Fluvoxamine and COVID-19: Here’s How the OCD Drug Might Help Prevent COVID-19 Infections From Getting Worse (2022)
Developed 40 years ago as an antidepressant, fluvoxamine—sometimes known as Luvox (brand name)—has been used mainly to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), per the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). But now, researchers are taking a closer look at how the medication could be an important treatment to prevent patients who test positive for COVID-19 from getting seriously ill with the infection.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in November 2020 showed that the drug led to far less clinical deterioration in treated patients. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Angela Reiersen, MD, a child psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis—and co-author of the November 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the use of fluvoxamine in COVID-19 patients—explained that she first got the idea that the drug could potentially treat COVID-19 after seeing research that fluvoxamine prevented sepsis in mice.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in November 2020 showed that the drug led to far less clinical deterioration in treated patients. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Angela Reiersen, MD, a child psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis—and co-author of the November 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the use of fluvoxamine in COVID-19 patients—explained that she first got the idea that the drug could potentially treat COVID-19 after seeing research that fluvoxamine prevented sepsis in mice.
"I thought, well, I wonder if we could use fluvoxamine to treat COVID and prevent that clinical deterioration," Dr. Reiersen told 60 Minutes.
Another, larger, double-blind RCT, published in The Lancet in October 2021, found fluvoxamine reduced COVID-19 mortality rates by up to 91 percent and hospitalizations by two-thirds. This is an FDA-approved drug. Dosed correctly and for such short periods, it is safe. And it costs about a dollar a pill.
These findings have since been further reinforced by another study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2021, which showed a strong “class effect” of benefits from anti-depressants very similar to fluvoxamine against COVID-19.
These findings have since been further reinforced by another study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2021, which showed a strong “class effect” of benefits from anti-depressants very similar to fluvoxamine against COVID-19.
According to Dr Pierre Kory, "Yet, despite the large double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, neither the NIH nor the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has arrived at a recommendation for routine use of these drugs to treat COVID-19."
David
Seftel, MD, a physician in Berkeley, California, opted to offer a 15-day
prescription to his own COVID-19 patients, who fell victim to an outbreak in
the Golden Gate Fields race track community. (FYI: His decision to use a
prescription drug off-label is an accepted medical practice, provided the
patient consents. "Off-label" simply means it hasn't been approved by the FDA
for that particular condition.)
This is where researchers think fluvoxamine comes into play. Though the drug typically works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the body, it also binds to and activates sigma-1 receptors, which may help reduce cytokine production in the body, according to a research article in Science Translational Medicine (this one, looking at patients with sepsis), and ultimately decrease the sometimes deadly inflammation that can occur in COVID-19 patients.
The results of Dr. Seftel's real world study, which were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases in February 2021, showed that, of 65 of those patients who chose to take fluvoxamine, none were hospitalized, while of the 48 who declined the prescription, 12.5% ended up hospitalized, and one died. Experts believe fluvoxamine has shown to be effective against COVID-19 due to the medication's effects on the body's inflammatory response—specifically by tamping down that response in those with active COVID-19 infections.
Normally, when the body is trying to fight off an invader like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), it releases cytokines, or biological chemicals that stimulate cell pathways and allow for communication between cells. Those cytokines signal to the body's immune system that it needs to start doing its job. In some cases, though, the the outpouring of cytokines becomes accelerated—known as a cytokine storm—creating high levels of inflammation in the body. "Normally, cytokines are meant to be helpful to us in moderation," Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, professor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, previously told Health, "but when a certain pathway is engaged [too much] the immune system starts causing damage to the patient."
This is where researchers think fluvoxamine comes into play. Though the drug typically works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the body, it also binds to and activates sigma-1 receptors, which may help reduce cytokine production in the body, according to a research article in Science Translational Medicine (this one, looking at patients with sepsis), and ultimately decrease the sometimes deadly inflammation that can occur in COVID-19 patients.
Francis Collins, MD, PhD, the director of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), told Alfonsi that "fluvoxamine could certainly be something you wanna
put in the tool chest [because] it looks as if it has the promise to reduce
the likelihood of severe illness."
Note about TOGETHER trial results for fluvoxamine and ivermectin
Both inflammation and blood clots are known to be features of severe COVID-19. Meanwhile, fluvoxamine is also known to raise melatonin, which might also help.
That said, combining fluvoxamine and melatonin may significantly increase the blood levels and effects of melatonin (Drugs.com). You can check for other potential drug interactions with fluvoxamine at Fluvoxamine Drug Interactions - Drugs.com.
The recommendations below are based on both scientific studies and the experience of clinicians in treating COVID-19.
13690 E 14th St., Suite 100, San Leandro, CA 94578
(510) 984-2489
1300 Clay St St., Suite 165, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 984-2489
References:
The information in this article is accurate as of press time. However,
as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible
that some data have changed since publication. We encourage readers to
stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by
using the
CDC,
WHO, and their local public health department as resources.
Although the vaccine rollout is greatly reducing the number of people who
get seriously ill and are hospitalized with COVID-19, no vaccine offers
100% protection, and new mutations of the virus are appearing all the
time. So it's still important to find new treatments for the illness.
 |
| Fluvoxamine is in no. 1 position as an early treatment against COVID-19 in this drug league table |
Fluvoxamine and FLCCC I-MASK+ Protocol
Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) Releases Updated
Protocols for More Effective Treatment of COVID-19. Please refer
to the latest FLCCC I-MASK+ protocol. Now updated to include three
additional drug treatments as well as a higher dose and frequency of
ivermectin, the protocols become even more powerful weapons in the
fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Added to the protocols is the use
of Fluvoxamine. Largely known as an antidepressant, Fluvoxamine has
strong anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown in two trials
to be highly effective against the inflammation caused by COVID-19.
