- Joe Rogan just announced on social media
that he's in fact sick with COVID-19.
He does seem to be doing better,
and we wish him a speedy recovery.
He also did announce a wide range of medications
that he took to treat COVID-19
which I want to discuss with you today.
Here's the clip.
- We immediately threw the kitchen sink at it,
all kinds of meds, monoclonal antibodies, Ivermectin,
Z-Pak, prednisone, everything.
And I also got an NAD drip and a vitamin drip,
and I did that three days in a row.
- Let's take each one of these on the list,
starting with monoclonal antibodies.
This is actually a legitimate treatment that's being used
widely across the US to prevent severe cases
of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
The way it works is the pharmaceutical companies
actually created artificial antibodies
that are actually similar to the ones your body makes
when it fights off COVID-19.
DeSantis in Florida is actually praising this treatment,
trying to get more and more people to get it.
There is a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Basically it's made for individuals who are at high risk
for having severe COVID but are not yet sick enough
to be hospitalized because there is a limited benefit
for those patients.
Next up, we have ivermectin,
which is an anti-parasitic medication
used in both humans and animals.
Lately, there's been speculation about ivermectin
being used to prevent severe cases of COVID-19.
However, this hasn't quite played out
in the quality research.
There have been smaller studies
that showed some initial promise,
but it hasn't yet held up when we've done serious research.
There are some trials still ongoing,
but this medication is far from proving a benefit.
And this is really important to know
because there are individuals across the US
who believe in this medication so much
that they're actually taking their animal's medication
to treat themselves.
Folks, do not do this, it is incredibly dangerous.
The dosages are not the same.
The types of medications are not the same,
and we don't yet have proof that it works for COVID-19.
There are other medications, there are other therapies
that we have available.
Do not use ivermectin unless it's for an approved FDA use.
Next up, we have Z-Pak, azithromycin.
It's an antibiotic that is frequently used
for ear infections, respiratory infections.
This one makes the least amount of sense to me as a doctor.
Joe Rogan went on and said that he has a virus.
This is an antibiotic that's used for bacteria.
The two don't really go hand in hand.
In fact, we advocate to not take antibiotics
when you have a viral infection
because it actually complicates the picture,
creates more antibiotic resistance,
chances of antibiotic-associated diarrhea,
basically problems that you do not want to have.
I don't want to speculate on Joe Rogan's health here
because he may have an underlying pneumonia
with his COVID-19 infection caused by a bacteria.
But because he didn't say so,
this one just doesn't make sense to me.
Next up, we have prednisone, which is a steroid medication
that we use to control inflammation.
This one also is used in hospitals,
but it's generally reserved for our more sick patients.
This is because the purpose of using steroids
is to actually blunt the immune response
and lower inflammation.
The tricky thing with treating COVID-19 patients,
severely ill COVID-19 patients,
is that they have an overabundance of this inflammation
known as a cytokine storm.
And to help combat that cytokine storm,
we actually use prednisone
to tone down your body's immune system response.
But if you're otherwise healthy and feeling okay
and are not hospitalized,
prednisone might not play a role for you.
Again here, I don't want to speculate
on the severity of Joe Rogan's illness,
but I want you to know why we prescribe these medications.
The next two I'm gonna group in one,
vitamin and NAD IV therapy.
This is where marketers like to prey on you,
prey on your fears surrounding COVID-19.
Folks, There is no proof either of these things
help with COVID-19, preventing it,
making it less severe, none of the above.
And for individuals who eat a well-balanced diet
and already take supplements,
you do not need more of these supplements.
In fact, the studies have shown over and over again
that not only do these things not help,
they could potentially hurt.
I actually pulled up a website here with NAD therapy
and the promises they make are absolutely absurd.
One, it aids in addiction recovery.
Two, it reduces pain.
Three, it improves cognitive function.
Four, it boosts energy.
Five, it improves athletic performance.
Six, helps with weight management.
Seven, reverses signs of aging.
Eight, delays or prevents the onset of certain diseases.
And apparently also helps with COVID.
Folks, do not fall for these marketing scams.
You do not need either of these for COVID-19.
No legitimate doctor would be recommending these for you.
And the biggest issue I have with all these medications
being taken all at once, they could potentially interact.
You know, when I prescribe medications,
one of the first questions I ask a patient is,
are you on any others?
And the reason is we can actually look at our database
and see if there's interactions between certain meds,
but when you're taking medications for unapproved uses
or even medications that don't have scientific validity
to them, you won't know
if there are any potential interaction
and it could become quite dangerous.
And remember, we as doctors, the CDC, the FDA,
we are working countless hours trying to find
a potential treatment or cure for COVID-19.
And you know what we have come up with?
A vaccine that actually works.
A vaccine that has a really, really good rate
of decreasing hospitalizations and severe illness.
That is something you should believe in.
If you're un-vaccinated, please consider getting vaccinated.
If you have a question about a specific COVID-19 treatment
or potential treatment, speak with your primary care doctor.
And again, wishing a speedy,
speedy well recovery for Joe Rogan.