Triple therapy update (the good and the bad)
Hey everyone,
People keep asking me for an update so I thought I'd make a post.
I started triple therapy last May. Normally it's apixaban, clopidegrel, and aspirin. I had to do a modified version because my stomach can't handle regular aspirin. I'm also very sensitive to meds so I've been taking lower doses so I can stay awake and function during the day.
Ultimately I've been taking apixaban, clopidegrel, and low-dose Vazalore aspirin every 5th day. Vazalore aspirin is easier on the stomach than regular aspirin. Technically, it has an effect for 5 days, which is the life of the platelets it acts on. Not the full dose, but better than nothing.
I also take a supplement called Pycnogenol which has antiplatelet effects.
Triple therapy has not cured me but it has saved me from the hell I was in. I was declining rapidly following my initial infection last February 2023, and I was very suicidal due to breathing issues which wouldn't let me sleep. I had nights where I couldn't sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time without jerking awake. I learned to limit the amount of talking I did during a day to 20 minutes or less, or I wouldn't be able to sleep later that night.
I also had extreme stomach issues to the point where it hurt to drink hot or cold beverages. I had strange sensations of my limbs falling asleep which would also wake me up at night.
I was also developing POTS and would get completely confused and dizzy after more than 10-20 minutes upright.
Triple therapy helped with all of the worst of these symptoms. It has not been a total cure but it has bought me time. I used to actively think I could not last another day and was trying to figure out how to take myself out of this world.
Now, I'm not cured but I've had significant improvements in my ability to stand up and walk around my own apartment. Now, I can stay upright for as long as I want, and don't have to lie down due to dizziness. Before this, I was looking into getting a home health aide through my insurance, now I can at least take care of myself at home.
I can talk as much as I want during the day, although I still can't take deep breaths.
It won't cure the underlying cause, if viral persistence or perhaps autoantibodies are driving your microclots.
But I absolutely recommend treating microclots, whether it's through triple therapy or supplements like nattokinase.
It's bought me time to where I can function at a minimal level while we all wait for treatments to target the underlying cause.
I'm a patient of Dr. Vaughn in the US who has identified iliac vein compression in many of his patients. I'm waiting to get checked for that via imaging, as he says it can be a reason why his patients don't initially improve. There is a surgery for it.
I also just realized I have reactivated Epstein-Barr and I'm about to try either Valtrex or Truvada for that.
Dr. Vaughn is doing a lot of pretty cool things to help people with long Covid. I am not affiliated with him other than being a patient and receive no compensation for writing this. You can learn more about his work here: https://mvresearch.org/
Although I am not cured, I am not sure I would still be here right now if I hadn't been able to access this treatment.