Thanks. I’m in complete agreement with you and we’re about to start a large clinical trial of a GLP-1 drug vs placebo for Long Covid. Perhaps I should have emphasized the vast differences vs other peptides more
One other comment. I guess I'm old but in the early 1980s I started private practice and we were doing research on this wonderful drug called flecainide. Before stents we had many patients survive the coronary care unit, but end up with significant cardiomyopathy. EKG showed frequent PVCs. Patient felt them and we were scared to death that they were going to have sudden death. We gave them this magic drug well tolerated that made all the PVCs literally disappear. I remember this so clearly we thought we were saving lives. Until the patients started dying. Their EKG looked better, but they died.
Have all the physicians forgotten this story and how many others are there out there ? I remember at the ACC meeting all the parties touting the medication. You could not buy yourself a drink if you tried. In retrospect, not a good part of our history.
How could physicians in good conscience inject bioactive agents into patients, knowing what we know about untested medication that seem like a good idea at the time?
If you're smart enough to be a doc you could've been an investment banker and make more in a year than you would've made your entire career as a physician.
The reward for being a physician is your ability to impact positively the lives of so many people. It's not about the money. If you really practiced, there are situations where you would've paid someone to take your place.
Concierge care is one thing and I understand there's a free market for that.
We know where the bodies are buried and you have to tell the patients honestly what you do and do not know .
Thank you for all you've done. They forget there's a reason most of us have gray hair. It's just mind-boggling seeing a generational change in physician behaviors now that I have become a patient , family and an advocate for others. I guess they don't know what they don't know. That is the kind version.
You are, once again, offering a profound public service with this post. Fear of aging and dying, coupled with too much spare change, seem to be big factors, and with celebrities who know nothing about science, not to mention a charlatan in charge of HHS, but hey, what could possibly go wrong? There is so much we should be focusing on and investing in to help us age as gracefully as possible, to get the health care and other support we need as we age, and to learn how to face death itself. Instead, we seem to have an epidemic of denial—and on so many fronts. I have restacked, and I do hope this essay will be widely read and shared.
It amazes me that the same people who are willing to spend thousands of dollars for unproven and possibly dangerous injections refuse vaccines that have been proven safe and effective for over 50 years.
Our group, Austin Heart practices in the Texas "L" towns where the patients average age is 80 and they live with mom and dad! They are still at that age putting up fences , throwing hay (50 lb bales-a stress test surrogate) and most do not have " the internet". I always ate lunch and drank the water just in case. Of course DNA could have a role. I suspect lifestyle though. One of the patients told me about life during the depression. They got a newspaper a few days a week, but other than that, knew they were poor, but did the best they could helping each other on the farm. There's something to say about the lifestyle effect on your cardiovascular system as well as your mental health. Sadly providers lose objectivity when you can convince people to pay insane amounts of money for the equivalent of the "elixir" that I have on my desk from the 1800s. GLP's seem to be a transformative because telling people to walk more and eat less did not work. But at least there's data.... this is beyond insane. What could possibly go wrong injecting untested bioactive substances into your bloodstream?
Also, as an aside, I remind people that I had my screening colonoscopy five days before I was rear ended stopped next to a school bus disembarking children by someone going 70 miles an hour. Traumatic DVT ,pulmonary embolism and infarct followed. At least they knew it was unlikely that the Lovenox would cause a lower GI bleed.
God has a way of laughing at you and your plans for a longevity.
I’d love a review of the collagen peptides as these are another supplement about which there are many claims (bone and joint health) hair skin and nail health. I am unclear on the data
Thank you for the incredible service you provide—I’m an avid reader and deeply appreciate your work. I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this piece: many influencers are irresponsibly promoting unproven solutions, often putting the public at risk. That said, I think it’s important to distinguish that from the off-label use of GLP-1s for migraines and other chronic pain conditions. A well-regarded neurologist I follow prescribes them in such cases, largely because there are so few effective options for migraine prevention, pain relief and complex illnesses such as ME/CFS and Long Covid.
