i-MASK Protocol by FLCCC: COVID Prevention and Treatment (2022)
The I-Mask protocol for prevention and early treatment (is now divided into I-Prevent and I-Care protocols) are
physiologic-based combination treatment regimens developed by leaders in
critical care medicine. All component prescription medicines and vitamins are
FDA-approved, inexpensive, readily available and have been used for decades with
well-established safety profiles.
Please check this post regularly for updates – new medications may be added and/or dose changes to existing medications may be made as further scientific studies emerge.
1. Vitamin D3 - Anti-inflammatory and Anti-coagulant
d.velop Vitamin D Supplements 2400 IU, 20 mcg – High Potency Vitamin D3
2. Quercetin - Anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, zinc ionophore and
anti-viral
Quercetin Dosage for COVID
Precaution: Quercetin should be used with caution in patients
with hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) and relevant thyroid
hormone levels should be monitored.
3. Vitamin C - Anti-inflammatory
Vitamin C may be one of the most well-known immune nutrients that
protect against immune deficiencies and which supports the
prevention and recovery from the common cold and upper-respiratory
issues, and also protects your cardiovascular system, eyes, skin,
and other parts of your body. Research has found that vitamin C may
help to optimize the immune system.
While generally considered safe even in high doses, way too
much vitamin C — anything above 2,000 milligrams daily—can
cause headaches, insomnia, diarrhoea, heartburn, and other
issues. Temporarily taking megadoses of vitamin C supplements to
combat a case of the cold or flu is likely not going to cause
a problem.
For long-term, daily use, your best bet is to eat a diet that
is full of high quality organic vegetables and fruits that are
minimally processed. Not only will you get vitamin C, but you
will get all the other accessory nutrients and micronutrients
that are needed to optimize it.
Excessive doses may interfere with copper absorption, which could negatively affect your immune system as it can cause copper deficiencies, blood disorders and potentially permanent nerve damage. Zinc can also impair the absorption of antibiotics, and use of zinc nasal gels or swabs has been linked to temporary or permanent loss of smell.
Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve Tablets, 5mg
Scope Mouthwash
Disclaimer: Recommended products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure,
or prevent any disease. Always consult your healthcare provider prior to
adding any nutritional supplement to your routine.
McCullough et al. Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2020
Please check this post regularly for updates – new medications may be added and/or dose changes to existing medications may be made as further scientific studies emerge.
I-MASK+ Prevention & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 was
designed for use as a prevention and in early outpatient treatment, for those
who test positive for COVID-19. Component nutrients include vitamin D, C,
melatonin, quercetin and zinc.
To help you get quality supplements in this protocol, we've put together a
supplement and over the counter recommendations.
1. Vitamin D3 - Anti-inflammatory and Anti-coagulant
Vitamin D deficiency affects the body’s susceptibility to infection and
has been associated with influenza, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) and other viral diseases. Surveys indicate that
most people in the United States consume less than recommended amounts
of vitamin D [Source].
Sun exposure, which increases serum 25(OH)D levels, is one of the
reasons serum 25(OH)D levels are usually higher than would be predicted
on the basis of dietary vitamin D intakes alone.
The FLCCC recommends Vitamin D3 for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
According to this webinar (below) by Dr Pierre Kory and Dr. Keith Berkowitz:
(Video time: 11:30 - 12:30) - Vitamin D3 (regular form) does not work in acute illness. It doesn't become active for at least a week... Vitamin D3 is for prevention and you should continue to take it if your levels are below 50 ng/ml...
There is only one form of vitamin D that will have an acute impact and that is calcifediol (vitamin D3 analog) (Amazon).
- Calcifediol, the form of vitamin D in d.velop, doesn’t need to be processed by the liver, it can be absorbed right into the bloodstream and throughout your body. That's why calcifediol is 3x more effective for raising vitamin D levels when compared to regular vitamin D on an equal microgram (mcg) basis.
- Price: USD 18 (0.30 / count) | Buy on Amazon
Safety: Daily intakes of up to 25–100 mcg (1,000 IU–4,000 IU) vitamin D in foods and dietary supplements are safe for
children (depending on their age) and up to 100 mcg (4,000 IU) are
safe for adults. These values, however, do not apply to individuals
receiving vitamin D treatment under the care of a physician. Higher
intakes (usually from supplements) can lead to nausea, vomiting,
muscle weakness, confusion, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration,
excessive urination and thirst, and kidney stones. In extreme cases,
vitamin D toxicity causes renal failure, calcification of soft tissues
throughout the body (including in coronary vessels and heart valves),
cardiac arrhythmias, and even death.
