Common antidepressant may ease long COVID’s crushing fatigue
A global clinical trial co-led by McMaster University found that fluvoxamine, an inexpensive antidepressant, reduced fatigue and improved quality of life in adults with long COVID.
The randomized, placebo-controlled trial, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, involved 399 adults in Brazil who had experienced persistent fatigue for at least 90 days after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants were randomly assigned to receive fluvoxamine (brand name Luvox), metformin (a common diabetes drug), or a placebo for 60 days.
Fluvoxamine performed significantly better than placebo in reducing fatigue, with a 99% probability of being more effective. Those who received fluvoxamine also reported improvements in overall quality of life across several measures. In contrast, metformin did not provide meaningful benefit for established long COVID fatigue, even though earlier research suggested it might reduce the risk of developing long COVID if taken during the initial infection.
The researchers caution that fluvoxamine is not a complete solution for long COVID, which affects an estimated 65 million people worldwide. However, they describe the finding as an important step toward evidence-based treatment options. Further studies are needed to identify which patients benefit most, understand the mechanism, and explore combination therapies. The trial was funded by The Latona Foundation.