Why did Ivermectin seem to fail and Fluvoxamine not do so well?
According to Steve Kirsch:
Ivermectin was dosed for 3 days; fluvoxamine for 10 days.
We don't think the trial was gamed at all. I think this was a legit result.
We know the Principal Investigator Edward Mills and believe he is totally honest and we have no reason not to believe the results he obtained. But we also believe other researchers as well.
So the question everyone has is how could these drugs do so well in other studies?
The answer: the variant was different. P1 is the variant in Brazil and makes Delta look like a walk in the park. If you do not treat P1, instantly upon symptoms, you will see big failures.
Had fluvoxamine been given on Day 0 instead of Day 4, there would have been a dramatically different result.
Had ivermectin been dosed at 0.6mg/day for 14 days starting on Day 0 (the first day of symptoms), there would have been a dramatically different result.
The more aggressive the variant, the earlier and harder you have to treat it.
Ivermectin likely failed for these four reasons:
We don't think the trial was gamed at all. I think this was a legit result.
We know the Principal Investigator Edward Mills and believe he is totally honest and we have no reason not to believe the results he obtained. But we also believe other researchers as well.
So the question everyone has is how could these drugs do so well in other studies?
The answer: the variant was different. P1 is the variant in Brazil and makes Delta look like a walk in the park. If you do not treat P1, instantly upon symptoms, you will see big failures.
Had fluvoxamine been given on Day 0 instead of Day 4, there would have been a dramatically different result.
Had ivermectin been dosed at 0.6mg/day for 14 days starting on Day 0 (the first day of symptoms), there would have been a dramatically different result.
The more aggressive the variant, the earlier and harder you have to treat it.
Ivermectin likely failed for these four reasons:
- too little a dose
- started too late
- not continued for long enough
- many patients may have already been taking ivermectin
Those are the 3 biggest reasons. The healthcare systems need to encourage people to have the meds in the cabinet for immediate use. Nobody does that. That's why we have a problem.
Also, you can't treat Delta and P1 in the hospital... it is much much tougher there. It's like a fire department arriving when the entire building is in flames.
Also, you can't treat Delta and P1 in the hospital... it is much much tougher there. It's like a fire department arriving when the entire building is in flames.
Fluvoxamine and Melatonin
Fluvoxamine vs Other Options
The recommendations below are based on both scientific studies and the experience of clinicians in treating COVID-19.
There are many drugs and supplements that have varying levels of
positive effectiveness
against the virus
including
inhaled budesonide, bromhexine, vitamin D, and
HCQ. All of these have the greatest value when started as early as
possible. There is no benefit to waiting. In general, these drugs (and
supplements) are safe with very low side-effect profiles. Your doctor
may recommend adding one or more of these drugs at the start of
treatment in addition to ivermectin and fluvoxamine. For patients with
severe or worsening respiratory symptoms, 4-8 mg cyproheptadine 3-4
times a day has been shown to be very helpful as well.
The combination of ivermectin and fluvoxamine is extremely effective
when used ASAP. Two of the most effective drugs to treat Covid early are
ivermectin and fluvoxamine. Both drugs should be started together at the
same time. If you are treated within 48 hours of first symptoms,
research shows that ivermectin should be given at a dose of 0.4mg/kg for
a minimum of 5 days or until symptoms resolve, whichever is later.
Fluvoxamine should be given as 50 mg twice a day for 14 days. The
website www.c19early.com shows
that these are the two approved drugs which individually have shown to
be the most effective against Covid in two or more studies. Used
together, these drugs have no common adverse interactions and have
complementary mechanisms of action. For instance, fluvoxamine is a
potent anti-inflammatory and, because it is able to penetrate the
blood-brain barrier, it is effective in preventing inflammation in your
brain. Unlike systemic steroids, fluvoxamine does not impair your
ability to fight the virus so it can be used immediately. The
fluvoxamine dose effective against Covid is just one third of the
FDA-approved dose so side effects are very rare and minimal. I am not
aware of anyone who started both drugs within 48 hours of first symptoms
who didn’t have a rapid recovery. The best method to catch the virus
early is to test regularly, and start treatment upon a positive test.
This is because the PCR test can detect Covid before symptoms start.
If fluvoxamine isn’t available, fluoxetine is a viable substitute (Scientific Reports 2021). All
the data we’ve seen shows that if you can’t get fluvoxamine, using 30mg
once a day of fluoxetine (Prozac) is equally effective (equivalent to
50mg twice a day of fluvoxamine).
Find a Doctor who will Prescribe Fluvoxamine in US
MULTIPLE STATES (Telemedicine or online consultation)
CityHealth: https://www.cityhealthuc.com/fluvoxamine
CityHealth Locations:
13690 E 14th St., Suite 100, San Leandro, CA 94578
(510) 984-2489
1300 Clay St St., Suite 165, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 984-2489
- https://www.aestheticsadvisor.com/2021/06/ivermectin-fluvoxamine-early-treatment.html
- https://www.skirsch.io/how-to-treat-covid/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fluvoxamine-antidepressant-drug-covid-treatment-60-minutes-2021-03-07/
- https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/28/health/fluvoxamine-covid-risk-study/index.html
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