplasticity programs like this, as PEM is my biggest symptom and I’ve been crashing more often than usual lately. In your assessment of the Gupta program, do you think it can be done safely within a limited energy envelope?
Yes I do. Start with the breathwork and meditation and you may well find your limits go up quite quickly.
Very interesting, my heart rate variability has been low which i think links with this.
You are looking a lot healthier now.
I think a bit of recent sun has helped with that!
There’s also research in both ME and longcovid which has suggested the brianstem is impacted /dysfunctional/ hypoactive. Afaik the brain stem is a key control areas for basic life functioning - heart rate, breathing etc. And also there’s hypothesis for ME that the vagus nerve is impacted /dysfunctional, which again has crucial role in normal NS function.
These dysautonomia symptoms are common and pretty much post viral not just as post or long covid. .
Whilst fibromyalgia share some symptoms, post exertional malaise and the extreme debilitation of ME afaik is not seen in fibromyalgia and therefore their ability to tolerate exercise and generally live well etc seems much better than in post viral ME.
This has been my suspicion around personal symptoms - feeling like my chest is weighted, not feeling like I’m breathing ‘automatically’ (breathing feels slow and off), baseline heart rate too high and disproportionate to activity.
How do you heal brainstem dysfunction?
@@commenter7375 research hasn’t got that far :(. There’s been very little that’s even looked at this area, serious Brain research in ME has only just started despite the name Myalgic Encephalomyelitis . I guess they have to understand why, and see if they can address that
Will this help someone with frequent pvcs? (heart arrhythmia)
Thanks for all this work! Apart from brain fog, low energy, gut issues....I experience problems at bed time....So tired and sleepy but as soon as I lie down my body kicks up a storm - vibrating, headaches, flushing to the brain. I try to sleep propped up to minimize it but then I sometimes get sleep paralysis, disturbing dreams, sudden anxiety. Night times are hell. Would this be part of dysautonomia or gut/brain barrier stuff? Would melatonin also help with activating the parasympathetic system to allow body to calm down? Is central nervous system over active? Can't get any help from docs. I'm scared of the night now
This sounds dysautonomic. Melatonin will help you sleep but I really recommend breathwork and meditation regularly throughout the day
About the melatonin...I meant to say... wouldn't it have the same function as a low dose beta blocker? Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system etc.
I have long covid...what helped me Lemon Balm with Ashwaghanda. Lemon balm calms the central nervous system and Ashwaghanda nourishes and calms adrenal gland. Can take several times a day. I use a glycerin based tincture Vimergy brand..buy on Amazon. Very very clean product. I take one dropperful of each.. especially at bedtime. It calms you down. It stops my heart palpitations.
This is exactly what I am experiencing! Did it resolve for you?
I read it takes 17 years for medicine to change and take on new discoveries. I get that we need studies but we've been too reluctant to fund them. Neuroplasticity hasn't been controversial for years.
I haven't tried this but have recently started trying different meditations and it is helping.
Also interesting that everytime i have a bad relapse usually under stress digging or hammering which i just cannot do now my body goes into cant eat nausia and constantly having to urinate every 5 mins which is my brain saying theres something wrong i just hope we can be healed my mind was hyperactive and understress before covid i wonder if we could be hipmotised
I haven’t seen any reports of hypnosis helping long covid but it might be worth trying
This would explain why the vaccine (second shot) brought all my symptoms roaring back, when they had finally started to quiet down in January. The second shot gave me the really severe flu-like symptoms for two days and after within 48 hours, the auto-immune inflammatory response was back on line.
I think that I had covid 3 times! First in March 2020 and had long haul symptoms all summer and fall and then got it AGAIN in December and it made most of my symptoms disappear! Now I caught delta last month and I'm back to long hauling again. :(
did you try it?how did it went
Another great video Gez. Have you now dropped the Niacin / NAD+ vitamin stack? Regarding the sympathetic/parasympathetic system, have you heard of Whoop? I was put on to this just over a month ago by a friend and I find it to be extremely accurate after its taken a months data. It tracks HRV and gives you a daily recover / strain score which gives you an idea of how much battery your body has available? I’m finding it very helpful with my long covid. Keep up the good work Gez!
