Emergency Solutions for LC "Voltage Collapse"
When Your Body Suddenly Shuts Down After Sunlight, Stress, and Mild Exertion
I'm going to give you a brief overview of why this happens from a biochemistry point of view, and my personal first aid kit for quick recovery. This is for targetted repair of the main consequences of the Kidney-Electrolyte Instability Subtype of Long Covid damage. See my other post (link to be added later, I'm on the go) for a more thorough explanation of the science of that subtype. This is meant to be a guide for the average person to understand what's going on, the broken pathways that may be behind their voltage collapse, and what I do to get over it quickly.
When Your Body Suddenly Shuts Down After Sunlight, Stress, and Mild Exertion
Why some Long Covid sufferers crash after sunshine, exertion, or not eating/drinking enough, and an emergency first aid kit to recover.
What It Feels Like
“You felt great after getting some sun… but hours later, your body just wouldn’t move. Everything felt heavy. You hit a wall. This is what I call Voltage Collapse—a sudden energy crash tied to how your body handles stress, sunlight, and nutrients.”
In extreme versions of this, you may start having muscle tremors, spasms, cramps, perhaps even unable to get out of bed.
What Causes It
1. Magnesium Depletion from Vitamin D Activation
Sunlight increases Vitamin D production.
Your liver needs magnesium to process it.
This can drain your magnesium levels, affecting nerves and muscles.
2. Melanin Production Uses L-Dopa
Tanning from sun exposure increases melanin.
Melanin uses L-Dopa, which your brain also needs to make dopamine.
Less dopamine = fatigue, low motivation.
3. Melatonin and Serotonin Depletion
Sunlight and stress affect serotonin levels.
Serotonin is also used to make melatonin, which supports mitochondria (your energy factories).
Both serotonin and dopamine depend on a biochemical called BH4.
How It All Adds Up
Stress → uses dopamine to make norepinephrine
Sunlight → increases tanning (melanin) → uses L-Dopa
Mitochondria → use melatonin → drains serotonin
All these above need BH4 to work
Vitamin D → uses up magnesium
Result: You run out of key nutrients → nervous system can't keep up → voltage crash.
Andrew's First Aid Kit for Voltage Crashes
Electrolyte Drinks with Magnesium (e.g., coconut water, Gatorade/Gatorlyte, LMNT, Re-Lyte)
Eat Tyrosine-Rich Foods (meat, dairy, tofu, pumpkin seeds) or Tyrosine Supplement
Melatonin Supplements (start low, e.g., 1–3mg; only use higher doses like 10mg with care)
Methylated B9 (methyl-folate) & B12 (methyl-cobalamin) to support BH4 production. I like the SmartyPantys gummies (no affiliation, plenty of brands are great)
Pacing and Breaks (avoid pushing through early warning signs)
Learn the Pattern
Voltage Collapse isn’t random. It’s a chain reaction of nutrient depletion and energy imbalance, often triggered by sun, stress, and exertion. Once you recognize the sigss, you can take steps to manage and even prevent these crashes.
For me, the key symptom is dry mouth. As soon as my throat and mouth feel sticky, a crash is coming. My first response is electrolytes.
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