A recent clinical trial has cast doubt on the effectiveness of low-dose lithium aspartate in treating the persistent fatigue and brain fog associated with Long COVID. The study, involving 52 patients, found that a daily dose of 10 to 15 mg of lithium aspartate did not provide significant relief from these debilitating symptoms.
The research, led by Dr. Thomas Guttuso from the University of Buffalo, was prompted by anecdotal evidence suggesting that low doses of lithium aspartate could alleviate fatigue and brain fog in Long COVID patients. Dr. Guttuso initially observed improvements in 9 out of 10 patients who were administered 5 to 15 mg daily doses of lithium aspartate.
Trial Design and Results
The randomized, placebo-controlled trial involved individuals experiencing new, bothersome fatigue or cognitive dysfunction persisting for more than four weeks after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10 to 15 mg of lithium aspartate or a placebo daily for five weeks. The primary endpoints were changes in fatigue and cognitive function.
The results, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed no significant difference between the lithium aspartate and placebo groups in terms of reducing fatigue or brain fog. This outcome was unexpected, given the initial positive observations.
"I had high hopes that we would see an effect from this randomized controlled trial," Dr. Guttuso stated in a university news release. "But that’s the nature of research. Sometimes you are unpleasantly surprised."
Potential for Higher Doses
Despite the negative findings, the study offers a glimmer of hope. Three patients who participated in an extended "dose-finding" study experienced reductions in fatigue and brain fog when administered higher daily doses of lithium aspartate (40 to 45 mg). Notably, the two patients with the highest blood levels of lithium showed the most significant improvements.
"This is a very small number of patients, so these findings can only be seen as preliminary," Dr. Guttuso cautioned. "Perhaps achieving higher blood levels of lithium may provide improvements to fatigue and brain fog in long COVID."
Implications and Future Directions
With estimates suggesting that over 17 million Americans may be affected by Long COVID, the search for effective treatments remains a critical priority. The current study highlights the need for further research to explore the potential of higher doses of lithium aspartate in alleviating Long COVID symptoms.
"The take-home message is that very low-dose lithium aspartate, 10-15 milligrams a day, is ineffective in treating the fatigue and brain fog of long COVID," Dr. Guttuso concluded. "Perhaps we need to do another randomized controlled trial that uses higher lithium aspartate dosages."
