Jeffrey Lewis
What was your life like before you received the COVID-19 vaccine?
The best health of my adult life. I spent the first two years of the pandemic training to do long distance (century) bicycle rides and track racing. This was to celebrate turning 65. In March of 2021, I had a physical to get my doctor's blessings to pursue this and she had no problems. I had not medical problems and was on no medications or supplements. The day before I took the second injection, I completed a 52-mile endurance ride, climbing nearly 2000 feet, in less than four hours. I was on schedule to complete a 100-mile ride planned for Father's Day that year. Recently, I biked for 6 miles on relatively flat roads around my house and continue to experience post-exertion fatigue from that short ride.
Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.
In the first year, my primary symptoms included serious fatigue (exhaustion, really), dizziness, headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath. My doctor suggested tracking my heart rate and I began using a Fitbit to gather data at night and discovered that I often had spikes in my heart rate and breathing rates at night--not every night, but periodically with no clear pattern. I was desperate for help in April 2022 with no help forthcoming from my HMO but was able to connect with Dr Kory's clinic. Through a combination of pharmaceuticals (Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine) and numerous supplements I experienced significant improvement in acute symptoms. I continue to work with Dr. Kory's clinic while my HMO continues to send me to specialists who appear to assume that the vaccine had no contribution. Tests are always negative (cardiology, lung specialist, rheumatology). Now they want me to go to a sleep clinic, but I find it exhausting chasing after symptoms with no acknowledgement of the likely underlying cause. I thought I was moving toward getting my full health back, but I new symptoms have shown up in recent months: chronic fevers that go as high as 102, but is typically between 100 and 101; joint pain, diagnosed as likely micro clotting by Dr. Kory's clinic; tongue lesions; itchy rash on my right leg; and a return of the chronic fatigue and shortness of breath on a daily basis.
Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms
IVM has seemed to help the most with acute symptoms and I continue to take it daily for fear of having them return. When I started treatments to help with autophagy, this seemed to help (reseveratrol, intermittent fasting). I take so many supplements, that it's hard to know what contributes what, but I believe the tumeric taken with dandelion leaf extract helps. Nattokinase was associated with significant relief of the micro clotting issues. Accupuncture offers temporary relief.
Which solutions were not helpful?
I can't really say--just too many drugs and supplements taken at once.
What would you like others to know?
I know that many others have it far worse, and it's tricky for those of us with chronic symptoms that do not show up in conventional labs--it's easy to start doubting yourself. Don't.
