Internet and Psychiatry
  • Home
    • Editorials
    • Research news
    • Research papers
    • Interviews with eminent psychiatrists
    • Ten years ago
    • Fifteen years ago
  • Topics
    • Alcohol and Drug Abuse
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Biomedical Science
    • Compulsive gambling
    • Disaster Medicine
    • Education
    • General Medicine
      • Acupuncture
      • Physical medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Human Rights
    • Interviews with eminent psychiatrists
    • Mood Disorders
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Depression
      • Seasonal Affective Disorder
    • Neurological Disorders
    • Other Psychiatric Disorders
    • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
    • Sexual Behavior
  • Books
    • Comorbidity of Depression and Alcohol Use Disorders
    • “Immigration and Mental Health” chapter abstracts
    • “Internet and Suicide” chapter abstracts
    • “Neurobiology of PTSD” chapter abstracts
    • “Suicidal Behavior in Alcohol…” chapter abstracts
    • “Suicide in the Military” chapter abstracts
    • “Terror and Suicide” chapter abstracts
    • “War and Suicide” chapter abstracts
  • Editors
    • Leo Sher, M.D.
    • Alexander Vilens, M.S.
  • Guests
    • Distinguished Guests
    • Our Contributors
  • Reflections
    • Poetry
    • Quotes

Editorials

Fluvoxamine attenuates COVID-19 disease

May 19, 2022

Steven Lippmann, M.D.

The coronavirus pandemic caused us some hard times – disruption, devastation, and death. Despite a recent rise in COVID-19 disease incidence, there is a general feeling that the illness is diminishing.

There are countermeasures to mitigate its severity: several vaccines, monoclonal antibody therapies, and antiviral agents. Vaccines can induce some immunity, monoclonal antibody drugs impair virus cell entry, and antiviral drugs mitigate intracellular virus replication. Vaccines are the primary, most effective means of disease prevention.

The antidepressant drug, fluvoxamine, was recently discovered to have antiviral properties, countering coronavirus infections. Welcome news, another treatment option. Significant, too, is that fluvoxamine is safe and vastly cheaper than any coronavirus remedy.

Morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 often follows SARS-CoV-2 virus infection development of a hyper-inflammatory cytokine storm. It seems that fluvoxamine has anti-inflammatory properties at mitochondria, as one mechanism of action. This normalizes metabolic activity and facilitates cell survival. The drug also might induce antiplatelet actions, diminish histamine release, have other anti-viral actions, and moderate stress during viral replication. Thus, fluvoxamine attenuates coronavirus illness severity.

Research evidenced less respiratory illness in patients who received fluvoxamine at 100 mg daily. Subsequent investigations confirm such progress while prescribing fluvoxamine at 100 mg twice daily for 10 days. The treatment evidenced efficacy; however, reduced mortality did not reach statistical significance.

The good news: this widely available medication is already approved for use with a good safety record. The bottom line: fluvoxamine is inexpensive, and it diminishes patient’s COVID-19 severity, morbidity, and mortality.

Suggested readings

  1. Nicol GE, Karp JF, Reiersen AM, et al.  “What were you before the war?” J Clin Psych. 2020; 81(3):20com13373.
  2. Hayashi T, Su TP. Sigma-1 receptor chaperones at the ER-mitochondrion interface regulate Ca (2+) signaling and cell survival. 2007;131:596–610.
  3. Sukhatme VP, Reiersen AM, Vayttaden SJ, Sukhatme VV. Fluvoxamine: A Review of Its Mechanism of Action and Its Role in COVID-19. Front Pharmacol. 2021;20:12:652688.
  4. Lenze EJ, Mattar C, Zorumski CF, et al.Fluvoxamine vs Placebo and Clinical Deterioration in Outpatients With Symptomatic COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Am Med Assoc. 2020;324(22):2292-2300.
  5. Reis G, Dos Santos Moreira-Silva EA, Silva DCM, et al. Effect of early treatment with fluvoxamine on risk of emergency care and hospitalization among patients with COVID-19: The together randomized, platform clinical trial. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10(1):e42-e51.

Related Posts

Editorials /

Suicide medical malpractice

Editorials /

Dr. Slavko Ziherl, an eminent Slovenian psychiatrist

Editorials /

Prevention of suicidal behavior in individuals with diabetes

‹ What? Botox injections can mitigate depressions? › The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers large prizes for suicide prevention ideas

Editorials

  • Suicide medical malpractice
  • Dr. Slavko Ziherl, an eminent Slovenian psychiatrist
  • Prevention of suicidal behavior in individuals with diabetes
  • National Respect Day

Research Papers

  • COVID-19 mortality in Europe and the ’Iron Curtain’ between East and West
  • Examination of depressive signs and symptoms among 803 University students in seven Universities and Colleges. Hungary, Romania, Serbia.
  • Examination of spirituality and the dimensions of spirituality among 803 students in seven different Universities. Hungary, Romania and Serbia.
  • Examination of depressive signs and symptoms among 932 students in eight different secondary schools in Hungary

Research News

  • Mortality in patients with schizophrenia: a review and meta-analysis
  • Long COVID, psychiatric disorders and suicidality
  • Mortality rates for buprenorphine versus methadone treatments
  • Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt

Latest News

  • Best universities in the world
  • Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship
  • 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report
  • Long COVID and suicide

Interviews with eminent psychiatrists

  • Interview with Professor Shih-Ku Lin
  • Interview with Professor Masahito Fushimi
  • Interview with Professor Maurizio Pompili
  • Interview with Professor Marco Sarchiapone

Ten Years Ago

  • Plasma testosterone levels in bipolar suicide attempters
  • Teaching medical professionals and trainees about suicide prevention
  • Suicidal ideation in depressed patients with or without comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • Treatment of suicide attempters with bipolar disorder: a randomized clinical trial

Back to Top

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Copyright © 2022 AVCalc LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.