Allow Doctors The Use Of Emerging and Off Label COVID-19 Treatments

Summary: Covid can be a treatable disease, and people need to have the resources readily available to them to make choices that could prevent hospitalization, save lives or provide better recoveries (i.e. long term Covid) because most medical providers are currently not doing what is necessary to fully treat the disease, and important resources are being hidden from the general public due to censorship.  

Steve and I experienced this first hand, and you can read our personal story (below the petition information).

We would like to see bill passed in Tennessee (and across the U.S.) similar to the guidance that Florida has put in place that allows health care practitioners to have the freedom to follow science, and the use of emerging and off-label treatments without fear of losing their medical license, and other repercussions.

Use of Emerging and Off-Label Treatments

COVID-19 prevention and treatments prescribed under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner can save lives and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals. When recommending COVID-19 treatment options for patients’ individualized health care needs, physicians should exercise their individual clinical judgment and expertise based on their patients’ needs and preferences.

These options may include emerging treatments backed by quality evidence, with appropriate patient informed consent, including off-label use or as part of a clinical trial. 

It is the responsibility of health care practitioners to be informed of evolving and emerging patient care options for COVID-19 in order to assess the risks and benefits for individual patients that oftentimes vary on a patient-by-patient basis.

Reporting Noncompliant and Unlicensed Facilities

It is essential to support health care providers at the forefront of health care delivery to our most vulnerable populations, especially our seniors. If you are a health care practitioner who is aware of a hospital that is preventing licensed health care providers from using evidence-based care and exercising clinical judgment in treating patients, please report those instances to the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Details of Our Personal COVID Experience 

Steve (my husband) and I tested positive for COVID in late January 2022.

In the first week, we visited an urgent care clinic for a vitamin infusion and to check vitals. We also took Zinc, Quercetin, D3, C, and Magnesium. The first week was not horrible for either of us - aside from a fever and the usual Covid symptoms.

Unfortunately, on day 8 Steve was declining, and went to Erlanger ER (big hospital system in Chattanooga, TN) where he was diagnosed with Covid Pneumonia. Erlanger sent him home (67 years old, with pneumonia) with just a prescription for an Albuterol inhaler (bronchodilator) and a breathing apparatus called a spirometer. That’s it.  

Steve continued to take a turn for the worse - pretty much bed-ridden, barely able to make it to the restroom, oxygen levels lower than they should be, very nauseated and could not keep anything down, etc. I could not find a local physician who would assist us in getting the key meds that would keep Steve out of the hospital, and more importantly - alive. (My local doctor only prescribed a Z Pack.)

I was beyond worried, and reached out to a friend who recently recovered from this disease and her husband was hospitalized. These wonderful people led me to the amazing America’s Front Line Doctors whose sole mission is to treat the disease, and prevent people from being hospitalized. Her husband didn’t have the opportunity to work with the frontline doctors because he went to the ER and was hospitalized, but he couldn’t believe the high quality level of care his wife received outside of the hospital. He requested some of the meds while in the hospital - but the doctors said they could not prescribe them.

Here is this very important resource of amazing doctors: https://americasfrontlinedoctors.org/ - you can scroll down on their home page and find where you can request a doctor to call you.  It can take 2 - 5 days to hear back from them.  In our case - probably because Steve is 67 and had COVID pneumonia - they called within 1 day and were able to prescribe a covid kit of medications (list is below). 

The next tricky part was finding a local pharmacy that would fill the prescriptions.  I almost had to drive 2 hours to fill the prescription - but, fortunately found a pharmacy closer (30 min away).  

So, on day 10 - I finally had the prescriptions in hand, and Steve started the prescribed protocol. 

Meanwhile, Steve’s oxygen levels were below 94 and would drop far lower when he was barely moving around just to use the restroom.  I knew I had to get oxygen for him - it was critical. I learned that getting oxygen prescribed is no easy feat. America's Front Line Docs were not able to write that prescription, because it requires the physical charting (or something like that). Fortunately, a local urgent care clinic that we visited was able to assist us with prescribing oxygen which was then delivered to the house. 

We finally had all of the tools for a full recovery at home. Within 2 days - everything started improving for him. The difference in his health was unbelievable in the best way. These critical resources saved his life.

After the initial round meds ran out (10 days later) - Steve continued to improve but his oxygen levels and heart rate were fluctuating.  It was a bit worrisome. I contacted America’s Front Line Doctors, and they prescribed one more round of all of the meds (except Fluvoxamine and HCQ). That did the trick.  Within 2 weeks, his oxygen levels were above 94, and his heart rate settled. By weeks 5 and 6, he was able to walk a good distance in our hilly neighborhood. Today, I truly believe that he has now fully recovered. 

It is so upsetting to me that medical care or these meds were not readily available to Steve much earlier in the process. What happens to people who aren’t as persistent or resourceful as I was? How many people died because of this? 

Here is what the list of meds were:

• HCQ (we could not use this because you must start within first 3 days of symptoms)
• Ivermectin - 10 days Jackie 12mg / Steve 16 mg - 1x per day
• Doxycycline - 100 mg - 10 days, twice a day for secondary infections (sinus, bronchitis, pneumonia)
• Fluvoxamine - 50 mg - 10 days, twice a day if Ivermectin isn't working
• Aspirin - 325 mg day (to avoid clotting)
• Budesonide - 1mg / 2 ml - nebulizer 2x per day
• Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation solution (nebulized) - 2.5 mg / 3 ml - as needed for cough, shortness of breath, wheezing
• Methylprednisolone (oral tablets) 

Plus antihistamine, ibuprofen, etc.

Here is the link to the FLCCC and their COVID protocols for various phases:

https://covid19criticalcare.com/covid-19-protocols/

As for my journey - while I felt pretty bad at times for about 2 weeks, I was functional and could act as a caretaker and advocate for Steve.

Throughout our journey, we were very blessed with healing energies and prayers from family and friends that we know made a huge difference in our outcomes.  We are incredibly grateful to this day for that love and support.