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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH #12345_20211108
FOR RELEASE WEEK OF NOV. 8, 2021 (COL. 1)
BYLINE: By Keith Roach, M.D.
TITLE: Vitamin cocktail for COVID is innocent, however not useful
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DEAR DR. ROACH: You acknowledged in a latest column that there is no such thing as a proof to help taking nutritional vitamins D, C and zinc when treating/stopping COVID-19. I lately spoke to an infectious illness physician who advised me that docs are giving this very vitamin “cocktail” to hospitalized sufferers with COVID. A lot of assets say having these vitamin ranges optimum in your physique does certainly battle and stop sickness, together with COVID.
Whereas it is positively not the equal of medicine and vaccines for therapy/prevention, is it not true that these nutritional vitamins and minerals are essential to sustaining the physique’s immune system? Are you able to shed some mild on this? There are such a lot of misconceptions surrounding COVID-19. — Ok.C.
ANSWER: Research have checked out whether or not giving these remedies improves outcomes in COVID-19, and the reply has been that they don’t appreciably enhance outcomes reminiscent of decreasing the danger of needing a ventilator or dying. Physicians should prescribe them, since there is no such thing as a threat of hurt at affordable doses, and the research might not have had the ability to indicate smaller advantages. Physicians who’ve been treating this illness because the starting of the pandemic need to have one thing they’ll provide, even with out clear proof of profit. There are definitely theoretical the reason why these remedies can help the immune system. Very extreme deficiencies of those vitamins are related to immune system weaknesses.
I might be very cautious about recommending these for therapy when there may be not robust proof for profit, as a result of I don’t need folks to suppose they do not have a necessity for vaccination, mask-wearing and acceptable bodily distancing. Nutritional vitamins C and D and zinc should not very efficient for therapy or prevention, if in any respect.
I do know you did not point out these, however since you probably did point out many misconceptions about COVID-19, I needed to reiterate that there’s robust proof that ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine might be poisonous, particularly at excessive dosages, and no good proof that they’re useful (no less than on the time of this writing), so I like to recommend strongly in opposition to these till/until additional research present profit.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I appear to have a problem with nightmares. They’re very vivid, and I get up feeling extra drained than once I went to sleep. Oddly, they solely occur when I’m sleeping on my again. Individuals who have noticed me once I sleep have indicated I typically hyperventilate whereas I am having one among these nightmares. If I could make myself sleep on my aspect or my abdomen, I appear to have the ability to sleep via the evening with out problem. Does sleeping place really matter in terms of nightmares? Ought to I see my physician? — N.E.
ANSWER: The affiliation of sleep place with nightmares has been evaluated because the time of Freud. I discovered proof that sleeping on the again is related to a better frequency of nightmares than aspect sleeping, however left-sided sleepers have extra nightmares than right-sided sleepers. In no less than one case report, the individual with nightmares solely on his again was discovered to have obstructive sleep apnea, and his nightmares improved when began on CPAP remedy.
In case you have threat elements for sleep apnea (reminiscent of being obese) or further signs (morning headache, loud night breathing, falling asleep simply in the course of the day), I might positively talk about along with your physician.
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Dr. Roach regrets that he’s unable to reply particular person letters, however will incorporate them within the column at any time when attainable. Readers might e mail inquiries to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or ship mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
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