TLC Sessions - Living with Long Covid

Dr Michael Gonevski has been administering Long Covid sufferers with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) since the condition emerged.   The treatment, generally used for diving related oxygen issues and difficult to heal wounds, is a daily course in which patients breathe 100% oxygen at pressure.  The theory is that the oxygen is diffused into the blood plasma, providing more than ten times the normal supply of oxygen, which is then able to reach cells that have been shut off, repairing damaged tissues, supporting the body's ability to heal and alleviating symptoms.  Gonevski extols that the treatment can save a limb from amputation.  With a clinical controlled trial in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing whether it could save Long Covid sufferers from being cut off from their former lives.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Anthony Leonardi, a T cell expert and Master of Public Health student at Johns Hopkins, uncovers alarming links between COVID-19 and T cell damage. He reveals how every infection could impair our immune defenses, leading to increased autoimmune risks, especially in Long Covid patients. The conversation stresses the urgent need for public health initiatives to prevent mass disability, highlighting the critical differences between vaccine and natural infection effects on T cell health. Leonardi's insights challenge how we understand and mitigate ongoing COVID-19 impacts.

This week we speak to Professor Robert Thomas who has used his work as a Consultant Oncologist and Professor of Nutritional Science to develop potential nutritional intervention for Long Covid.  He talks us through the gut microbiome and the power that it has to harm as well as heal.  His Phyto-V study looked at whether the addition of a combination of Probiotics and Polyphenals could impact Long Covid recovery. The results are definitely positive, and what Professor Thomas has to say makes a lot of sense when dealing with Long Covid, as well as other chronic inflammatory conditions. Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Sabina Brennan, a health psychologist and neuroscientist specializing in brain health, dives deep into the complexities of brain fog, especially in relation to Long Covid. She explains that brain fog isn't just a vague feeling of confusion but a significant impediment to daily life. The discussion emphasizes the neurological damage behind the symptoms and offers practical strategies for coping, including the importance of sleep, nutrition, and understanding personal health. Dr. Brennan's insights aim to illuminate the path to clarity amidst the fog.

Consultant physician and endocrinologist Dr. Paul Jenkins runs the London Endocrine Centre, and drawing on this expertise and treating patients with post-viral fatigue syndrome he has now established a multi-disciplinary Long Covid Clinic.  In this week's episode Dr Jenkins walks us through the endocrine system and we discuss the way in which hormones are being affected by and are affecting our Long Covid.The hormones in your body’s endocrine system control nearly all the processes of the body. from metabolism to growth, emotions, mood, sexual function and even sleep.  Dr Jenkins shares with us some of the ways that he has been able to treat Long Covid patients by addressing endocrine abnormalities that seem to have been triggered by the illness, as well as discussing his holistic approach to the management of the disease - getting back to the basics of sleep restoration, energy management, and the benefits of sunshine in rebuilding patient's health.We will be seeing if we can get some sunshine on prescription! Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr Bruce Patterson believes that he understands the mechanism causing Long Covid, and has treated over 14,000 Long Haulers in the United States - to varying degrees of success.  His recently published paper details how SARS-COV S1 protein - fragmented viral sequence - is seen in the cells of Long Covid patients, driving a prolonged inflammatory response. In this week's episode Dr Patterson discusses his findings and the treatment protocol that his company, IncellDX, has developed - a combination of HIV drug Maraviroc and statins to dampen the immune system.  An interesting and attractive theory and treatment plan, and a very engaging interview but, as we discuss, it's not without controversy.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

In this episode, Robin McNelis, a respiratory physiotherapist, shares his expertise on breathing exercises to alleviate long COVID symptoms. He offers practical advice on optimizing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to foster calmness. Robin discusses his personal journey of managing heart rate fluctuations while recovering from long COVID, highlighting the importance of mindful breathing practices. He also sheds light on heart rate management strategies, addressing issues like inappropriate tachycardia during routine activities and the significance of understanding one's physiological responses.

Francis Vaz is an ENT surgeon who has seen a large increase in referrals due to Long Covid.  In this week's episode he talks us through the symptomatology, drivers and treatments, or at least management, of some of Long Haulers' most common and prominent issues.  From tinnitus to the loss of sense of smell (anosmia) Vaz provides us with advice, resources and explanations for some of what we are hearing, smelling and struggling to swallow.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr Tomer Bronshtein, head of research at Bonus BioGroup, has been developing cellular therapies to treat acute respiratory distress in Covid-19 patients.  In their trials of ‘MesenCure’, which uses mesenchymal cells, the treatment has been shown to dampen the hyper-inflammatory response in the acute phase of the disease as well as promote the healing of injured lung tissue, dramatically improving survival rates and reducing the length of hospital stays.  Whilst MesenCure is being developed as a treatment in the acute phase, the data suggests that its efficacy can also reduce the chances of developing Long Covid.  We talk to Dr Bronshtein about their results, potential future applications, and the need for caution as we all battle to find a potential cure.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Following on from our interview with Professor Resia Pretorius and her hypothesis of microclots driving the symptoms of Long Covid, we speak to Dr Asad Khan, a Long Hauler who has travelled to Mülheim, Germany, to undergo H.E.L.P. Apheresis in a bid to remove those clots.  Khan talks us through the process in detail, describing how he was able to visibly see these clots in the blood that was drawn out of him as he underwent this method of filtration and blood cleansing.  But it has been the addition of anticoagulants that really seem to have made a marked difference to Khan.  Fascinating anecdotal findings which warrant further research and discussion.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions