22 Comments

Excellent story, Dr. Haider. You helped us and so many others with COVID and continue to do so with your good Substack advice. I may be brave and take a COLD shower at the end of my HOT shower. Not easy to tolerate!

By the way, we heard a dynamite testimonial for you near the end of the What Happened to Evidence-Based Medicine?: FLCCC Weekly Update (April 27, 2022) linked here:

* https://default.salsalabs.org/T22779740-f6c2-427f-90a9-7519a9b7222d/aecd6643-3a41-45da-8358-51849e737f12

The same March 7, 2023 My Story segment from “Tommy” also appears standalone here: https://covid19criticalcare.com/it-was-amazing-i-have-never-seen-a-team-effort-like-it/

Expand full comment

Thank you, I hadn't seen that. I'm always amazed at the courage of people like this patient, who did much more for his community than I did by simply spreading the word and making sure people who needed life saving meds got them. Humbled to have played a small part in this nationwide fight against tyranny and needless death.

Expand full comment

My best friend and PA swears by her ice plunge pool. She says her Lupus and Anxiety symptoms have almost completely disappeared without medication. She takes the ice plunge almost daily. Personally, I feel like I do the same at the end of every hot shower when I turn off the hot water to let the ice water cover me as long as possible (a minute or two).

Expand full comment

This might sound silly but I have to mention the small yet potent thing that’s made a big difference in my life: A $200 or so stationary bike I bought off one of the TV shopping channels.

Being in the cold Midwest, I’m stuck inside for months at a time in the Winter. I don’t walk outside like I normally do during November to March or so. That’s why I bought the bike in early 2021.

I do anywhere from 60-75 minutes 5 or 6 days a week. I have it set at 4 on the tension control knob that goes up to 8. I read various substack authors while on it. I don’t even break a sweat.

I can’t believe the enormous changes in my body by what doing what feels like only a leisurely activity while I read. My legs are in unbelievable shape. They’re not bigger or bulkier in any way but definitely are solid muscle now.

Such little effort with an undeniably huge payoff. I’ll be 60 this Spring and have numerous health challenges. But I’m much healthier for following the FLCCC protocols (no jab, thank you Democidists) and by refusing to give up or give in to the programmed despair.

Expand full comment

Me too. After my gym closed I got the FlexBike in Nov 2020 to get me through the upstate NY winters. Does yours have resistance bands? No jab here either and flccc and Dr Haider got me through!

Expand full comment

It does have resistance bands at the base of the handle bar but I don’t use them. They trigger neck pain for me so they’re not helpful in my case.

Expand full comment

With me one thing that has helped is after my workouts I shower and turn it cold at the end for 15-20 seconds. Also at the end of my two week covid run in August my cardiologist put me on metoprolol to control my palpitations and BP. Of course the vitamins and turmeric might have something to do with it too. I'm throwing everything at this mess!

Expand full comment

Dr Haider, I love reading your excellent articles and am inspired them / this one in particular.. you have been a source of knowledge and of supplements too that I have on hand in case of a medical emergency. Getting Ivermectin for a while was almost impossible and sadly a clear sign of medical tyranny whose origins we all know about if we dare to explore nonconformist media with access to real data / one being Dr. John Campbell too.. so I am truly blessed in that I live in the woods of New Hampshire; I walk and exercise outside virtually every day throughout every season and even embrace the winter. I am exposed to the incredible healing powers of nature (hiking woodland trails are wonderful and affect me as if I have had a full body massage!). Your ice plunges are notable and I see you have posted a picture of a hero of mine and role model, Wim Hof, the Ice Man! His breathing exercises are a terrific way to awaken each day and I do the cold showers as often as I can.. like you, initially reluctantly but what a good energizing feeling afterwards. The key is consistency and adherence to a healthy regimen, diet included. I manage now with a 16 hour fasting schedule and enjoy my healthy organic meals all the more. Dr. Haider: You are an inspiration and I welcome reading your posts regularly which are informative and amazing in that you are somehow running a medical practice concurrently! The world must awaken and people need to take responsibility for their own health and act and eat as they do in the famous Blue Zones but admittedly it is hard and costly too, so I feel privileged.. but not guilty! Wishing everyone who reads your articles the very best in lasting health .. I also recommend that people research the benefits of Natto (Nattokinase) for great circulation together with K2 vitamins (avoid Statins!) and it may even play a role in addressing long term COVID or its prevention .. I have been taking Nattokinase daily for 20 years+ without any negative side effects .. and the Japanese include it as a staple in their diet even if it tastes ghastly to many (I take a pill form); they have an exemplary record of health & longevity in comparison with us here in the US .. your comments are most welcome! Anyone reading this who is living in a colder darker climate as I do shall also take Vitamin D3 - it is almost criminal that our CDC & NIH & FDA & AMA etc have not promoted its use nationwide as a simple preventive protocol despite so many studies that show its effectiveness in avoiding serious COVID and in reducing hospitalization .. Hmm.. I wonder why?

