A question in the comment section: Considering that ivermectin does not cross the blood-brain barrier, what is its role in lessening the neurologic effects of SARS-CoV-2?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can pass thru the protective blood-brain barrier and cause problems like loss of smell and taste and headaches.
If not treated early, worse problems can happen, like altered level of consciousness, strokes, seizures, Guillain-Barré syndrome, dementia-like syndrome, and psychiatric disorders.
After the acute phase, some may continue to have brain fog, memory problems, anxiety, and depression. If they persist for more than four weeks after the initial diagnosis, it is called Long COVID syndrome.
Some doctors, like the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, use ivermectin in their protocols for the treatment of Acute COVID-19 (I-CARE) and Long COVID (I-RECOVER).
But ivermectin cannot go thru the blood-brain barrier. So how can ivermectin help prevent the brain and mental complications of COVID-19?
To answer that, let’s find out how the virus gets to the brain and how it causes damage.
SARS-CoV-2 and the Brain
SARS-CoV-2 initially infects the upper respiratory tract, including the nose. Inside the nose is the olfactory nerve that picks up smell sensation. It passes thru the roof of the nose directly into the brain. In an acute infection, the SARS-CoV-2 uses the olfactory nerve to get to the brain.
If COVID-19 is not treated early, the virus will continue replicating and spreading all over the body. The immune response will then have to deal with all the viruses.
In some people at risk, the immune system tends to go into overdrive to produce a cytokine storm.
At that time, SARS-CoV-2 also infects the inner lining of the blood vessels within the blood-brain barrier, disrupting its integrity and allowing the virus to enter the brain.
SARS-CoV-2 can also infect the white blood cells and use them to pass thru the brain like the Trojan horse.
Another effect of the cytokine storm is the excess production of inflammatory molecules that can affect the host’s cells, leading to damage. A condition called autoimmunity.
Samim et al. listed the autoimmune encephalitis related to COVID-19 and its vaccines. [3] The neurologic symptoms included altered mental state, movement disorders, seizures, and behavioral and speech disturbances.
The role of ivermectin in preventing neurologic complications
Ivermectin essentially has two primary functions in COVID-19. It acts as an antiviral, prevents viral replication, and modulates the immune response to prevent cytokine storms.
I wrote two articles about how ivermectin works.
If given early, ivermectin prevents rapid multiplication and spread of the virus. The less virus produced, the less likely the cytokine storm will happen and less blood-brain barrier disruption.
That is why the FLCCC often recommends that early treatment is necessary. (So do I,) But how early? What if you don’t lose your sense of smell? Do I have to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 to start treatment?
The I-PREVENT Protocol of the FLCCC includes ivermectin biweekly at 0.2 mg/kg or even daily during periods of high exposure like travel, weddings, conferences, or any time you have to be with many people.
Another way to use ivermectin is to start it as soon as you feel symptoms.
SARS-CoV-2 has several ways to get thru the immune system, so prevention and treatment include vitamins C, Zinc, Vitamin D, elderberry, and melatonin. There are many more listed in the protocols. Many are over the counter. (That’s why big pharma hates it.)
If you want to learn more, you can read
Long COVID-19 and ivermectin
One case report of a 20-year-old with Long COVID who got better with ivermectin was reported. She developed brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, mood swings, and loss of appetite two weeks after.
The memory loss was so bad, she would forget whole days or large portions of a day. The brain fog (difficulty concentrating) made it difficult to complete her schoolwork assignments in college.
An assignment that usually would take a few hours now took a week. Tiredness made the brain fog worse. Her fatigue was severe, but she also had difficulty sleeping.
She began taking a number of supplements for Covid-19: Aspirin 325 mg once a day; Famotidine 20 mg twice a day, Melatonin, 9 mg before bed; riboflavin; Mirica Advanced (PEA and Luteolin); Vitamin D 10,000 IU once a day; Vitamin C – 500 mg twice a day; “Super K” (Vitamin K1 and K2) – once a day; Zinc (15 mg plus 1 mg copper) – two of these per day; Quercetin 250 mg 2x/day.
The supplements definitely seemed to help, lessening her symptoms. But they did not seem curative.
In late December, she took ivermectin, 12 mg on day one, none on day two or day three, the final second dose of 12 mg on day four.
Within a few days, she reported improvement in memory, reduction in fatigue, and no significant brain fog or difficulty concentrating.
A week and a half after the second dose of ivermectin, she reported that her symptoms were almost entirely gone, and she considered herself to be pretty much back to normal at that point in time (early January).
The FLCCC developed the I-RECOVER treatment protocol for Long COVID.
Parting thoughts
Protecting the brain is essential since the dominant variant in China right now, the BF.7, a sublineage of BA.5, has been shown to cause encephalitis with a 100% mortality in mice.
Encephalitis may explain the high COVID-19 deaths in China.
Early treatment is essential, but prevention is much better.
Truth heals. Lies kill. Don’t Get Sick!
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Related:
- A new study shows a 100% decreased hospitalization rate with regular ivermectin use
- Ivermectin prevents binding to human cells by blocking the spike protein
- The NFL is giving their players IVERMECTIN as a prophylactic AND to prevent “positive” Covid tests
- The many problems of the Ivermectin study in the NEJM
- Japanese company announces Ivermectin has antiviral properties
- City-wide use of Ivermectin lowered COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Itajaí, Brazil
- IVMMETA.COM: A website of studies on Ivermectin’s efficacy
- Ivermectin vs Remdesivir for COVID-19
- Solved! The Ivermectin African Enigma
References:
- Erickson MA, Rhea EM, Knopp RC, Banks WA. Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with the Blood-Brain Barrier. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 6;22(5):2681. doi: 10.3390/ijms22052681. PMID: 33800954; PMCID: PMC7961671.
- Siddiqui R, Mungroo MR, Khan NA. SARS-CoV-2 invasion of the central nervous: a brief review. Hosp Pract (1995). 2021 Aug;49(3):157-163. doi: 10.1080/21548331.2021.1887677. Epub 2021 Mar 1. PMID: 33554684; PMCID: PMC7938650.
- Samim MM, Dhar D, Goyal S, Dey T, Parvin N, Shah RD, Singh V, Chowdhury S, Lal BM, Varghese N, Gohel A, Chowdhury A, Chatterjee A, Siddiqui S. AI-CoV Study: Autoimmune Encephalitis Associated With COVID-19 and Its Vaccines-A Systematic Review. J Clin Neurol. 2022 Nov;18(6):692-710. doi: 10.3988/jcn.2022.18.6.692. PMID: 36367067; PMCID: PMC9669562.
- Stefanou MI, Palaiodimou L, Bakola E, Smyrnis N, Papadopoulou M, Paraskevas GP, Rizos E, Boutati E, Grigoriadis N, Krogias C, Giannopoulos S, Tsiodras S, Gaga M, Tsivgoulis G. Neurological manifestations of long-COVID syndrome: a narrative review. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2022 Feb 17;13:20406223221076890. doi: 10.1177/20406223221076890. PMID: 35198136; PMCID: PMC8859684.
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