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Have you tried this treatment? Stellate Ganglion Block study

Posted by afriendofthedevilisafriendofmine @afriendofthedevilisafriendofmine, Sep 18, 2023

Article: Cureus | Stellate Ganglion Block Relieves Long COVID-19 Symptoms in 86% of Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study | Article

DEFINITIONS:

Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB): a procedure where anesthetic is injected near the stellate ganglion, a group of nerves in the neck, to relieve symptoms such as pain or nerve dysfunction.

SUMMARY:

The study evaluated the use of stellate ganglion block (SGB) in the treatment of long COVID-19 syndrome.

Out of the 41 patients who received SGB, 86% experienced a reduction in their symptoms.

The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue and brain fog, which showed the highest response to treatment.

My take: (by Amy E - contributor to the newsletter)

This is what I had done and it has been the biggest game-changer out of all the things I’ve tried!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

nrs78 | @nrs78 | Nov 28, 2024

I am on day two after a bilateral ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block. I have severe dysautonomia (GI, POTS, balance problems, vision disturbances) and chronic fatigue/post exertional malaise. I pushed my normal limits last night and stayed up with family that was in town and woke up feeling REFRESHED this morning, I have been bed ridden as a 24 year old for 7 months and felt stable walking to the bathroom. My brain fog is reduced and all my other symptoms have reduced in just 2 days. I’m not sure if it will continue but I will say I am absolutely shocked, I haven’t felt this good in the morning since before I got sick. I plan to update in a month to see if results stuck. I saw the woman who conducted the study written about in the original post.

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1 reply
mariejoseph | @mariejoseph | Jan 14 9:20pm
In reply to @nrs78 "I am on day two after a bilateral ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block. I have severe..." + (show)
@nrs78

I am on day two after a bilateral ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block. I have severe dysautonomia (GI, POTS, balance problems, vision disturbances) and chronic fatigue/post exertional malaise. I pushed my normal limits last night and stayed up with family that was in town and woke up feeling REFRESHED this morning, I have been bed ridden as a 24 year old for 7 months and felt stable walking to the bathroom. My brain fog is reduced and all my other symptoms have reduced in just 2 days. I’m not sure if it will continue but I will say I am absolutely shocked, I haven’t felt this good in the morning since before I got sick. I plan to update in a month to see if results stuck. I saw the woman who conducted the study written about in the original post.

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I would love to hear how you are feeling now, a couple of months later. My husband has almost constant headaches. He at the 4 year mark with LC and is now pretty much house bound, and sleeps 16+ hours a day.

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janetbender | @janetbender | Feb 9 8:27am
In reply to @potudy "Has anyone tried Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) to improve Long Covid symptoms?" + (show)
@potudy

Has anyone tried Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) to improve Long Covid symptoms?

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I have POTS from Long Covid.
Anyone receive SGP and find it helped their Orthostatic pressure stabilize?
I also read about vagus nerve pressure non-invasive ear clips that some people recommend.

I’m on Fludrocortisone and Midrdine but they’re not working for me.

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yaya77066 | @yaya77066 | Feb 9 8:32pm
In reply to @nrs78 "I am on day two after a bilateral ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block. I have severe..." + (show)
@nrs78

I am on day two after a bilateral ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block. I have severe dysautonomia (GI problems, POTS, balance problems, visual disturbances, etc.) and chronic fatigue/post exertional malaise. I pushed my normal limits last night and stayed up with family that was in town and woke up feeling REFRESHED this morning, I have been bed ridden as a 24 year old for 7 months and felt stable walking to the bathroom. My brain fog is reduced and all my other symptoms have reduced in just 2 days. I’m not sure if it will continue but I will say I am absolutely shocked, I haven’t felt this good in the morning since before I got sick.

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How safe is the procedure? After a year, I seem to be doing a bit better and afraid to rock the boat.

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gerberdaisy19 | @gerberdaisy19 | Feb 9 8:59pm
In reply to @potudy "SGB is now used for other ailments besides pain. For example, it seems to provide relief..." + (show)
@potudy

SGB is now used for other ailments besides pain. For example, it seems to provide relief for PTSD. There have also been several recent publications on SGB helping with some Long Covid symptoms.

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Wow, that’s crazy! I had no idea! It’s one of the only procedures I didn’t research to death so I appreciate your feedback

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shericecole26 | @shericecole26 | Feb 15 5:32am
In reply to @lkirnbauer "Yes, I have had 3 so far and will be going for a 4th in a..." + (show)
@lkirnbauer

Yes, I have had 3 so far and will be going for a 4th in a few weeks. I lost my taste and smell in December of 2022, due to Covid. Here it is April 2024 and only a slight improvement with the injections. They are used, in my case to increase taste and smell. It has only helped minimally, where I get a stronger salty, sweet or sour/bitter taste in my mouth, no flavors however. I can smell ground coffee almost every morning, but the scents are fleeting. I live in the Chicago suburbs and have these injections done at our Northwestern Hospital in the city of Chicago’s Pain Management Clinic. They use an ultra sound to guide them where the injection needs to go into your neck and inject you with Lidocane. It isn’t painful, but the side they inject you on, your eyelid will droop for a while and your sinuses on that side will be stuffed up for about 2 hours. Other than that, it’s quite painless. If you’re considering doing this, be sure you’re going to a reputable hospital that knows what they’re doing. I’ve been told Cleveland Hospital is doing it as well. I wish you all the best!

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Hello, Trace Minerals has a really good Zinc liquid supplement that can be taken with quercetin for absorption. I had a really bad bout of Covid in Sept. 2021 and my sense of smell and taste didn't fully go away and came fully back quickly.

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krisb | @krisb | Feb 19 5:58pm

Yes, it was the foundation to my healing for ANS dysfunction from long covid. Going on 3.5 years of it "sticking" still working. I had both sides done. Out of pocket insurance wouldn't cover for long covid. Google the article "How Long Covied Exhausts the Body" article about ANS dysfunction and long covid and why SGB was a natural choice for me, then Internal Med Long Covid Clinic/ME CFS clinic at Mayo helped me with my other long covid symptoms.

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lkirnbauer | @lkirnbauer | Feb 20 7:41am

I’m wondering, did you also loose your taste and smell with Covid? This is why I’ve had 7 Stellate Ganglion Block Injections, thus far. They’ve helped a bit with my body jitters, but still can’t taste or smell. I’m just not sure how many more of these things I should have. I’m looking for someone to tell me that these injections actually helped with taste and smell. I haven’t read that on this forum yet.

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4mn | @4mn | Feb 27 8:50pm

I had the stellate ganglion block done twice in Anchorage Alaska. It reduced my POTS, brain fog and
fatigue symptoms. It was the turning point to my recovery from long COVID (11 months long)

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pillpd01 | @pillpd01 | Mar 15 8:57pm

Dealing with loud buzzing,headaches,brain fog, post exertional malaise, chronic fatigue since June of 2020. Has anyone tried Stellate ganglion block?
Thankd

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