Have you tried this treatment? Stellate Ganglion Block study

Interesting results! I, too, have uncontrollable blood pressure and tachycardia. and now COVID-induced asthma. Cardiac workup shows nothing (heart monitor and echocardiogram).
I haven't finished my lung workup (cardiac workup was required to rule out before lung workup), but I suspect the same.

After some research, I read an article NIH published regarding the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system upset directly attributable to COVID. There are thousands of recommended exercises (simple and free) that I have been seriously undertaking (in the last week). I have made significant progress in getting this under control. So much so, will soon ask for a 1/2 reduction in both BP and HR meds if this trend continues for the next 2 weeks. I looked at the ganglion block, but because I'm still not through the lung testing, I'm a ways out from any such treatment. Keeping it in my back pocket just in case.

When I initially had COVID, I read about using lavender oil to retrain my brain to smell. I completed the recommended process, and my sense of smell slowly returned in three weeks. Not sure if a direct correlation, but I was happy when my sense of smell returned. I don't believe I have any smell loss - 6 months past the initial infection.

My wife Diana has had LC for about 3 years. After the usual struggles finding a Dr that would work with her we found a PCP that was willing to try Prendisone. The course of treatment did help but didn't provide significant improvement. Last fall while reading this blog I found the sections regarding using the Stellage Ganglion Block as a treatment. We researched it and found several small studies (40-50 participants) that showed benefits from the SGB. After discussing it Diana said she wanted to try it. Her PCP was willing to give her a referral to the local Pain Clinic and we met with a Dr there that was willing to try the procedure to see if it would help. On 3/27/25 she had a single shot on the right side performed. The results have been very good. I have been logging each of the first 10 days and how it has gone. I will attach that log to this site.

Please note, we are NOT doctors and this isn't medical advice. It is however a personal account of a treatment she tried that has helped her as an individual. This treatment isn't a cure all but for LC sufferers it is something to be looked at. I wonder if it is more helpful if your symptoms fall more into the autonomic nervous system categories than others?

Thanks. This is great information

I wanted to post a followup on Diana's status about 1 1/2 months after her first SGB treatment. So far the treatment has been durable, her fatigue and PEM have been signicantly reduced. She is now walking 1.3 miles a day and not having signifcant crashes. Brain fog is still present in short term memory but other congitive function (working with her cell phone, starting to do jigsaw puzzles again) have been better. Less prevalent symptoms like GI issues and sleep disturbances have been better also. A quote from Diana " I feel like it has given me my life back".

I am NOT a doctor but have researched the information on the web and seen the results first hand. If you are having symptoms that may fall under the Neurological grouping or have Dysautonomia, please check out this treatment. There are Pain Clinics around the country that are offering this as a "off label" treatment. In our case I would like to thank the Interventional Pain Managment Clinic in Mountain Home Arkansas for being willing to let Diana try this treatment, it has been a game changer for her. I will try to post a link below to a web video where a Dr discusses using the SGB for PTSD and LC. Check it out.
https://lebtown.com/2024/12/05/dr-michael-fishman-introduces-innovative-treatment-for-ptsd-and-long-covid-with-stellate-ganglion-block-therapy/

Hi. I had the stellar ganglion block in California but wasn’t able to have insurance cover it. Would you share what diagnosis code they used for coverage? It was quite expensive.
It did help with brain fog, exhaustion and heart palpitations. Also digestion is better. I think I will need another time to optimize the results.
Thank you

Hello, are you able to share more on how you got insurance to cover it for long COVID? I have had some success with the treatment but will need more and it is very expensive. Almost four years of this and after the injections I woke up and thought “wow, it’s me. “
Thank you

wonderful

Getting insurance to cover SGB was a pain. Basically you have to make a compelling case that the treatment is medically necessary. I cited some case studies showing initial promise of the treatment (I listed them below - but there are likely more up-to-date ones now). I explained how there are no FDA approved treatments for long-COVID, so everything is experimental at this point (my initial denial was due to it being experimental).

In your case, I would include your testimony plus that of your physician's on how the treatment has helped. Generally when used for chronic conditions, you need SGBs every so often (my provider said you had to wait a minimum of 3 months; I tend to go 5 to 6 months in between before needing it for my lungs). So try to find some evidence about that, whether for long-COVID or not, and include that too.

Finally, I worked with a health advocacy non-profit to help with my appeal to insurance. You should be able to call your local United Way to see if such a service exists in your area.

Hope this advice helps...best of luck!

Here are the studies I cited in my insurance appeal (but that was 2+ years ago so these are somewhat out of date):

1. “ Know Your Treatment Options for COVID-19”. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/know-your-treatment-options-covid-19
2. “Stellate Ganglion Block”. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17507-stellate-ganglion-block
3. “Stellate Ganglion Block Successfully Treats Long COVID/PASC: A Case Series”. https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-873830/v1/80a84314-a831-4ee8-bd3e-cc6501beda46.pdf?c=1631889297
4. “A Review of Stellate Ganglion Block as an Adjunctive Treatment Modality”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10029323/
5. “Stellate Ganglion Block for Long COVID Symptom Management: A Case Report”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9822527/
6. “Stellate ganglion block reduces symptoms of Long COVID: A case series”. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165572821003118

The only direct diagnosis was this text "sympathetically maintained pain" for the information associated with this procedure.
I also have the following on my chart. It only shows text, not the codes.
Weakness
Other fatigue
Primary hypertension (started with Long COVID).
Post-COVID chronic fatigue
Procedure codes as follows:
HB INJ CERVICAL SYMP NERVE BK [64510 CPT(R)]
HB PAIN INJECTION PROC TRAY [80008268 Custom]
HB US GUIDE NEEDLE PLACE BIOPSY ASP/INJ/LOC S&I [76942 CPT(R)]

Good luck. At this point, probably not related to any medical procedures but simply time, my remaining issue continues to be fatigue.