Yes, as just another female, I can say we are often dismissed when it comes to health. It took me 32 years and a fair few psychologists before I finally got a dx of the genetic condition EDS. I can also agree it takes a very long time for the health system to catch up. 20 yrs ago, on the first EDS support group, we recognised the connection between progesterone and its effect on POTS, yet it has taken this long to be acknowledged. MCAS, which I also have, isn’t recognised in the uk. Although it is often referred to as MCAS by a few Drs, it is unfortunately only noted as a ‘histamine intolerance’. We are now seeing more and more people joining the many MCAS support groups on social media with LC. Even though we are being censored, we are still fighting in your corner.

I’m so glad to hear a dr talking about this. The pattern in my flare ups is so clear. I’m bed bound during my period - fatigue, extreme head pain, joint pain off the charts. The days following my period I feel normal like I don’t even have long Covid.

You have been a godsend. I have learned more about the dynamics of Covid-19 from your channel than from all the other reading I've done. You share your research so clearly, really cutting to the chase. Now I'm hot on the trail of MCA. So grateful for you, and hoping you are feeling better and better.

I basically went from endometriosis to chronic migraines to fibromyalgia to now long Covid. I’m so glad there is attention and research directed to this.

I was diagnosed with thyroid disease at 12 (hypothyroid) on a fluke test that sent me to Children's Hospital. At 27, I got the Hashimoto's diagnosis and was forever gaslit by the medical community. In Dec. 2019 on vacation in the Smokey Mountains and developed severe pneumonia, that I'm positive was Covid. Went to two hospitals and was told my labs came back fine and I was just dehydrated. Got Covid again in May 2020, certain symptoms lingered, but no doctor in the US has any idea what was going on. I had a medical trauma in the Fall/Winter and my hormones now are on Space Mountain for the ride. I have lost half my hair, have constant fatigue, and still get told to lose weight, see a therapist, my favorite, "take a vacation" or try steroids, which is perhaps my favorite when said in the same sentence as lose weight. Very insightful discussion, I only wish women were treated with a quarter of respect our male counterparts receive.

This explains 100% why I had a relapse this week. I was puzzled because I hadn't done anything to trigger it (no hard exercise). I'm so impressed (and heartened) by the fact that you care enough about the opposite sex to go out of your way and make a video for us! It's so comforting to know that it wasn't anything that I had done, so I. won't have to live in fear of relapsing. Thank you SO much, Gez! I hope I can return the favour somehow! 🙏💓

Thank you, Gez. You’ve been helping me find the right doctors, helping me point them to good research, and helping me stay sane for two years. I never imagined this would go on so long for any of us, but let’s keep getting better! 👍

Great topic. Thank you. I was batteling for years about that with doctors about my Lyme symptoms flared every months between days 16 and day 25 of my cycle. And it's the first time I ear someone aknolegde it. Thank you.

16 months later, after going through everything that is discussed in the video (I think I did share it with you earlier that I was heavily suspecting the hormones), I have finally been diagnosed with not one but 2 autoimmune conditions! And yes, I am getting help that I need because I never gave up when I knew something was wrong with me, and I continued fighting for my health. Thank you, Gez, honestly- I couldn't have done it without you!

The reason autoimmunity is thought to be more prevalent in women is because they have more hormones (molecular messengers) circulating in their system than men, so when an infection hits, cytokines (which are also molecular messengers, but they are immune messengers) are trying to communicate with each other. The cytokine messages get interfered with by the extra hormones. So all these extra molecular messengers cause misinformation due to an overwhelming amount of ‘chatter’ for the immune system to manage. So it starts making mistakes in it's atempts to target what is the real ‘pathogen’ (like a virus) in the body. versus targeting your own body. (because the body has tissue and cells with very similar shaped proteins to some pathogens. i.e. the same shapes). The problem is called ‘molecular mimicry’ or 'co-reactivity' which causes an attack on the body itself as well as the pathogen. Often the virus is fought off early, but sometimes the fight continues. Like a pub fight that no one can remember who started it, but there’s still plenty of anger and fracas, so the pub (your body) gets damaged in the process. Because men don’t have as much hormonal activity (less hormone messengers) when an immune hit happens, their cytokines don’t get confused as often by too many hormones, meaning less molecular confusion happens... so less men get autoimmune diseases.

Excellent talk, gender bias is real and so are the effects of hormones on our health. Thanks again Gez!

So interesting! Thank you so much for this great video! 🙏

Thanks Gez. I’ve never come across so much misogyny in my life before and I’m 63. Glad to hear an expert mention hormones as I was aware something was happening that shouldn’t be. Thanks for all you do and take care yourself.