Personally, I’ve suffered from debilitating migraines for over 30 years—they’ve stolen so much of my life. If microdosing a GLP-1 can ease that suffering and help me reclaim even part of my life, I’m all for it. I’ve tried every standard preventive treatment with no success, all with their own list of side effects, as well as the potential negative impacts of polypharmacy.
Many migraine prevention drugs—aside from the relatively new CGRP inhibitors—have historically been prescribed off-label (beta blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants), so that practice isn’t necessarily a red flag. Still, I would love to see pharmaceutical companies conduct proper clinical trials for this use, though I’m not sure they’ll be motivated to pursue it.
I fully agree with you. Using a GLP-1 peptide for an off-label use, a drug class with mountains of rigorous data, is altogether different from unstudied, unapproved peptides. We are indeed soon starting a large trial a GLP-1 drug with placebo control in participants with Long Covid.
Amazing isn't it? How so many folks are willing to be injected with substances they have not read about first. No worries about side effects? I guess time will tell how well the body has tolerated these peptides. People will go to great lengths to slow aging, but not protect their health with a Covid or pneumonia vaccination. Those can prolong life as well.
And yes, it's here in Omaha also. My mother-in-law used to say "All the best stuff starts in California and then slowly moves East". But she was referring to the beginning of the karaoke craze.
Question: You make it clear that you are negative on NAD injections and infusions. Are you negative as well on taking NAD pills. I don't do anything but NAD supplements have been recommended to me. Thanks!
I hate that these people are preying on those with chronic illness, not only the wealthy elderly. I've had long COVID since 2020. Getting any real help has been a battle. A functional medicine doctor recently recommended trying peptides from a company called LevelUp. I ordered one with larazotide (supposed to help with barrier function, possibly brain as well as gut) since I'd already been waiting years for that to be approved by the FDA though it failed it's Crohn Disease trial. He also recommended BPC-157, which I did not order yet. I'm glad I read this article before I did.
I’ve also had long covid since 2020, but did experiment with peptides. Some made me worse, some no effect. I have two more in my fridge to try (Humanin and BPC) but I’ve developed risk fatigue and too scared. It’s so frustrating because we just want the government to find a treatment for us.
I completely understand your risk fatigue. I buy some things that might help and then don't want to try in case they make me worse or cause side effects. I participated in the Yale Paxlovid trial and that really messed up my gut. I'm getting a stellate ganglion nerve block at UCSD to see if it can help return my sense of smell. I'm not sure if both sides need to be done to see if it will have any effect., but we're starting with one. Luckily, my insurance approved it. The procedure has risks so a little nervous, but we'll see how it goes. Antihistamines, curcumin, quercetin and creatine have definitely helped me (and antifungals since I've had a fungal infection since Covid) the most of what I've tried.
Thank you. I am interested in quality of life as I age. I am 72 and looking to start HRT as I missed out due to WHI flawed study. I hesitate to take any drugs whatsoever but want to try transdermal and creams to see if it addresses bone loss, hair thinning, mood swings and the like. I’m not looking for a magic wand or the fountain of youth - just to utilize avenues that may help me as I age. I understand the HRT available today is superior to the decade in which k should’ve received it.
Eric, I gave a poster at a recent conference outlining a hypothesis I'd like to share with you. The majority of age-related treatments are just that, treatments. They are not generaly preventative. As you have pointed out, avoiding mutagenic diets and environments, along exercise are preventative. I'd like to discuss how altering translation levels of one gene may slow or help prevent presentation of many diseases with age, combined with diet and exercise.
Dr. Phillips..."God has axesycof laughing at you & your plans for longevity" 👍🤗
I am confident that God or alternatively ones chosen spiritual 'reference' is not "laughing" yet 🤔
I have offered my flock so many gifts, in particular intelligence yet far too many walk out into traffic without looking both ways. Those with the freedom of choice, truly should choose more widely 🙏
Thanks. I’m in complete agreement with you and we’re about to start a large clinical trial of a GLP-1 drug vs placebo for Long Covid. Perhaps I should have emphasized the vast differences vs other peptides more
What dosage will the trial investigate and will it be oral or injectable?
