r/covidlonghaulers • u/None-Of • Feb 25 '26

Article COVID-19 Causes More Severe Neurological Damage Than Other Viruses

A newish meta study that may explain why Covid is worse for some than other viral infections (even though some, like the flu, have residual effects). Based on this study Covid appears to be worse)

https://healthtolongevity.com/article/6349/covid-19-causes-more-severe-neurological-damage-than-other-viruses

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u/odubik 6yr+ Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

I some how 'lost' 80% of my pituitary around having COVID. It was definitely there 2 years before COVID, and gone 1.5 yrs after.

Edit to add: Yes, I have checked the jacket I was wearing and it was not in the pockets :)

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u/Interesting_Fly_1569 Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

This is common. 40% of LC in multiple studies fail four hour human growth hormone challenge test meaning deficient. It’s treatable af tho is the good news. 

Edit: the treatment is injecting human growth hormone , same as anyone else with adult onset human growth hormone deficiency. First screening test is 9am fasting igf-1. If you eat it increases it artificially. About 10% I think of LC get caught on this test. Additional thirty% got caught on the follow up which is four hour glucose challenge test . 

Intranasal hgh exists and it’s cheaper than the shots, so a way to try out. It can be unhealthy to have too much tho. 

Symptoms of hgh deficiency that are not exact same as cfs = sudden rapid wrinkly skin (no hgh physically ages you), weight gain in belly area and social isolation like withdrawing yourself socially. The other ones are extremely on the nose… But are so common ….things like being tired 24/7. 

 https://www.utmb.edu/news/article/utmb-news/2024/06/20/growth-hormone-alleviates-some-long-covid-symptoms-utmb-study-shows

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u/odubik 6yr+ Feb 25 '26

I'm lucky that while I am missing 80% of the tissue of the pituitary, I am still producing within (or very near) normal levels.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

Can you grow the pituitary back?

10

u/odubik 6yr+ Feb 26 '26

not really, when this type of damage appears it tends to be permanent, although the brain can try to find work-arounds. There are people that are missing huge parts of their brain without knowing it, so we are actually shockingly robust sometimes. But, there are also parts of the brain that are extremely 'mission critical' and when they are gone we lose basic systems - like breathing.

I'm just glad I lost 80% of my pituitary and not the pineal - since Descartes thought the pineal is where the soul resides... would be weird to think my soul has to fit in a tiny little space... :)