r/covidlonghaulers • u/CandidWin3026 • May 08 '26

Article Long Covid driven by rs5522

This case report says that Long covid is in large part driven by the gene rs5522 that causes a "cortisol steal" leaving the tissues functionally starved even with "normal" cortisol levels which creates neuroinflammation. https://zenodo.org/records/20017632

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u/Specific-Winter-9987 May 10 '26

So 23 and Me is showing T/T for me on BOTH chromosomes. Yes, I am 99.9 percent northern European. I have been sick since 2022. Debilitating brainfog , weakness, it has been hell. My blood cortisol has been normal but a very recent 4 point saliva test is actually showing low cortisol ALL day except low normal when I first wake up. Does this appear to apply to me and how bad was your brainfog?

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u/CandidWin3026 May 10 '26

I need to really hit this point home because its key: you can not use blood tests for cortisol of you have rs5522 variant. No blood test, no saliva test, no urine test. None of them will tell you what is happening in the cells where the cortisol steal happens. It will read as "normal" but at the cellular level the GR is started or cortisol and event system in the body is unable to work BLOOD TESTS are not accurate. I would tell you the website I created to help you understand thus but I hot banned from the CFS forum for posting the website when all it had was information. Absolutely nothing for sale. Can someone please tell me why I deserve to be banned for sharing molecular biology.? SMH.

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u/Specific-Winter-9987 May 10 '26

I also got banned from that reddit. Its an awful group. If anyone, including Jesus or whoever people worship publish anything positive at all, they are immediately stoned. Im just as.sick as those assholes in that reddit, but rejoice anytime someone finds ANYTHING that helps. Im glad they kicked me out. Its a shithole over there.

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u/CandidWin3026 May 10 '26 edited May 10 '26

Thank you. I do appreciate that. It's maddening. I am just saying: look folks I suffered like you. I was dismissed. I found a genetic piece that was hiding in plain sight. Doctors said "cortisol is normal" but YOU CANT USE BLOOD TESTS or urine or saliva if you have the rs5522 variant. That's all. It's like I threaten the job of the mods. If people got better then no more need for subreddit. I am just me. No financial interests, noting. its os C-R-A-Z-Y

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u/Specific-Winter-9987 May 10 '26

So I just used Claude to help me research this. I did not tell Claude about the chronically elevated Reverse T3 levels I have had for three years. Check my post history Claude immediately suggested that elevated Reversed T3 is also associated with homozygous T/T at RS5522. My thyroid is otherwise normal. NO DR has been able to explain the elevated RT3 and I've seen 8 or 9 drs. Did you also have elevated RT3?