Just before and for about 4 days into my period is always worse with the long covid symptoms! Also, rain has some bearing on it. If both rain and my cycle happen at once, it's a double whammy. Also, I bleed all month long, mostly throwing clots of either brown or red and am potentially in perimenopause. Some days I just think about having all of my baby-making materials ripped out, but I know that can be very bad for premature aging and causing low bone density, so I'll stick it out. This has certainly been no cake walk dealing with daily suffering of various types. Finally this is being addressed! Thank you for all you do with this channel!

This is wonderful stuff! I made a living for 48 years as a troubleshooter - first in avionics, and then in communications networks for a Fortune 100 electric utility. I gained a reputation in both fields for being able to figure out problems that had baffled others. The biggest secret of my success is that the answers to unsolved problems invariably hide in something we hardly noticed at first - that is why it wasn't solved yet - or noticed but never knew what to make of it. (Consider Dr. Jennings and cowpox.) Mysteries, however small, hide causes and causes lead to solutions. Occasionally the search is not worth the cost because the problem has easier ways to deal with it. The rest of the time it has a good chance of having broader value than we would have ever guessed.

Thank you Gez. This was another extremely validating interview. Hope you are continuing to feel better.

Thank you for this video! This is great information! That explains a LOT of things! I hope you feel better!

Another great video. Thanks so much for all that you do.

Thank you for continuing to present this content. Even if it’s something that I’ve heard before it helps to continue to emphasize to myself that there are reasons I feel the way I do.

Thank you so much for this ❤️

Thank you for being a Godsend to long covid patients. You were one of the first resources I found and it really helped me mentally/emotionally/physically!

Oh, thank you! I have been meaning to check out your channel again. Your research was the first to raise my consciousness to long haul Covid-19. In depth, scientifically wide ranging, well considered. Glad for your presentations.

Amazing interesting things, as always in your videos, Gez! We can't Thank you enough! Your channel has become my favorite serie, for me it's better than Netflix! I can't wait till the next reliese!

Thank you so so much for this Gez 💖

Another great video. Thank you once again!

Excellent video as always . Crikey as if long covid wasn't enough , us women have pesky hormonal issues to deal with too. I've heard of some LC haulers that have had relief from hrt which I guess offers stabilization of the hormones . We ALL need treatment .. why is there no sense of urgency here in the UK to get treatment ? How long will it be before we can get our blood tested and then get to go on the triple therapy? . Thankyou for all this research .

👏👏👏👏👏I'm past the menopause stage in life etc but fully appreciate the fluctuations within the body . I suffered a traumatic experience when I was 14yrs old and I can't wait for the next podcast ... Thank you once again Gez for all that you do for the long covid community 👏👏👏👏👏

Please talk more about MCAS and women. Thank you!!

Dr. Tania Dempsey was excellent. Great pick, Gez!

I wish I was like my mom that kept journals. I got sick back in March of 2020. I called my dr I told him I was living in the bathroom… my throat hurt, night sweats , sob, fever, congestion , tired extremely , loss of appetite . He said probably anxiety And strep.. because diarrhea isn’t a symptom of Covid .. well it’s been like clockwork every month I get worse symptoms right before my period. And I feel better after for few days and back to all my crap… I’m now anemic my liver enzymes are high I feel like I have allergies now, and I’m diabetic. And I’m getting a lot of utis I’m tired of this bull crap… and doctor thinks maybe I have sleep apenea no it’s called longcovid we need answers not the run around!

You are both wonderful people with your research and studies regarding this situation. As someone who had a complete hysterectomy including both ovaries removed and a bowel resection only 2 months before Covid hit and then believing I had Covid right at the start of 2020 this all makes so much sense to me. Thank you both so much. xxx

Thanks a lot! 🙏

Thank you Gez. I'm not a woman, but there's a related issue here which comes up in most of your videos - at least for me - which is how to become a successful self-advocate for treatment. I wrote a long letter to my GP (it took me a week) telling him what I was doing and why - with references and it felt so weird and slightly embarrassing. I guess we are all used to putting ourselves in the. hands of the medical profession and accept the expertise on offer. What your channel does - and I'm hugely grateful for that - is to change the patient-doctor power thing since I'm fairly confident that he knows little about all these matters. I know we should consult our GP before making any changes but if I had done that I would have been left for 6 weeks in inflammation hell. So that's my pitch to you - a film on how to be a successful self-advocate without pissing everyone off? All best ... David

Super interesting conversation; glad to see an MD talking about this in a way that is consistent with my own lived experience as a perimenopausal woman during a global pandemic--and my clinical observation as a licensed acupuncturist & clinical herbalist with a patient population struggling with long-COVID.

This is really interesting. I finally hear a doctor explain my experience - histamine issues and migraine before / at ovulation when hormones rise. I have ME/CFS.

Thank you!