One other comment. I guess I'm old but in the early 1980s I started private practice and we were doing research on this wonderful drug called flecainide. Before stents we had many patients survive the coronary care unit, but end up with significant cardiomyopathy. EKG showed frequent PVCs. Patient felt them and we were scared to death that they were going to have sudden death. We gave them this magic drug well tolerated that made all the PVCs literally disappear. I remember this so clearly we thought we were saving lives. Until the patients started dying. Their EKG looked better, but they died.
Have all the physicians forgotten this story and how many others are there out there ? I remember at the ACC meeting all the parties touting the medication. You could not buy yourself a drink if you tried. In retrospect, not a good part of our history.
How could physicians in good conscience inject bioactive agents into patients, knowing what we know about untested medication that seem like a good idea at the time?
If you're smart enough to be a doc you could've been an investment banker and make more in a year than you would've made your entire career as a physician.
The reward for being a physician is your ability to impact positively the lives of so many people. It's not about the money. If you really practiced, there are situations where you would've paid someone to take your place.
Concierge care is one thing and I understand there's a free market for that.
We know where the bodies are buried and you have to tell the patients honestly what you do and do not know .
Such great context and wisdom in your comments .
Thanks Matt!
Thank you for all you've done. They forget there's a reason most of us have gray hair. It's just mind-boggling seeing a generational change in physician behaviors now that I have become a patient , family and an advocate for others. I guess they don't know what they don't know. That is the kind version.
You are, once again, offering a profound public service with this post. Fear of aging and dying, coupled with too much spare change, seem to be big factors, and with celebrities who know nothing about science, not to mention a charlatan in charge of HHS, but hey, what could possibly go wrong? There is so much we should be focusing on and investing in to help us age as gracefully as possible, to get the health care and other support we need as we age, and to learn how to face death itself. Instead, we seem to have an epidemic of denial—and on so many fronts. I have restacked, and I do hope this essay will be widely read and shared.
thanks! In complete agreement with your points
It amazes me that the same people who are willing to spend thousands of dollars for unproven and possibly dangerous injections refuse vaccines that have been proven safe and effective for over 50 years.
Our group, Austin Heart practices in the Texas "L" towns where the patients average age is 80 and they live with mom and dad! They are still at that age putting up fences , throwing hay (50 lb bales-a stress test surrogate) and most do not have " the internet". I always ate lunch and drank the water just in case. Of course DNA could have a role. I suspect lifestyle though. One of the patients told me about life during the depression. They got a newspaper a few days a week, but other than that, knew they were poor, but did the best they could helping each other on the farm. There's something to say about the lifestyle effect on your cardiovascular system as well as your mental health. Sadly providers lose objectivity when you can convince people to pay insane amounts of money for the equivalent of the "elixir" that I have on my desk from the 1800s. GLP's seem to be a transformative because telling people to walk more and eat less did not work. But at least there's data.... this is beyond insane. What could possibly go wrong injecting untested bioactive substances into your bloodstream?
Also, as an aside, I remind people that I had my screening colonoscopy five days before I was rear ended stopped next to a school bus disembarking children by someone going 70 miles an hour. Traumatic DVT ,pulmonary embolism and infarct followed. At least they knew it was unlikely that the Lovenox would cause a lower GI bleed.
God has a way of laughing at you and your plans for a longevity.
I’d love a review of the collagen peptides as these are another supplement about which there are many claims (bone and joint health) hair skin and nail health. I am unclear on the data
I'm unclear too. I can't find any meaningful supportive data for the claims being made.
Yes agree but trust your research more than mine!
Thank you for the incredible service you provide—I’m an avid reader and deeply appreciate your work. I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this piece: many influencers are irresponsibly promoting unproven solutions, often putting the public at risk. That said, I think it’s important to distinguish that from the off-label use of GLP-1s for migraines and other chronic pain conditions. A well-regarded neurologist I follow prescribes them in such cases, largely because there are so few effective options for migraine prevention, pain relief and complex illnesses such as ME/CFS and Long Covid.
Personally, I’ve suffered from debilitating migraines for over 30 years—they’ve stolen so much of my life. If microdosing a GLP-1 can ease that suffering and help me reclaim even part of my life, I’m all for it. I’ve tried every standard preventive treatment with no success, all with their own list of side effects, as well as the potential negative impacts of polypharmacy.
