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Hello all...

As the Covid story unfolds, and US hospitals and Physicians double down on refusing to provide effective early therapies for SARS-CoV2, I find myself wondering if combinations of telemedicine, and reasonably priced therapeutics like Ivermectin, and Hydroxychloroquine might be available outside of the US using the 90 day import rule?

Also, specifically a question for Dr. Freeman: Are there other effective off-label therapies which have emerged, but aren't being talked about?

Hi Fitz,

I have a number of bottles of pills in the kitchen larder. I acquired them because there was some initial suggestion they might work for Covid.

While I do have some Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) I never bothered to acquire any Ivermectin because it never had a snowball's chance in hell of working. Yes Ivermectin does kill the virus in a test tube but at a level that is 1000x higher than the level it reaches in our blood. Sadly the evidence says HCQ does not work.

Although Merck's molnupiravir is not a good as the initial data suggested

www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-phar...sk-by-30-2021-11-26/

that will be the next thing I chase down. The usual suspects in India have been making generics although none are released as yet (pending DCGI approval which is likely to follow FDA approval)

Thanks Doc. Good to hear from you!

Here, there seems to be mounting anecdotal and clinical evidence that Ivermectin is working, and working pretty well, especially when intervention is early.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8088823/

I was really skeptical of Ivermectin at first, and remain mildly so, but managed to obtain an emergency supply (just in case) through a telemedicine service here in the US.

Since posting, I have discovered additional resources here in the US both for telemedicine and pharmacies which will dispense within the US. I found these on the free speech platform GAB.com, in case anyone reading this cares to go poking around for them.

My 'go to' continues to be Indomethacin (75mg ER). I've used it several times (briefly) when symptoms have arisen, and it seems to knock them down in short order.

I'm also taking a daily regime of Vitamin D3, B Complex, Zinc, Iron, and Nigella Sativa (Black Seed) extract.

Thank you for the tip on molnupiravir. I'll be keeping an eye on the research.

Warm regards!

Fitz

A quick question on Molnupiravir. Dr. James, you mentioned in another thread that Molnupiravir is mutagenic.

Wouldn't dispensing a mutagenic to individuals infected with a pathogen potentially cause mutations within the pathogen itself, leading to a host of mutated and potentially dangerous variants?

If so, were one to multiply this effect by a vast number of individuals receiving the mutagenic, couldn't this lead to potentially hundreds of thousands, or even millions of variants within a relatively short timespan?

Also, if this were the case, and an endless variety of variants were suddenly circulating, it stands to reason that the mutated variants will inevitably be passed along, infecting and re-infecting individuals being treated with the Monulpiravir mutagenic. This in turn would most likely lead to a further exponential propagation of double, triple, quadruple, etc. mutated variants.

It simply seems to me that attempting to treat a potentially deadly virus with a known mutagen is a very, very, bad idea indeed.

All our antibiotics and all of our antivirals have the same issue. While they do kill almost all the target they provide the right conditions to allow resistant mutants to thrive.

RNA viruses are genetically unstable so mutate very quickly.

There's really not a lot we can do about that reality...

I hope having some small molecule drugs available may help bring a bit of normality back!

I hope so too, Doc. I think of my friends in Australia often, and keep you in my prayers.

BTW I was hospitalized last summer with a nasty fast onset Pneumonia that had me coughing up blood, and presenting at the ER with an O2 level of 78%. Every shallow breath was painful.

Tested negative for Covid twice. Although I was put on IV antibiotics for suspected bacterial pneumonia, CT Scans revealed ground glass opacities in my lungs indicative of atypical viral pneumonia. I was on 6 liters of Oxygen, and despite continually testing negative for Covid, they were trying their best to shoehorn me in to that diagnosis, discussing Remdesivir (which I flatly refused) and were talking about bringing in a Pulmonologist (measuring me for a ventilator, which I was pretty sure would kill me).

For two days, I begged my physicians to take me off Eliquis, and put me on Indomethacin, which led to lectures and stern recriminations from said physicians.

Three days in, I spit out my nighttime dose of Eliquis, and the next morning at around 4 AM, surreptitiously took a dose of the Indomethacin from the prescription bottle my wife had put in with my bag of personal effects.

Within two hours of taking the Indomethacin, my non-supplemented Oxygen levels were consistently above 90%. I informed my nurse of the improvement (although I did not mention the Indomethacin). She took me for a walk around the ward with an oxygen monitor on my finger to confirm, and I was discharged within a few hours.

I went home with a prescription for oral antibiotics, and remained (of my own accord) on Indomethacin for a total of 5 days.

I want to make clear, I do not recommend this for anyone!

One curious thing. This was late August and between late August and mid-late October, my somewhat low Hemoglobin levels had dropped from the mid 11s to the the low 8s, and Iron levels which are normally above 20, were practically non existent. I have since received Iron infusion therapy and am feeling much better.

Jus to be sure it was not due to a GI bleed of some type, I underwent a Colonoscopy, and Upper GI endoscopy, which basically turned up nothing beyond some diverticula, and a small hiatal hernia.

Wo, what an ordeal Fitz! Very glad you're OK now.

Thanks Mar. Feeling much better! Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!!!