Thank you. This was useful information to me! I'm post vax with neuropathy (we are very similar to LC regarding symptoms). This video explains a lot that I can relate to! Really good stuff.

Helpful!

Thanks again for yet another useful video. I’m on HRT and noticed my symptoms were worse when I was on estrogen only tablets for two of the four weeks. I’ve since changed so that I have progesterone through all four weeks and this has made a big difference. Obviously everyone is unique but for me it helped my histamine, skin and neuro issues.

Gez thanks so much for covering this topic, you’re doing great things by bringing attention to female issues and the gender bias. I fully recovered over a year ago and ended up significantly worse for the past year mostly bed bound with my cycle a major thing impeding recovery but LDN has been the one thing that’s made the biggest difference for me snd I’m starting to make progress now 🙌🏼, I’d recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried it (or to discuss with your doctor). I’ve never had a doctor who knew much about MCAS and when I tried low histamine diet I got a lot worse and antihistamines triggered migraines so I’m a bit in the dark about it’s role for my LC. LDN is used for pain and fatigue but also known to help hormonal issues too, which is ideal!

So validating! Louder for the people in the back!

Gez you are a star! I literally had a lightbulb moment watching this. What a great interview. Thank you for covering it.

So im not crazy my long covid symptoms flare up always before and during my menstrual cycle

How are you doing lately Gez? Hope you're gaining energy and endurance back since Omnicron. Thanks to your video about the stack, I'm doing better everyday. About the NAC you're taking, I use an expensive brand of liposomal glutathione because the NAC was giving me stomach problems. Also apple pectin and sunflower lecithin. Hope this helps with your gut too :)

Thank you for your videos Gez! I can’t remember if you mentioned this before but when do you think we will have effective treatments out for long Covid if you would guess?

I wrote Dr. Dempsey just now, and figured I'd copy it here. Essentially trans women might have some keys to understanding the cyclical nature of flare ups, since our hormonal changes, while similar to cisgender women, are not the same. I've had Long COVID for about 8 months now after having just sniffles in my primary infection, but I wanted to add myself as an anecdotal data point in case it adds any interesting information. Obviously as a trans woman I don't menstruate, but I do get a brief depression of 1-3 days, and then water weight gain for about a week, which goes away once that week is over. I also get intestinal cramping on occasion. The last three months, I've found that my Long COVID symptoms have been flaring at least around the 3rd to 4th week of the month, along side my usual cycle symptoms, and have been exceptionally bad the last two times after I pushed myself and got a major flareup in mid-July. I take 300mg of progesterone orally every day, so my progesterone levels cycle daily, and my estrogen I take via estradiol valerate injections of 5 mg every 6-7 days, so my estrogen levels cycle weekly. Yet I get monthly cycles which are especially visible from my Long COVID symptoms now (usually extreme fatigue, all-over body pains, and migraines). I have not had bottom surgery so I still might have some testosterone production, but when I've taken blood tests they're usually half of what cisgender women are at. So I'm suspecting that there's another hormone that _is_ cycling monthly (FSH or LH perhaps) that is triggering my Long COVID flareups as well as my other cycle symptoms. Anyways, I figured that getting at least a bit of info from a trans woman might be of assistance in figuring out what's going on with this.

Omg im crying ... ive been saying this for over a year . Gynos think im nuts , nobody believes me. . This is by far the worst thing physically and mentally ive ever been through . If i didnt have young kids i dont know if i woulf have faught this hard . I pray to be better someday. My kids even have symptoms of long covid . Its horrible. Praying for answers soon

The are 2 types of antihistamines, one stimulates and the other suppresses. ( Epinephrine/ Norepinephrine) You need to use the right one to achieve success. Sudafed is a norepinephrine. I tried this as an experiment while dealing with ME/CFS, for addressing MCA. It was a theory I came up with when attempting to stop severe multiple chemical sensitivity reactions. Yes I do think that it can work preventatively for chronic and for acute MCA. THANKS! 💓

I've never had a lot of traditional MCAS symptoms, but my period does last a LOT longer than it used to. I chalked it up to having to go off birth control (had been on them 20 yrs) after developing blood clots post surgery, but maybe it's more mast cell related. Interesting!

i have Lyme disease and every month I flare gigantically feeling very very ill during menstruation. I just dread this every month.... And indeed, no help from the medical community at all. None. And Gez, thanks a lot for discussing this issue

I’m currently learning about the 4th Phase of Waters impact on human health and well-being especially the interface with our immunity, energy production, cardiac health and role in fighting viruses. Prof Gerald Pollack’s work is fascinating. Application for covid recovery / resilience seems a logical course to explore.