Many migraine prevention drugs—aside from the relatively new CGRP inhibitors—have historically been prescribed off-label (beta blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants), so that practice isn’t necessarily a red flag. Still, I would love to see pharmaceutical companies conduct proper clinical trials for this use, though I’m not sure they’ll be motivated to pursue it.
I fully agree with you. Using a GLP-1 peptide for an off-label use, a drug class with mountains of rigorous data, is altogether different from unstudied, unapproved peptides. We are indeed soon starting a large trial a GLP-1 drug with placebo control in participants with Long Covid.
Amazing isn't it? How so many folks are willing to be injected with substances they have not read about first. No worries about side effects? I guess time will tell how well the body has tolerated these peptides. People will go to great lengths to slow aging, but not protect their health with a Covid or pneumonia vaccination. Those can prolong life as well.
And yes, it's here in Omaha also. My mother-in-law used to say "All the best stuff starts in California and then slowly moves East". But she was referring to the beginning of the karaoke craze.
Right. Not the best stuff! Interesting to know it's in Omaha, too. Thanks
Question: You make it clear that you are negative on NAD injections and infusions. Are you negative as well on taking NAD pills. I don't do anything but NAD supplements have been recommended to me. Thanks!
They aren't expensive and seem to be well tolerated. The issue, like the injections, is that there's no evidence of efficacy..
Thanks!
I hate that these people are preying on those with chronic illness, not only the wealthy elderly. I've had long COVID since 2020. Getting any real help has been a battle. A functional medicine doctor recently recommended trying peptides from a company called LevelUp. I ordered one with larazotide (supposed to help with barrier function, possibly brain as well as gut) since I'd already been waiting years for that to be approved by the FDA though it failed it's Crohn Disease trial. He also recommended BPC-157, which I did not order yet. I'm glad I read this article before I did.
I’ve also had long covid since 2020, but did experiment with peptides. Some made me worse, some no effect. I have two more in my fridge to try (Humanin and BPC) but I’ve developed risk fatigue and too scared. It’s so frustrating because we just want the government to find a treatment for us.
I completely understand your risk fatigue. I buy some things that might help and then don't want to try in case they make me worse or cause side effects. I participated in the Yale Paxlovid trial and that really messed up my gut. I'm getting a stellate ganglion nerve block at UCSD to see if it can help return my sense of smell. I'm not sure if both sides need to be done to see if it will have any effect., but we're starting with one. Luckily, my insurance approved it. The procedure has risks so a little nervous, but we'll see how it goes. Antihistamines, curcumin, quercetin and creatine have definitely helped me (and antifungals since I've had a fungal infection since Covid) the most of what I've tried.
Thank you. I am interested in quality of life as I age. I am 72 and looking to start HRT as I missed out due to WHI flawed study. I hesitate to take any drugs whatsoever but want to try transdermal and creams to see if it addresses bone loss, hair thinning, mood swings and the like. I’m not looking for a magic wand or the fountain of youth - just to utilize avenues that may help me as I age. I understand the HRT available today is superior to the decade in which k should’ve received it.
Eric, I gave a poster at a recent conference outlining a hypothesis I'd like to share with you. The majority of age-related treatments are just that, treatments. They are not generaly preventative. As you have pointed out, avoiding mutagenic diets and environments, along exercise are preventative. I'd like to discuss how altering translation levels of one gene may slow or help prevent presentation of many diseases with age, combined with diet and exercise.
Yes my post contains a typo which I have yet to discover how to edit ☹️
JJF Phm 🇨🇦
Dr. Phillips..."God has axesycof laughing at you & your plans for longevity" 👍🤗
I am confident that God or alternatively ones chosen spiritual 'reference' is not "laughing" yet 🤔
I have offered my flock so many gifts, in particular intelligence yet far too many walk out into traffic without looking both ways. Those with the freedom of choice, truly should choose more widely 🙏
JJF Phm 🇨🇦
Just came across this interesting report in your area and would be interested in reading your thoughts: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09263-w
yes, thanks, I posted in it when it came out recently
Sorry to trouble you, but can you help me find your comments on the article?