Related: Best Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplement
2. Quercetin - Anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, zinc ionophore and
anti-viral
Quercetin is a pigment that is found in plants, vegetables, and fruits,
and serves as an immune nutrient offering many health benefits.
Elderberry, red onions, white onions and cranberries are the richest
sources of quercetin. It is a flavonoid and antioxidant that may help
to reduce inflammatory cytokines, infections, allergies and anti-blood clot property. Research has found that quercetin may be particularly beneficial
for viral respiratory infections.
Quercetin Dosage for COVID
The FLCCC recommends quercetin 250-500 mg daily for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and 250 mg twice daily for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
Quercetin works best when taken with vitamin C and Bromelain, as vitamin C helps activate it and bromelain
helps with the absorption.
Type and Form of Quercetin for COVID
Evidence for quercetin phytosome: A Randomised Controlled Trial
of 152 outpatients with COVID-19 in Pakistan, 76 treated
with quercetin phytosome, showed lower mortality, ICU admission,
and hospitalisation with treatment (International Journal of General Medicine, May 2021)
Quercetin and ivermectin interactions? According to Drugs.com: "No interactions were found between ivermectin and
Quercetin. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist.
Always consult your healthcare provider."
Related: Best Quercetin Zinc Supplement
3. Vitamin C - Anti-inflammatory
Vitamin C may be one of the most well-known immune nutrients that
protect against immune deficiencies and which supports the
prevention and recovery from the common cold and upper-respiratory
issues, and also protects your cardiovascular system, eyes, skin,
and other parts of your body. Research has found that vitamin C may
help to optimize the immune system.
Do take note that the vitamin C dosages given in the hospitals
intravenously are different from those over the counter vitamin C
supplements. Therefore, when you come across studies on vitamin C,
you need to differentiate those that are given intravenously vs oral
vitamin C.
Vitamin C and COVID-19
Check out the evidence tracker on vitamin C and COVID-19
from c19vitaminc.com (constantly updated).
Most people turn to vitamin C after they've caught a cold. That’s
because it helps build up your immune system. Vitamin C is thought
to increase the production of white blood cells. These are key to
fighting infections. Some of the most vitamin C-rich foods include
citrus fruits, from tangerines to limes, along with leafy greens,
bell peppers, papaya and broccoli. Berries are another great
source, and they all provide this and other potent antioxidants,
which support your immune response and help to rebuild collagen.
Because your body doesn't produce or store it, you need daily
vitamin C for continued health. Almost all citrus fruits are high
in vitamin C.
Vitamin C might help prevent COVID-19 and also lessen the
inflammatory reactions behind some severe COVID-19 cases,
according to a review of research on the topic published in the latest issue of the journal Nutrition.
The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 75
to 120 milligrams per day.
The FLCCC recommends vitamin C 500-1,000 mg twice daily for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
Many vitamin C supplements that are above the US RDA are sold
in the market. It’s important to seek a physician’s advice if
you intend to take high dose vitamin C on a long term basis.
To be on the safe side, you may also request for your kidney
functions to be monitored.
4. Zinc - Anti-viral
Zinc is another powerful immune nutrient known for its benefits
for providing immune health support and inflammation reduction as
well as for improving cold and respiratory symptoms, wound
healing, acne reduction, and lowering the risk of age-related
diseases. This trace element is essential to to cell function and
involved in over 100 enzymes. Research on atherosclerosis and
diabetes mellitus suggests that zinc deficiency may contribute to
low-grade systemic inflammation.
Aging is associated with compromised immunity, that just means
that your immune response to pathogens and infections starts to
slow and is less robust, including a reduced vaccine immune
response/efficacy.
Improving zinc intake/zinc status improves/modulates/enhances immune function. The flip side is, while some aspects of immunity slow, others increase. Uncontrolled immune responses drive excess inflammation. Zinc helps to balance all of this.
Improving zinc intake/zinc status improves/modulates/enhances immune function. The flip side is, while some aspects of immunity slow, others increase. Uncontrolled immune responses drive excess inflammation. Zinc helps to balance all of this.
Zinc Form and Dosage
There are several types of zinc supplements. Supplements contain several forms of zinc, including zinc gluconate, zinc citrate and zinc picolinate. The percentage of elemental zinc varies by form. To find out the percentage of elemental zinc in each form, check out elemental zinc percentage. Most supplements will normally indicate the amount of elemental zinc on their product labeling.
