Evidence is mounting a medication already used to treat opioid and alcohol dependence, could benefit people living with long covid. Queensland researchers have published world-first findings showing naltrexone restores the function of impaired cells from patients with the debilitating condition.
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00:00 Jaden Donald grew up outdoors, his love of horse riding taking him to national dressage
00:07 competitions.
00:08 But this time last year he was floored by long COVID.
00:12 I was flat out walking, couldn't do anything with animals, horses, kind of went from being
00:17 outside 24/7 to being locked in the house.
00:20 After contracting the virus for the second time, the 19-year-old engineering student
00:25 didn't recover.
00:26 He could barely leave the house, had low blood pressure, a high heart rate and brain fog.
00:32 It wasn't good.
00:33 Jaden started seeing a physiotherapist and a doctor prescribed a low dose of naltrexone,
00:39 a medication used to block the effects of opioids and alcohol.
00:43 The symptoms slowly diminished and his energy returned.
00:47 Probably around 70%.
00:49 Other people with long COVID have anecdotally reported benefits from naltrexone and now
00:54 Queensland scientists are working to verify it.
00:58 They've published a study showing the drug restored the function of impaired immune cells
01:03 from long COVID patients.
01:05 We're the first to actually find the cell mechanism of how this drug may be benefiting
01:11 patients.
01:12 Put simply, naltrexone repaired the ion channels or closed off doorways into the damaged cells,
01:20 enabling calcium to enter.
01:22 The calcium inside the cells makes the cells work properly.
01:25 The researchers will now run two clinical trials, testing low dose naltrexone in patients
01:31 with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
01:38 Two conditions causing much suffering around the world.
01:41 Professor Fred Meurnier wasn't involved in the study and says while it's an important
01:46 step, the clinical trial results will be crucial.
01:50 We need to know that long COVID patient gets better.
01:53 Jaden is now back in the saddle.
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