Expand full comment

I agree with everything you wrote and thank you for posting!

Expand full comment

Honored

Thank you, Dr. Haider

I hope you develop a worldwide following to get your message out, along with FLCCC and others

Russell Brand should interview you

Joe Rogan too

Other channels seeking honest solutions to our crisis in health care and prevention

Expand full comment

Same.

Deliberate cold exposure has been part of a huge transformation in my life, and helped me get thru COVID mentally intact.

Since I started, I've discovered that our bodies are programmed by evolution to expect cold exposure, much like they're programmed to expect exercise.

When we don't get enough cold, we are more prone to metabolic disorders and accelerated ageing.

https://www.morozkoforge.com/post/ice-bath-mitochondria-anti-aging

Expand full comment

I meant to say not ‘do you’ but I meant to say, “you have literally saved lives man. Thank you!!!!”

Expand full comment

Dr. Haider, I heard that testimonial from “Tommy” as well. Do you have literally save lives man. Thank you for all you do!

Expand full comment

Very cool!!! ( pun intended)

Expand full comment

I love your honesty and open mindedness and empiricism.

Your LC experience mimics mine. What worked? Many things..nothing?

Time mostly...pressing on...living life best I could ..being grateful .

My symptoms still come back...now every 10 days or so...weird that...

Expand full comment

Thank you again Dr Haider!

This time for your story - which I'd heard some of in interviews - but is simply wonderful.

Common sense and older, calmer modalities have all but flown out the window of constant panic!

Spoke to my nephew in California last week who was very excited to tell me about his daily plunges into cold water and how it has connected him even more to himself and God.

Expand full comment

What a really great article! It hit home for me on so many levels. I do have a cold ocean 10 minutes away, might try that. Or maybe just cold shower. But being hypothyroid I am cold so often it doesnt really sound very appealing to be honest.

I'm going to research some of the other options for raising baseline dopamine that you mention. Wouldn't it be interesting if social media addiction is the source of much illness? I know I need to get off Twitter. Gave up fb, but Twitter might be worse.

You mention heat therapy as one approach. Would daily time in a portable sauna help raise dopamine?

Thank you for a really great article.

Expand full comment

Yes sauna is just as good, if you start off in the sauna (or mostly submerged in a very hot bath), you might find the cold feels good right after, then go back to the sauna - the hot, cold, hot sequence is incredibly relaxing.

Expand full comment

Dr. H

Looking back now, have you got any new advice for people who develop anxiety post covid

Expand full comment

Great idea. Used to do that in hot springs in Montana. :) Thank you!

Expand full comment

This was a nice antidote to some of the black pill tweets of yours on twitter.

Any experience with the opposite end, sauna?

Expand full comment

Yeah I'm not a black pill person at all, have to be careful about how I come off online in standalone tweets. There is always a way.

I'm thinking of getting a sauna, until then I've been using very hot baths - as hot as I can stand, and the most relaxing thing I've ever experienced is hot bath for 5-10 min then cold plunge for 1-2 min then hot bath for 5-10 min - the last hot bath is the key - incredible wave of relaxation.

Expand full comment