Chelated zinc is a general form of supplementary zinc in which
the zinc is chelated — or bound — to a compound to make it
easier for the body to absorb. Zinc picolinate or zinc gluconate
are formed when zinc is chelated to picolinic acid or gluconic
acid, so the main difference between zinc gluconate and
picolinate is what compound it is bound to.
There are several types of zinc supplements. Supplements contain several forms of zinc, including zinc gluconate, zinc citrate and zinc picolinate. The percentage of elemental zinc varies by form. To find out the percentage of elemental zinc in each form, check out elemental zinc percentage. Most supplements will normally indicate the amount of elemental zinc on their product labeling.
For prevention of respiratory viruses, zinc lozenges are
preferred in order to spread the zinc through the tissues of the
nose, mouth and throat. Unlike swallowed zinc, lozenges can
spread zinc through these tissues quickly in response to
symptoms, because their ability to spread zinc through these
tissues is not limited by intestinal zinc transporters.
To find out which zinc supplement to consider, check out best zinc supplement.
Most people do not lack an intake of zinc, but in disease
state, there might be an increase in demand by the body.
The FLCCC recommends zinc 30 - 40 mg daily for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and 75 - 100 mg daily for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
Caution: This should not be taken long term without evaluation of your zinc/copper ratios.
Safety: Taking zinc long term is typically safe for
healthy adults, as long as the daily dose is under the set upper
limit of 40 mg of elemental zinc (PubMed). Be aware that typical daily doses of zinc provided by zinc
lozenges generally exceed tolerable upper limits for zinc, and
for this reason, they should not be used for longer than about a week.
Excessive doses may interfere with copper absorption, which could negatively affect your immune system as it can cause copper deficiencies, blood disorders and potentially permanent nerve damage. Zinc can also impair the absorption of antibiotics, and use of zinc nasal gels or swabs has been linked to temporary or permanent loss of smell.
The ideal dose for prevention while the COVID-19 risk is high
is 40-100 mg/d, a portion of which comes from zinc lozenges to
spread the zinc through the tissues of the nose, mouth and
throat. It should be accompanied by at least 1 mg copper from
food and supplements for every 15 mg zinc.
Do take note that you should keep the dosage back to within
40 mg/d once the exposure risk is back to normal.
5. Melatonin - Anti-inflammatory and anti-viral
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain,
mainly during the night, that helps regulate circadian rhythms [Source]. Its levels decrease with aging. Most melatonin supplementation studies have evaluated its ability to control sleep and
wake cycles, promote sleep, and reduce jet lag.
The potential utility of melatonin in treating COVID patients has
not gone unnoticed, with a PubMed search combining melatonin and
COVID producing more than 50 citations.
Check out the evidence tracker on melatonin and COVID-19 from c19melatonin.com (constantly updated).
Check out the evidence tracker on melatonin and COVID-19 from c19melatonin.com (constantly updated).
As of July 2022, there have been more than 15 published clinical studies of melatonin for treatment and prevention in COVID-19 and
the results are promising even when it's given as a late
treatment.
The FLCCC recommends:
- Begin with 1 mg and increase as tolerated to 6 mg before bedtime (causes drowsiness). Slow- or extended-release formulations preferred for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and
- 5-10 mg before bedtime (causes drowsiness). Slow- or extended-release formulations preferred for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
- #6 Best Seller in sleep supplement category. 4.7 out of 5 overall rating with more than 30,000 customer reviews.
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Safety: If you take a melatonin supplement, be
careful: Too much can cause daytime sleepiness. There is no federal RDA nor any formal advice on supplement dose
ranges. Based on an on-going Spanish study, a 2 mg daily dose protocol is being investigated for prevention
of COVID-19. Do take note that the dosage for 'prevention' and
'treatment' is different, For prevention or maintenance, a lower
dosage is normally recommended whereas a 'treatment' or
'therapeutic' dosage is normally higher.
Typical doses of 1–10 mg/day melatonin appear to be safe for
short-term use (Source). Reported side effects, which are usually minor, include
dizziness, headache, nausea, upset stomach, rash, and sleepiness.
However, some reports have linked high blood levels of melatonin
with delayed puberty and hypogonadism.
Studies have not evaluated melatonin supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but some research suggests that these supplements might inhibit ovarian function (Source). Therefore, some experts recommend that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding avoid taking melatonin.
Studies have not evaluated melatonin supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but some research suggests that these supplements might inhibit ovarian function (Source). Therefore, some experts recommend that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding avoid taking melatonin.
