Metformin Dramatically Decreases COVID Hospitalizations and Long COVID — For Less Than $10
A Lancet preprint study of over 1,000 people whose Covid was treated with metformin showed very dramatic benefits. In addition to preventing over 40% of ER visits, hospitalizations, and even deaths, it also decreased the risk of developing Long Covid by a dramatic 42%. When started within the first four days of the infection, this protection was even higher, cutting Long Covid development risk by 63%. This suggests that metformin will also decrease the risk of causing fibromyalgia flares during Covid.
More benefits? The study also confirms the decreased risk of hospitalization or death from Covid found in people taking metformin in two other studies.
Metformin has been suggested to have both antiviral activity against Covid, and to act to balance inflammation while working as an antioxidant. Although it was helpful even started later, it was most effective when started within the first four days of Covid symptoms.
In people with fibromyalgia who are prone to higher diabetes risk, earlier research also showed that metformin helped relieve pain. Metformin helps increase energy production in cells by improving insulin sensitivity. Long Covid, along with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (CFS/ FMS) represents an energy crisis. Our published research has shown that 91% of people with CFS/FMS have an average 91% increase in quality of life by increasing energy production with the S.H.I.N.E.® Protocol. Which optimizes Sleep, Hormones/Hypotension, Immunity, Nutrition, and mild Exercise as able. Energy production can be increased in those that are overweight by improving insulin sensitivity with metformin.
Although some studies began with metformin 1,500 mg a day, this may be associated with nausea or diarrhea. In this study, the metformin dose was slowly increased over 6 days: 500 mg on day 1; 500 mg twice daily for 4 days; then 500 mg mornings and 1,000 mg evening through 14 days. So ask your doctor to prescribe metformin 500 mg tablets, 36 tablets as directed with one refill.
The cost using the Good Rx app? Less than $10 per person for the two-week supply.
Not only is Long Covid very treatable, but simply having given $10 worth of metformin early in each infection might have prevented over 5 million US cases of Long Covid. And could prevent millions of cases in the future.
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.