Hi Zac, I’m still on the stack although not taking all of it. Still taking 100mg daily of niacin though. Not heard of whoop but I think my Garmin does something similar!
@@RUNDMC1 Whoop is a bit more accurate than Garmin on HRV measurements and the algorithyms for "readiness" are more sophisicated. We are going to try @oura though aren't we :)
Dr Tamsin Lewis indeed! :)
@@fabulousdoc There's also Lief, which sticks to the chest with electrodes. They have an HRV training program & one can pay extra for a coach.
@@RUNDMC1 Gez - have you had your vitamin deficiencies measured through a blood test? I'm doing the stack, and have found Niacin to be the biggest contributor and B12 a close second. but my blood work showed that I was low in magnesium, and borderline low in D3, too. It's definitely worth checking out if you can have it done (3 of my doctors refused to run it, so I just paid for the test out of pocket).
Sick of long covid 1 year in now im getting body twitches mental what this is doing to us
Hey Gez, have you been working on the Gupta program? How has it seemed to affect your symptoms if so?
Hi Lacy, yes I’ve been doing a personally modified version of the program and yes it’s helped a number of my symptoms hugely
Just checked your vid with Gupta and Dr Lewis, I believe in neuroplastisity. I didn’t realize until,know that I use it to help me with my “accident -3 surgeries later-constant 24/7 pain - Back. I have to convince my brain that it is something other than pain. Doesn’t work when I’m stressed, still needing to take Meds, but it works most of the time. I decided to stop taking Oxy and needed something - Thanks again Gez - by the time I’m thru with your vids and all of the side learning from the topics you bring up - will you confer a University of Medinger degree on me?
Haha, that would be the least I can do!
I'm open to the idea of this being a now POTS sufferer from Covid. I would like to see some independent results from the programme. Of course all of the stories on his website are going to be success stories. I'm part of plenty of POTS groups on FB and this type of therapy Is all over the US and has been for some time so its not really a silver bullet. There's also many reasons why a person may get POTS. It could just be a messed up nervous system, however there are lots of studies going on now which are unearthing POTS as an autoimmune issue too.
i think its caused by leaking gut syndrome,food particles get into the blood through the holes in the gut that makes the immune system go haywire ,take a heaped tea spoon of slippery elm bark powder in a glass of warm water 15minutes before food,it takes about ten days for the holes in the gut to heal,end of pots,end of auto immune problems
Its all about consistency and commitment - this is not a fix but a methodology and changing your lifestyle - to reduce stress reactivity.
@@fabulousdoc You make some g8 points Tasmin - thank u - do you have pots & how are u now?
Please try Lemon balm herb calms central nervous system and add Ashwaghanda herb..this nourishes the adrenal gland. When palpitations started I take both at same time and it calms it down
i had POTS along with CFS/ME after a virus. the naturopath said she'd never seen anyone with such dramatic blood pressure fluctuations on standing form sitting I also had digestion problems, SIBO etc. I used the Gupta program to retrain my brain, as well as homeopathics from a medical doctor /homeopath in India, and supplements, cold showers and pranayama to calm the vagus nerve. The POTS went away after about 6 months and the CFS/ME started getting better after i started the Gupta program and the homeopathics - started them at the same time so i can't say which had hte greatest effect. The SIBO also cleared up. Homeopaths in India are all medical doctors as well and the one i consulted runs a hospital. I highly recommend homeopathics and also the Gupta Program really helped.
Stasis breathing program that is being used at the covid clinic at Mt Sinai In New York is free and has really been helping me. I am wondering what more this course will offer me?
