Long COVID Protocols and New Horizons - with Dr. James Jackson | The Empowering Neurologist EP. 165

So-called "long Covid" is turning out to be a devastating condition for an incredibly large number of individuals around the world. It's been estimated that as many as 200 million people globally are suffering from this condition. And as many as 30 percent of Covid-19 survivors still experience symptoms long after their acute illness has passed, with cognitive and mental health problems especially prominent.

From the publisher of Clearing the Fog: For long haulers, this struggle with Long Covid has irrevocably changed their lives. Many have lost their ability to work, attend school, and look after their children. They often feel misunderstood and dismissed by others. Their once-full lives are now filled only with doctors' appointments that seem more and more futile.

In Clearing the Fog, neuropsychologist Dr. James C. Jackson offers people suffering from Long Covid and their families a roadmap to help them manage their “new normal.” Focusing on cognitive impairment and mental health issues, he shows readers:

- The ways in which they can manifest and disrupt
- Suggestions for how and when to seek professional evaluations
- Science-based treatment options and strategies,
- Information on navigating health care systems and disability insurance
- Validation and hope as patients wrestle with their new diagnosis

In addition, Dr. Jackson shares his own experience with chronic illness, relating to long haulers with vulnerability and compassion.

Through moving stories as well as hands-on guidance, Clearing the Fog will help long haulers understand their current situation while offering multiple ways to address it, make sense of it, and move through it with the goal of thriving instead of merely surviving.

In this interview with Dr. Jackson, we will explore the following questions, and a lot more:

What do we know about the cognitive and mental health consequences of Long Covid?

What areas of cognition are impacted in Long Covid survivors?

How does cognitive impairment impact the daily lives and the careers of those with Long Covid?

What treatments have you found effective for Long Covid survivors and what does the research say?

What do we know about the benefits of cognitive rehabilitation?

Are there ways to leverage the neuroplasticity that Long Covid survivors have?

What role does acceptance play in coping effectively with Long Covid

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
2:41 Cognitive Complaints
7:29 No Quick Fix
13:22 Cognition vs. Function Testing
17:58 The Ideal Long COVID Team
20:13 Plasticity and Recovery
22:40 Personalization in Treatment
25:08 Goal Management Training
29:16 Brain Training Apps
31:16 Anxiety and Depression
34:04 Restorative Sleep
35:39 Post Traumatic Growth
38:26 Practical Strategies
40:55 Conclusion

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[dollmck]

What really needs to be addressed is the medical gaslighting people have had to endure.we have been traumatized by those we were suppo.sed to be able to trust.please bring a guest willing to offer solutions
Gaslighting should be a crime especially where health is concerned. ♥

[randolphwilliams]

I have had Long Covid over 2 years and I am getting therapy for balance issues. I rode my bike 15 miles the day before Covid hit me, but not anymore.
Exercise malaise is huge for me.

[shahramtabas]

I am very sorry for this conversation, which is about the most important problem of the survivors of covid-19, which is chronic insomnia, and I am one of them. You can't even imagine what the patients are suffering. The topic was about trivial issues.

[jannz]

There are more treatments available for long-covid than just the mental aspect which this discussion is primarily focused on. The FLCCC MD's have developed long-covid treatment protocols that are very helpful.... and when you FEEL better overall ... your energy is back ... your mental outlook improves too.

[verawolfenbarger]

I am happy the medical profession believes in Long Covid. I wish the same were true for Lyme disease.

[katherinethomson]

Me: Long-Covid for 3 1/4 years as of June 2023.

"BRAIN FOG". This is actually a Very Good description of it. It literally FEELS like a fog when you are trying to think. My brain even sometimes felt like it was floating, swimming, inside my skull. I was trying to add 2 + 2 and couldn't remember if the answer was 5 or 6 (I guess the number 4 didn't exist).

I am an older, high-functioning autistic person, who has overcome many of the issues of autism. When I was a child, I often felt a milder version of this fog while I was trying to learn something. My brain just wouldn't get into gear. The clutch was slipping, and it would take 1 - 15 minutes before something would engage to let me continue. I'd be struggling every second of those minutes trying to THINK! - all the while wondering why I couldn't. The adults around me would be almost yelling at me to "Think!". As a child, I also sometimes put the tableware in the fridge, or almost dumped the entire full container of butter in the trash right after that. My entire life I have struggled with burning things on the stove. Covid has just made all of this a lot worse. Worse, I can't smell when something is burning. I've destroyed almost all of my cookware during these last 3 years. Only one steel pot and 2 steel pans have survived.

VIDEO GAMES: Yes, they help a great deal! Luckily, I had already been using video games as part of my pain management system for back injuries that have kept me in constant pain for almost 40 years now. The only caveat is that you have to make sure the game does not trigger depression. Many video games have dark themes and graphics and should be avoided.

