The Effect of Fluvoxamine and Metformin for Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Objective:
Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or long COVID, presents a major therapeutic challenge, with fatigue being a prevalent and debilitating symptom.
Objective: To assess the efficacy of fluvoxamine and metformin for long COVID fatigue.
Method
Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, adaptive trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06128967)
Setting: Outpatient sites in Brazil.
Participants: 399 adults with fatigue persisting 90 or more days after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to fluvoxamine (100 mg twice daily), metformin (750 mg twice daily), or matching placebo for 60 days.
Measurements: The primary outcome was change in Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score.
Results:
Fluvoxamine showed a significant reduction in fatigue compared with placebo at day 60 (mean difference, −0.43 [95% credible interval {CrI}, −0.80 to −0.07]), with a sustained effect at day 90 (mean difference, −0.58 [CrI, −0.98 to −0.16]). Fluvoxamine also improved quality-of-life scores with high posterior probability. Metformin showed no significant benefit. Adverse events were less frequent with fluvoxamine (20.0%) than with metformin (28.8%) or placebo (29.7%). Grade 3 and higher adverse events were rare across all groups.
Limitations:
The 90-day follow-up period limits conclusions about the durability of treatment effects, and the exclusive focus on fatigue as the primary outcome does not address other prevalent long COVID symptoms, leaving fluvoxamine's broader therapeutic utility uncertain.
Conclusion:
Fluvoxamine, but not metformin, may be an effective treatment for reducing fatigue and improving quality of life in patients with long COVID.
(minor changes to abstract format for readability)
Web | DOI | PDF | Annals of Internal Medicine | Open access
Reis, Gilmar; dos Santos Moreira Silva, Eduardo Augusto; Medeiros Silva, Daniela Carla; Thabane, Lehana; Ferreira, Thiago Santiago; Reis, Luiza Lanna França; Figueiredo Guimaraes Almeida, Ana Paula; Menezes Amaral, Marcela; Savassi, Leonardo Cançado Monteiro; de Souza Campos, Vitoria Helena; Campos Simplicio, Maria Izabel; Barra Ribeiro, Luciene; de Souza Medeiros, Thalyne; Campos Siqueira, Thais; Vieira, Taynara Silva; Drumond Rausse, Nayara; Garofolo, Tereza Cristina; Fagundes Silva, Eliane Carreiro; Harari, Ofir; D’Urso, Gennaro; Forrest, Jamie I.; Park, Jay; Nachega, Jean B.; Lindsell, Christopher; Glenn, Jeffrey S.; Thorlund, Kristian; Dybul, Mark; Mills, Edward J.; Reis, Gilmar; dos Santos Moreira Silva, Eduardo Augusto; Medeiros Silva, Daniela Carla; Campos Simplicio, Maria Izabel; Dybul, Mark; Mills, Edward J.; Cameron, William; Orbinski, James; Singh, Sonal; Thorlund, Kristian; Haggstrom, Jonas; Nogueira, Ana M.R.; Drumont, Nayara S.; Vieira, João V.B.; Gonçalves, Kenia S.G.; Martins, Aline L.J.; Vieira, Tainara S.; Suterio, Lineria H.M.; Ferreira, Thiago Santiago; Menezes Amaral, Marcela; Barra Ribeiro, Luciene; Campos, Vania Regina; Muniz De Oliveira, Rosemary; Oliveira França, Carla Stefany; Guimarães Darcena, Kenia Sthéfane; Fagundes Silva, Eliane Carreiro; Garofolo, Tereza Cristina; De Rezende Oliveira, Nicole Avelar; Campos Siqueira, Thais; Ferreira Boari, Nicole; De Jesus Martins, Aline Lucia; Simplicio De Oliveira De Araujo, Luana Grazielle; De Souza Medeiros, Thalyne; De A Olveira, Janaina Leyne; Reis Garcia, Bruno; Barbosa Silveira, João Victor; Ferreira Couto, Larissa; A. R., Kelly Cristina; Vasconcelos, Paula Luana; de Souza Campos, Vitoria Helena; Reis, Luiza Lanna França; Da Silva, Ingrid Emanuele; Celso Dos Santos, Onalia; Vasconcelos Santos, Paula Luana; Bitarães, Carina; Guimaraes Darcena, Kenia Sthefhane; Figueiredo Guimaraes De Almeida, Ana Paula; Soares Cardoso, Maria Vitoria; Loiola Silva, Mayra Darlliane; Mendes Veloso, Ivana Aparecida; Oliveira Brandão, Jessica; Savassi, Leonardo Cançado Monteiro; Soares, Felipe César; Costa Ferreira, Thais Nara; Pinheiro, Diniz Antonio; Domingues Guimarães, Heron; Viana da Rocha, Augusto; Soares de Oliveira, Hilton; de Resende Amaral, Tânia Maria; Bigodinho, Paulo; Dias Duarte Tomé, Nádia Cristina; Guimarães, Guilherme; Gonçalves, Dulce Pimenta; Oswaldo, Ângelo; Resende do Nascimento, Glauciane
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Objective:
Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or long COVID, presents a major therapeutic challenge, with fatigue being a prevalent and debilitating symptom.
Objective: To assess the efficacy of fluvoxamine and metformin for long COVID fatigue.
Method
Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, adaptive trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06128967)
Setting: Outpatient sites in Brazil.
Participants: 399 adults with fatigue persisting 90 or more days after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to fluvoxamine (100 mg twice daily), metformin (750 mg twice daily), or matching placebo for 60 days.
Measurements: The primary outcome was change in Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score.
Results:
Fluvoxamine showed a significant reduction in fatigue compared with placebo at day 60 (mean difference, −0.43 [95% credible interval {CrI}, −0.80 to −0.07]), with a sustained effect at day 90 (mean difference, −0.58 [CrI, −0.98 to −0.16]). Fluvoxamine also improved quality-of-life scores with high posterior probability. Metformin showed no significant benefit. Adverse events were less frequent with fluvoxamine (20.0%) than with metformin (28.8%) or placebo (29.7%). Grade 3 and higher adverse events were rare across all groups.
Limitations:
The 90-day follow-up period limits conclusions about the durability of treatment effects, and the exclusive focus on fatigue as the primary outcome does not address other prevalent long COVID symptoms, leaving fluvoxamine's broader therapeutic utility uncertain.
Conclusion:
Fluvoxamine, but not metformin, may be an effective treatment for reducing fatigue and improving quality of life in patients with long COVID.
(minor changes to abstract format for readability)
Web | DOI | PDF | Annals of Internal Medicine | Open access
Last edited: