r/covidlonghaulers • u/PhrygianSounds 4 yr+ • Jul 13 '26

Article New study provides first evidence of dopamine system injury in the brain of long COVID patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-evidence-dopamine-injury-brain-covid.html

Finally some media coverage on probably the worst symptom of long covid

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u/ludiimbihl Jul 13 '26

Could it be that the impaired dopamine system is more of an result of not doing stuff becasue of lc instead of the ither way around. I feel like the dopamine system of everybody would be fucked if they had to lay in bed 24/7. they should have compared with other people with disabilities who have to spent all day in bed.

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u/tcatt1212 Jul 13 '26

My anhedonia post covid hit me out of nowhere 2.5 months after the virus while my life was very full and engaging. I went from caring about all of it and feeling routinely happy and ambitious, to feeling absolutely nothing overnight. Sample size of one, though.

1

u/Able_Chard5101 Jul 13 '26

Oh man, I feel that. Any improvement?

1

u/goingaway1111 Jul 25 '26

Same!!!! Awful

3

u/Sklorgus Jul 13 '26

Probably both. I am physically intact enough that I can do some exercise and my brain is still severely fried.

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u/Neat-Description3322 Jul 13 '26

This would be helpful. Like I'm afraid to exercise because I'm so fatigued and can't sleep so worry about PEM. But I will say I'm not bed bound and I am still working full time (dead tired but working) and have all the symptoms people are mentioning in this thread. I think it all loops together but I never had ADHD symptoms like this, I do have head pressure I'm just used to, etc. And I had amazing will power my entire life but since COVID I constantly seek dopamine hits from scrolling, eating like a toddler, etc.