condition
Long COVID
Long COVID leaves people exhausted, in pain, and dealing with symptoms that do not show up on standard testing. We treat it as a post-viral terrain problem rather than a list of complaints to suppress. Our clinic is at 180 Lithia Way in Ashland, Oregon.
What we see in Long COVID
Chronic fatigue that rest does not resolve
Post-exertional malaise and exercise intolerance — symptoms that worsen after activity, sometimes a day later
Dysautonomia, including POTS — racing heart on standing, lightheadedness, temperature and blood pressure instability
Sleep disruption
Unexplained pain
Cardiac symptoms
Neurological symptoms and cognitive difficulty
Allergic and inflammatory reactions that were not there before
Why post-viral illness persists
The virus is usually gone. What persists is what the illness left behind: mitochondria that have not recovered their output, drainage and detoxification pathways that are backed up, an immune system still running a pattern it should have stood down from, and a microbiome that shifted during the illness and did not shift back.
That is why treatment aimed only at symptoms tends to disappoint. The work is to restore the terrain the virus disrupted so that the body can finish a recovery it stalled partway through.
What we use
There is no protocol that everyone gets. For post-viral recovery we most often draw on:
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy — for the flattened energy that follows a long illness, and where circulation and tissue oxygenation are part of the picture.
IV therapy — nutrient repletion at doses oral dosing cannot reach.
Ozone therapy — by Major Autohemotherapy where systemic support is needed.
Botanical medicine — antimicrobial and terrain-supporting herbs, prescribed individually.
Homeopathy and isopathy — including biotherapeutic drainage to support detoxification and organ function.
Frequency medicine — bioenergetic screening and balancing.
Repurposed pharmaceuticals. Some of the most interesting Long COVID research right now is on existing drugs used in new ways, and Dr. Chlebowski will prescribe them where the evidence and the clinical picture support it. He is a licensed naturopathic physician with full prescribing authority in Oregon. The ones we reach for most often:
Low-dose naltrexone (LDN). Reported to improve fatigue, brain fog, sleep and pain in small studies, with few side effects. There are still no randomized controlled trials in Long COVID, so we treat it as promising rather than proven.
NAD and its precursors. A randomized trial of nicotinamide riboside in Long COVID did not meet its primary cognitive endpoints, but did find improvements in self-reported fatigue, sleep and mood. That makes it the most directly trial-tested of this group, and still early.
Methylene blue. Used for mitochondrial support. It cannot be combined with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAO inhibitors or opioids, because the combination can cause serotonin syndrome, and it is contraindicated in G6PD deficiency. We screen for both before prescribing it.
Antiparasitic agents. Used selectively, where the history and findings point toward persistent infection or reactivation, rather than as a routine part of Long COVID care.
The evidence behind these varies a great deal from one agent to the next. We will tell you plainly which is well established and which is still promising rather than presenting all of it as settled.
How we work out what is going on
A detailed history of the illness and what changed after it. Serum and functional laboratory testing. Bioenergetic testing with QUEX, OMNIS and the Kvantum Bioscan. Heart rate variability and bioimpedance analysis for physiology and structure. Live and dried blood analysis for the terrain itself — what the internal environment actually looks like today, rather than what a reference range says about it.
What a course of treatment looks like
Healing takes time, and understanding your story takes time. We do not use suppressive therapies that remove symptoms instantly; we guide the body toward doing its own detoxifying, reorganizing and rebuilding.
In practice that means monthly visits to begin with, until things are clearly improving. Then every other month while we work on the deeper patterns underneath. Then quarterly, for maintenance.
Being straight with you about this work
We know you are exhausted. Most people reach this page after months of being told their tests are fine, and the last thing they want to hear is that getting better will take a while.
It will. Post-viral recovery is not a quick correction, and there is no single treatment that resolves it. What moves it is patience and consistency — staying with the work across months rather than weeks, including the stretches where progress is hard to see from the inside.
We will be honest with you about where you are and what we think is realistic. That part we can promise.
Common questions
Can Long COVID be treated if all my tests are normal? Yes. Long COVID is a clinical diagnosis — normal results do not rule it out, and for most patients they are exactly what we expect to see. Some newer testing does exist, and we use it when it is appropriate.
How long after COVID can Long COVID start? Weeks to months.
Do I need a positive COVID test to be treated? Absolutely not.
How long does recovery take? It depends on how long you have been unwell. The road is long, but it is worth taking.
Do you use medications for Long COVID? Where the evidence and the clinical picture support it, yes. Dr. Chlebowski has full prescribing authority. The repurposed agents we use most often are low-dose naltrexone, NAD and its precursors, methylene blue, and antiparasitic agents in selected cases. They sit alongside the rest of the work rather than replacing it.
Is this covered by insurance? We do not participate with any form of insurance, including Medicare. If you are accepted into the practice we can create superbills on request as a courtesy.
How do I start? Begin with the New Patient Questionnaire.
Reviewed by Dr. Chris Chlebowski, ND.
