Positives

• One patient shared their experience with astragalus, noting its “significant impact” on their Long COVID symptoms, which included ME/CFS-related fatigue and brain fog Reddit.
  
  

Negatives

• One patient reported astragalus helped with general post-infectious fatigue but did not move the needle on ME/CFS-specific symptoms despite a month at 500mg twice daily Phoenix Rising.
• Patients on astragalus commonly report rash, headache, fatigue, itching, runny nose, nausea, and diarrhea, and IV astragalus has been linked to irregular heartbeat WebMD.
• Astragalus may decrease lithium excretion (raising blood lithium toward toxic levels) and can interact with immunosuppressant medications used in autoimmune Long COVID phenotypes NCCIH.

Hurdles & Side Effects

• Patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus are commonly told to avoid astragalus because it can make the immune system more active and worsen symptoms Healthline.
• Standardized astragalus extracts (Nature’s Way, Pure Encapsulations) typically cost $20-35 for a 60-day supply, and effective protocols often layer astragalus with salvia or skullcap, multiplying monthly cost Frontiers in Pharmacology.