Long Covid: Kidney-Electrolyte Instability

The first subtype to repair

May 24, 2025

Partial Disclaimer:

This post is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. What worked for me may not work for others. I am providing this for educational and information purposes only. Always consult a healthcare provider before beginning any treatments.
(Full disclaimer at the bottom.)

I’m Andrew, a systems thinker and former burned-out-gifted-kid with undiagnosed ADHD and Autism. When my wife got sick with Covid, I used my background with a BSc in Biology and followed all the research I could to try and find ways to help her get well. Then in 2022 I got Long Covid after our third infection. I thought it was a curse, but it turned out it gave me the opportunity to become my own lab rat.

Doctors didn’t have many answers. So I became the researcher I needed. I dug into physiology, biochemistry, holistic medicine, and mountains of patient stories. Through a lot of trial, error, spreadsheet-wrangling, and autistic pattern-recognition, I started to piece together a framework: different subtypes of Long Covid damage that each needed their own first-aid strategy. It was an n=1 study, a mix of science and anecdote, something I call Long Covid Alchemy.

This post is my first map to help others understand what I discovered about the terrain of this disease. And some guidance on how they might be able to find their own way out. This is one key: rebuilding magnesium and electrolytes. Some days, I felt like my body was powered by a dying phone battery. I'd get up, do a single task, and crash. It wasn’t just muscle fatigue. It was like my nervous sytem just wouldn’t run anymore. I call this feeling voltage collapse.While I’m working to share everything I know about Long COVID, how it works, why it lingers, and most importantly, how to fight back, a sweetlot of my time still goes into just keeping the lights on.

If you’ve found my posts helpful, or if you want to see more deep dives, practical guides, treatment breakdowns, and community tools, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Every subscription helps me spend more time researching, writing, and building resources for those still navigating this beast.

Your support doesn’t just help me, it helps the wvhole Long COVID community.

This post is about what I think is the very first step necessary to make healing possible. The first part of my rough map to Long Covid Recovery.

Voltage Collapse

Ever feel like your body just shorts out?

Like no matter how much you rest, drink water, or eat, your system still can't hold a charge? Or maybe you felt well-enough to put on your mask, enter the world, and things seemed fine. Until suddenly it wasn't. Your muscles weren’t tired, but you feel that internal “low battery” light blinking. Your nervous system seems to be out of energy, literally.

That was me. I call it “Voltage Collapse”, when your body loses its ability to regulate fluids, minerals, and energy. I was suffering an electrical brown-out in my nervous system. The muscles spasmed like flickering lights. My brain slowed down like an overheating computer. I was mentally exhausted.

I don’t think anything else can be fixed until this core instability is repaired.

Also see: Emergency Solutions for Voltage Collapse

The Main Clues

This may sound familiar:

Dizzy when you stand up
Thirsty all the time
Peeing constantly, even at night
Salt cravings
Feeling wired but tired
Deep mental fatigue that feels like your body’s battery never recharges
Odd issues with the heart, irregular beating, or it stops and restarts

If any of that rings a bell, this post is for you.

Why This Happens

COVID seems to mess with how the body handles salt, water, and the hormones that control blood pressure and energy. Here's what I think was going wrong for me:

The virus interferes with how kidneys hold onto salt
It messes with hormones that regulate fluids (like aldosterone and vasopressin)
The nervous system starts misfiring (POTS, dizziness, etc.)
Damage to the system that controls blood pressure (RAAS)

That combo equals chaos. Even if your blood tests look normal, your body might be acting like it's stuck in survival mode.

What Helped Me Stabilize

Let me be clear. I’m not a doctor. I’m someone who ran my body like a science project. And I’ve done everything I can to figure out why these things worked, the biological mechanisms behind the dysfunction. Here’s what helped me. You should always talk to your healthcare provider before trying anything new.

1. Salt and Minerals Saved Me

I drank electrolyte mixes with sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
I upped my salt intake, especially in the morning.
I took magnesium (both pills and liquid drops). Game-changer.

2. Sleeping on an Incline

I raised the head of my bed by about 6 to 8 inches. Sounds weird, but it helped train my body to hold fluids better.

3. Supporting My Hormones

I explored licorice root (not the candy) and supplements like vitamin D, omega-3s, and quercetin: all known to support fluid-regulation hormones.

4. Calming My Nerves

I did breathwork (like the 4-7-8 method).
I wore compression socks to help with blood flow.
I focused on getting morning sunlight and stable sleep routines.

What I Ate to Rebuild

Once I had the basics down, I used food as medicine.

For Magnesium:

Pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, almonds, beans

For Sodium (Salt):

Unrefined sea salt, bone broth, pickles, olives

For Potassium:

Cooked greens, avocado, squash, sweet potatoes, bananas

For Collagen and Repair:

Gelatin powder, oxtail soup, egg whites, citrus

Why This Matters

Fixing this "electrolyte instability" was step one for me. Nothing else worked without this first foundation: no brain support, no mitochondrial supplements, no gut healing, until I got the salts back. Our blood and cells are like an internal ocean, and we need the right mix of salts to function.

It wasn’t just about drinking more water. It was about training my body to hold energy again. I was restoring the proper voltage to the power lines.

Please Consider Supporting This Work

While I’m working to get everything I know about Long Covid and how to get over it out as fast and accurately as I can, a lot of my time has to go into working to pay the bills. If I can earnPlease Consider Helping Out

While I’m working to share everything I know about Long COVID, how it works, why it lingers, and most importantly, how to fight back,a lot of my time still goes into just keeping the lights on.

Your support doesn’t just help me, it helps the whole Long COVID community.

What’s Next

This is just the beginning. I’ve been mapping out other subtypes of Long Covid and creating a system to help people figure out what kind of damage they have and what might help. These early posts are sort of emergency protocols: first-aid for someone suffering Long Covid based on what worked for me. The first 5 foundational types of Long Covid damage that I think need to be fixed first, before other treatments can be effective.

I’m building a guide, a kind of map, so that others don’t have to spend years lost like I did. If you're interested, follow along. This is just the first chapter. There’s so much more to follow.

You’re not broken. You’re just running on a underpowered circuit. And it can be rebuilt.

All the best in your health,

Andrew, the Long Covid Alchemist

Disclaimer: This Substack post and any links are provided for informational purposes only, based on a science-driven and holistic approach to common Long Covid health concerns. The author is not a licensed medical professional, and nothing shared here is intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and usefulness of the information provided, errors or omissions may still exist. This content should not be considered exhaustive or authoritative and is not a substitute for professional medical guidance. This work will undoubtably be edited and amending in the future.

Some remedies, protocols, or supplements discussed here may not be reviewed or approved by regulatory bodies such as the FDA or Health Canada. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own discretion and risk.

The author assumes no liability for any harm, injury, or loss arising from the use or misuse of any information provided in this post, or any accompanying documents. This includes any consequences related to the use of plants, supplements, or other substances mentioned.

Names and identifying details may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.