6. Curcumin and Turmeric - Anti-inflammatory and anti-viral
Curcumin, a yellow carotenoid from turmeric, is a nutritional therapeutic recommended as part of the FLCCC I-CARE early treatment protocol, and has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune modulating properties.
18 completed studies of curcumin in COVID-19 suggest that it improves clinical outcome of patients.
Curcumin also acts as natural zinc ionophores and can promote the cellular uptake of zinc and can be used with zinc to increase the effectiveness of these compounds in the inhibition of the virus (Ref).
Curcumin has been demonstrated (Ref) to suppress several inflammatory cytokines and mediators of their release such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1, IL-8 and nitric oxide synthase.
The FLCCC recommends curcumin 500 mg twice daily for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
Curcumin, a yellow carotenoid from turmeric, is a nutritional therapeutic recommended as part of the FLCCC I-CARE early treatment protocol, and has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune modulating properties.
Curcumin also acts as natural zinc ionophores and can promote the cellular uptake of zinc and can be used with zinc to increase the effectiveness of these compounds in the inhibition of the virus (Ref).
Curcumin has been demonstrated (Ref) to suppress several inflammatory cytokines and mediators of their release such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1, IL-8 and nitric oxide synthase.
The FLCCC recommends curcumin 500 mg twice daily for prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and for early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
7. Nigella Sativa (Black Seed Oil) and Cytokine Storm - Anti-inflammatory
Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is a small flowering plant that grows in Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe (Source). This shrub produces fruit with tiny black seeds. Commonly referred to as black seed, N. sativa seeds go by many other names, such as black cumin, black caraway, nigella, fennel flower, and Roman coriander (Source).
Black seed oil is extracted from N. sativa seeds and has been used in traditional medicine for over 2,000 years due to its many therapeutic benefits.
Thymoquinone which is the active ingredient in N. sativa seeds has demonstrated effects in significantly reducing the cytokine storm chances and consequent mortalities (Source).
Summary results of 7 published clinical studies are available on this dedicated webpage: c19ns.com. The 4 RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials) provide promising evidence that Nigella Sativa was associated with an impressive average improvement of 83% in decreasing the likelihood of death and hospitalization if given as early treatment.
The FLCCC recommends black seed oil 80 mg/kg daily for both prevention (I-Prevent Protocol) and early treatment (I-Care Protocol).
8. Mouthwash
The COVID-19 Delta variant replicates to achieve high viral loads in the throat. Therefore, appropriate mouthwashes will likely reduce the viral load in the throat and thereby reducing the risk of severe disease due to the viral load in the lungs.
One of the key approaches to minimize the risk of severe COVID-19 and also transmission would be to reduce the viral load of COVID-19 virus in the saliva and throat. A lab study demonstrated that CPC (CetylPyridinium Chloride) was highly effective against a human coronavirus (BioRxiv 2020, BioRxiv 2020). CPC mouthwash is also part of the FLCCC protocol for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
There are lots of great mouthwashes out there, and this list is by
no means complete. For a recommended list of therapeutic
mouthwashes with proven anti-COVID-19 ingredient that you can buy
over the counter, check out
best mouthwashes for COVID-19.
- Instruction: twice a day or after having been out for prevention, and three times a day for early treatment of COVID-19.
-
Ingredients: Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), Water,
Alcohol (15 Wt%), Glycerin, Flavor, Polysorbate 80, Sodium
Saccharin, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Blue 1, Yellow 5.
- Price: $6.86 | Buy on Amazon
Key Takeaways
As soon as you have symptoms, consult your healthcare provider and start treatment as early as possible. If treatment is
delayed i.e. after 5 days of symptoms, your chances of severe COVID
are higher.
For the updated version of the prevention and early out-patient treatment protocol,
check out I-Prevent Protocol and early treatment I-Care Protocol.
For post-covid or long covid syndrome, check out Long Haulers Treatment Protocol.
Related Product: Z-Stack Supplement
In an effort to make it easier for patients, Dr Zelenko has developed an oral supplement that contains all four key ingredients: vitamin C, quercetin, vitamin D3 and zinc. It’s referred to as 'Z-Stack Supplement'.
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Z-Stack Vitamin cocktail provides key ingredients needed in order to help your body fight off this deadly invader.
The cost of the Z-STACK vitamin cocktail is $55 per bottle for a one month supply.
Where to buy Z-Stack: Z-stack is available on Dr Zelenko's website. Here is the link: Z Stack Supplement
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