Brain HealthCommon Antidepressant Fluvoxamine Cuts Long COVID Fatigue in Clinical Trial
Long COVID fatigue has lacked effective treatments — until now. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 399 adults found that fluvoxamine, a widely available and inexpensive antidepressant, significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life compared to placebo. The 60-day trial, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and co-led by McMaster University, showed a 99% probability that fluvoxamine outperformed placebo. Metformin, also tested, showed no meaningful benefit for those already experiencing established long COVID fatigue. The study used a Bayesian adaptive design, allowing efficient and rigorous conclusions. For the millions dealing with crushing post-COVID exhaustion that disrupts work and daily life, fluvoxamine represents a promising, accessible option.