Anyway, having a good game that is FUN enough to fully engage your brain is extremely helpful for cognitive functioning. City-building survival games are very good for math, since you have to use it constantly, although quite a few games require some mathematics. One game was constantly reminding me that I did my math wrong. I used the game to tell when it was safe to pay bills or not. When I stopped messing up so frequently on the game, I knew my brain was finally healing. My balance was improving at the same time - I wasn't falling as often. My short-term memory was also improving (Long-term memory was not affected nearly as much, and the memories are coming back. Short-term memory is usually the issue with autistic children, as well.). It's such very slow progress that I know it will probably take quite a few years to fully recover, if that is possible.

"SPLITTING TASKS INTO SUBTASKS" is a technique also used for teaching autistic children. If they are still having trouble, try to break those subtasks into even smaller subtasks. I'd been teaching autistic children for about 20(?) years before Covid, so I have a lot of experience with this.

The hardest part is the setbacks. I can have a very good day and feel fairly good and get several tasks done and forget how sick I am. Then the next 3 - 5 days can be horrible. It's very discouraging. The 3 year mark was especially difficult - it signaled the possibility that long-Covid might be a permanent issue for the rest of my life. Nevertheless, I will continue to hope for better.

[melissalee]

I have been taking 4.5 mg of LDN for the last year every night to get my energy back after Covid and it's worked wonders for me as well as reducing my carb and sugar intake and stopping eating all processed food.

[a..r.]

I would like to find such a nice, empathetic, openminded and intelligent MD as Dr James Jackson ❤.

[crowdancer]

Being on Medicare leaves us OUT! It is so nice there are doctors out there treating long are folks out there with same symptoms from the vaccines and cant be heard much less get treatment. We have been on our own!! THANK GOD for you tube and my stubborness!!!

[HilaryRouchy]

Can you do a video on what is and what is not PEM

Seems like the same old story of M.E. treatment, a good dose of excercise will solve it. No it don't!

[raymitchell]

I noticed Cognitive function right away around September 2022. Everything you said were symptoms: Matched. Of course I went to PCP and they thew every test over $1K spent they ruled out, and had no answers... I cleared my fog with NAC and Fish Oil, low carb-ish diet... I bounced back after 4 months, gradually getting better... I know that's not typical, I feel blessed it worked in my place.

Question: do people with this have a high LDL? My total Cholesterol went up to 345 (fasting) and they wanted to treat me with statins that have a side-effect of memory loss, I refused... I don't need more of that!!! I wonder if LDL is necessary to heal the brain from the oxidative stress. What about high BP?

The medical establish wants to immediately treat these, but the HTN could be caused by the ACE-2 and the LDL is building the brain. If I started all those drugs assuming they are treating these as problems in isolation, might be holding back progress in healing the brain function.

[louisl]

My feeling is there are many virus' (some could be man made!) causing neurological damage. Mix that with chemicals in our environment - stress etc its such a complicated mix the average GP has no idea how to help a patient properly - our medical help in these areas (unless you have big money) is Victorian ....

[streitsgirl]

Is it long covid or side effects from the vax?

[Deborah-dgni]

So great to have U.S. Doctors doing studies and reporting them! Thank you!

[djmcnerney]

People on this thread need to be candid about if they got jabbed, when, and how many times. Why would they leave out that important piece of data?

[emusic]

The beginning screen info on your guest is shown way too fast to read.

[liamosnr]

What’s being called “long covid “ is essentially post vaxx syndrome or vaxx adverse reactions

[GungaLaGunga]

Any other tachycardia personal anecdotes in long covid suffers???

Hi fellow long haulers. Anyone experience tachycardia (high heart rate)???
I've had two episodes of what was quickly diagnosed as supraventricular tachycardia. Was sitting at home watching tv, heart rate went from resting to 160 in about 5 seconds. Had to go to ER. IV meds corrected first SVT episode. 2nd episode, ER had to do cardioversion electric shock to reset my heart. Don't let doctors tell you "it's all in your head" Vaxed plus one booster May 2021. First Covid infection June 2022. First SVT episode March 2023, 2nd June 2023. And here I am. Bummer. thanks for reading.

[radtravelingexperience]

So I had late dx ADHD. And studied a lot on executive dysfunction etc. Everyone is basically, becoming somewhat neurodivergent. I am grateful I grew up with coping strategies. I have LH, and work in medical. I have lost 2 phones, my wallet 4 times when it was really bad. ADHD squared.... as I called it. It's slowly getting better.... I am joining a LH clinic to test for other Mast cells, Cytokine Storms, and the HPA, and ACC.... its gotta be affecting all of it. Keep up the good work.... stay safe.