I’m glad the breathing program is helping! I think the Gupta program offers some more of the brain retraining aspects through exercises, visualisation, repetition etc
@@RUNDMC1 it’s funny I just bought the book “ the brains way of healing” by Norman Doidge MD which is about neuroplasticity. Btw, your looking better, your eyes don’t look so tired...I have had the same look with long covid and it’s getting better too!
I think the recent sunshine has helped!
I was a sceptic of these brain retraining programs but eventually, after a year, I had tried everything else with little success. I’ve recently started the Gupta program and I’m finding it helpful. I think you have to be in the right place in your recovery to start something like this, having learnt some lessons along the way. Did you do the Gupta Program Gez? Did you see some improvement?
I found the focus on meditation and rest helpful!
Thanks for the great video @gez videos like these alone help increase positivity alone which from the sounds of this video is key!
From someone who’s suffered for around a year now alongside the brain fog, I’ve found the breathlessness to be the most debilitating symptom. From what is said in this video regarding an over reaction of the autonomic nervous system how do you think this leads to the breathlessness or do you think it’s triggered by something else?
Hi Ben, it could be caused by a number of things - but most likely it’s inflammation of the respiratory system. The start of the cascade of processes that end with this inflammation may well be the amygdala. It could also be persistent debris triggering the amygdala! But my theory is not everyone gets triggered (the viral persistence study a while back were asymptomatic) so sorting the autonomic system is still a high priority.
Exactly what I'm going through but get ignored since I never had a positive. Had covid before tests were available and my immune system has been going crazy since
Is orthostactic Hypotension the same as position POTS
I just tested positive two days ago, and I've very mild illness (headache, intermittent coughing, and myalgia - all of the symptoms mild). I'm below 30, male, and I have atopy. How can I minimize my chance of getting long COVID? For example, should I start taking antihistamines out of precaution?
Yes I would do so, and then - pretty much at all costs - convalesce for as long as you possibly can. Depending on where you are I would also try to get hold of some ivermectin too. Alldaychemist are an option, as is the horse paste that you can just buy online - obviously I can’t recommend that though!
take 18mg ivermectin and 50mg zinc for 4 days ina row that ends covid,if you cant get ivm and zinc take 2 x 1000mg caps liposmal vit c every hour till all the symptoms have gone,it takes a few days ,if you want the full protocol to heal your weak immune system message me
About a week after recovering from covid I got what seemed to be MIS-A (multi system inflammatory syndrome- adult) back was covered in blisters, face rash etc... But considering my mosaic of chronic (year+) symptoms, my doctor believes I have lupus.. (Symptoms like I keep getting the same butterfly face rash recurring that I mentioned in the week after my initial covid recovery) I'm waiting on the blood work results now. But I'm in my 40s & never had these lupus like symptoms before.. Thanks for this channel. Btw, I already was diagnosed w chronic pancreatitis which was NEVER present pre covid, as well)
So sorry to hear about this - hope you can find some relief from your symptoms.
Really helpful ideas. Thank you
Thanks Jenny!
This is brilliant this seems to make sense to me
Thank you for this video! I'm looking for anything to help me. Too bad propranolol caused me breathing problems.
i can tell you exactly how to heal safely ,i onloy type the protocol out when requested 1000s all over the world are using it to regain their health,long covid ended in days safely,
Gez. Could dysautonomia be one of the reasons for insomnia being so prevalent? And you should really do one of these episodes on sleep in general and how it has been affected.
Hi Brad. Dysautonomia is part of the problem with insomnia, as is seratonin dysregulation. We don’t really have enough science yet on it yet for me to make a film on it unfortunately!
I've had Dysautonomia for 34 years and haven't slept since
I did not have fever but I had a bad gastrointestinal symtom......but after that I am still not myself....I was not hospitalised...but after 10 months I still get high heart rate some days mainly in the evening...mainly 100 or more
I've noticed my mast cell activation syndrome / histamine intolerance (not long covid , but very similar - probably also a post-viral syndrome) flares up in the evening.