Omg this is so interesting to watch. I have been ill for 4 months since my Moderna booster in December with racing heart, worse allergies, chronic fatigue and pain. GP just say it's a bad immune response and not helpful. Pain Clinic have diagnosed Central Sensitivity Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Recently I was prescribed HRT oestrogen patches and had awful reaction to them. I started reading about histamine intolerance. Ever since the jab allergies have been worse, am sensitive to more stuff.

Apreciate for you excellent work Gez, in understanding long covid and post infection diseases. To me it looks like research reports pointing towards vascular destruction, as a pattern for both ME / cfs and Long Covid. Is long covid an autoimmune disease that attacks "something" in our vascular system?

Can i ask about sa vedicinals-9? Why it can promote to long haulers? It said it can helps

Also major flare with periods and myalgic encephalomyelitis

Anyone having problems with the supplements on the Dr Wentzel Stack? I think I'm having reactions to the B6 and Nicotinic Acid now. Can I substitute with Niagen instead of Nicotinic Acid??? Please help

Wow, she’s awesome. Where does she practice? I would love to go see her and have her as my OB GYN. I really enjoyed that as I have had lifelong hormonal issues, and had Covid which is causing me ongoing issues, and in addition to all of that, I have very bad seasonal allergies. I never thought that those allergies might have any effect on the other two things. I’ll try to find a doctor who will take these things seriously. But what if I can’t? Any recommendations?

Gez, When did you get Omicron? I didn't know this and I watch all of your videos. Did you mention it in one of them? Maybe I missed it. How are you? Can you make a video about you and your journey ? Especially if you got Omicron and what happened here. I hope your doing well sir, your channel is the best and so helpful. Thank you so much.

I respectfully rebuttal, I was a very healthy 47 year old male, native Mexican and raised in the USA. My long Covid symptoms flare often and have lasted upto nine straight days. Some symptoms are persistent and never seize, such as the chest pain and shortness of breath.

So glad to see this, thank you both for an excellent video. I got LC recently following probable delta infection in October 2021. Your channel is amazing Gez, it has really helped me from pacing to resting to breath work and taking vitamins. I am starting to feel much better and more normal since taking vitamins (thanks Dr Ade Wentzel) and plenty of rest. But I was wondering why my symptoms get worse just before my periods...more chest pain and breathlessness increase and flare up- not expecting those to worsen, I thought fatigue and aching muscles would be the key ones at this time of the month - I get those too. Gez your channel is a lifesaver and I know the doctors at my LC clinic are also utilising this amazing resource. BTW have you started running again, I used to run but am nervous about starting and wondered if anyone has any success with this? I am walking and building up my swimming again but although progress is good it has been slow and sometimes disappointing/disheartening...

God bless Gez Medinger!

Periods affect B12 levels with the blood loss.

Thank you, I’m certain covid trigged peri menopause for me. Feel I’ve got the right HRT now including testosterone and I’m now at nearly 18 months in and recovering from my long covid.

Sorry for being annoying but we really need an update video with Dr Asad Khan and his treatment in Germany. Good or bad.

There are natural alternatives to pharmaceutical antihistamines. My go-to is nettle tea. Raw honey, chamomile and raw garlic are also good options. Drinking lots of nettle tea really helps me :)

Just started showering with ice cold water for about 8 minutes twice a day and increasing time with tolerance as part of my repertoire. I don’t want to speak out of turn but I’m noticing some improvement. Has anyone else tired this?

Ah every female with MCAS or EDS already knows this interlink with their menstrual cycle.

I flare more before my period and after more period

I would give anything to have a office visit with her!

I have this, except since my last covid infection I get my period every other week for the last 4 months. I can't live this

Is it ok to take antihistamines everyday?

I like that she used Woman! I guess it does take a biologist after all….

Dont want to take drugs with side effects.

Thanks very much for adding a gender-critical lens (as I know has been touched on in other videos, too). Validating, though also - as this guest puts it - disheartening.

Spike proteins

Snake venom, who would have guessed

Felicidades, es un buen ejemplo. 168 sentadillas son unos YOURGIRLS.Uno muchas y un buen ejercicio. Se deja ver que hay muy buenos resultados 😍👍 Saludos desde la Cd.. de world 🌹😉💖 los mortalesw abian apreciado tan hermosa mujer.k

I don't believe women get long covid worse than men. Both equally get long covid and some people get it worse than others. over a year after recovering from covid I am still experiencing hardcore post covid symptoms. terrible fatigue, deep bone pain, hip pain, low back pain, racing heartbeat, insomnia. I was a runner for over 30 years (9 to 15 miles daily) and since having covid I can no longer run. I remember the first eight months after getting back from the hospital I couldn't bend over or squat. Walking upstairs is difficult for me and I still get shortness of breath, especially in cold weather. The virus doesn't know gender.

Covid jab makes it worse too!!

So, many thanks to you both for fighting our corner and bringing better equality to womens' health , especially on the gynaecology front .😀