Common antidepressant may ease long COVID’s crushing fatigue

Date: July 18, 2026 Source: McMaster University Summary: A low-cost antidepressant may offer new hope for people struggling with long COVID fatigue. In a randomized clinical trial involving 399 adults, fluvoxamine significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life compared with a placebo, making it one of the first medications to show meaningful benefits for this disabling condition. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A common antidepressant may become one of the first proven treatments for debilitating long COVID fatigue. Credit: Shutterstock A widely available antidepressant may provide meaningful relief for people experiencing persistent fatigue from long COVID, according to a global clinical trial co-led . Researchers found that fluvoxamine (sold under the brand name Luvox), an inexpensive medication already commonly used to treat depression and other conditions, reduced fatigue and improved quality of life in adults with long COVID. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. A Potential Treatment for Long COVID Fatigue Fatigue is among the most frequent and disabling symptoms reported . For some, the exhaustion is severe enough to interfere with employment, family responsibilities, and everyday activities. Despite the scale of the problem, there are still few treatments supported . "This is an important step forward for patients who have been desperate for evidence-based options," says Edward Mills, senior author, professor in McMaster's Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, and co-principal investigator of the trial. "Fluvoxamine showed consistent and meaningful benefits, and because it's already widely used and well understood, it has clear potential for clinical use." Researchers from Canada, Brazil, and the United States jointly led the study. Clinical sites were located in Belo Horizonte and throughout Minas Gerais, Brazil. The REVIVE-TOGETHER trial brought together investigators from McMaster University, the University of British Columbia, Stanford University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duke University, Georgetown University, and several Brazilian institutions. Testing Fluvoxamine and Metformin The trial included 399 adults in Brazil who had experienced ongoing fatigue for at least 90 days after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants were randomly placed into one of three groups and received fluvoxamine (sold under the brand name Luvox), metformin (a common diabetes medication), or a placebo for 60 days. "We wanted to test whether two existing, widely available, and affordable medications could help. Both had biological reasons to think they might work against long COVID fatigue, but neither had been rigorously tested for this purpose in a proper clinical trial," says Mills.