How does Ketamine IV Therapy Help Patients with Long Covid?

Although the worst of Covid is behind us, the nightmare is far from over for millions of people afflicted with Long Covid. Long Covid, also known as post-Covid syndrome, is when the effects of Covid-19 and its variants linger in your system long after the initial virus has passed.

For most people who survived the coronavirus, the virus came and went in several weeks, and there were no lingering effects. However, for those struggling with Long Covid, the effects last half a year or more after the initial infection. Because of how painful and debilitating Long Covid can be, people are constantly looking for new treatments. Ketamine IV therapy has recently emerged as one of these treatments.

Everyone can get long Covid, but if you fall into any of these categories, you’re more at risk than most. 

What are the symptoms of Long Covid? 

Covid-19 was notorious for having a wide range of symptoms that seemed to differ from person to person. Unfortunately, Long Covid is no different, and the list of possible symptoms is endless. However, here are some of the most prevalent.³

Short term symptoms 

• Cough 
• Fatigue 
• Digestive and bowel issues 
• Tightness in the chest 
• Shortness of breath 
• Fever 
• A fast heartbeat that you can’t slow down 
• Joint pain 
• Loss of taste or smell 

How long does post-Covid syndrome last? 

There’s no true timetable as to how long post-Covid syndrome will last. Like we said before, it manifests differently in everyone, meaning it can last for different lengths in different people. On average, Long Covid will last between 11 and 18 months⁴ from when you originally contracted the virus. 

For some people, Long Covid will only last for a month or two. Others, however, never fully recover and may struggle with Long Covid for the remainder of their life. It largely depends on how bad a bout of Covid and if you fall into one of the at-risk categories. Pre-existing conditions also significantly affect how long post-Covid syndrome will last. 

How can you treat post-Covid syndrome? 

It’s essential to treat post-Covid syndrome for as long as necessary to make a full recovery. Post-Covid, like the original virus itself, can be life-threatening if you leave the symptoms untreated. 

Unfortunately, because everyone’s symptoms are different, there’s no single treatment to cure or relieve Long Covid. Instead, you should see a health professional and ask them to develop a personal recovery plan.

It may even be necessary to enlist the help of multiple health professionals with different specialties to attack Long Covid with a holistic approach. 

Long Covid doesn’t just affect you physically. It also affects you mentally and emotionally, so enlisting a mental health professional might also be necessary. 

Because of the severity of Long Covid and its prevalence, it’s now considered a disability by the ADA.⁶ Recovering from Long Covid can be timely and expensive, so you should strongly consider applying for disability to receive financial help during your recovery. 

Ketamine as a treatment for Long Covid 

Different forms of Long Covid will require different treatments, so Ketamine IV therapy may be beneficial for some people. Although ketamine isn’t a proven treatment to help with the physical ailments of Long Covid, it can help with the neurological effects. 

Ketamine and Naltrexone

In addition to helping with mental recovery, ketamine helps reduce pain⁸ and inflammation, especially when combined with Naltrexone. One of the many effects of Covid is that it inflames and destroys the tissue of your internal organs. Ketamine and Naltrexone, however, help reduce inflammation and tissue death. 

How does Ketamine IV treatment work? 

Ketamine IV treatments work the same way that any other IV treatment⁹ does. 

On average, IV treatments take between 30 and 45 minutes to perform, but they get essential nutrients and drugs into your system faster than any other method. When you use Ketamine and Naltrexone in IV therapy, they enter your veins and are immediately available for your body to use. 

Are there any risks of Ketamine IV treatments? 

As with all medical treatments, IV therapy isn’t without its risks. However, the risks of IV therapy are much smaller and rarer than most other forms of treatment. 

Some of the possible complications of IV treatments include:

• You may develop an infection at the site of the needle injection
• An air bubble could potentially enter the vein resulting in an air embolism
• The needle may get inserted too far into the vein and go out the other side, resulting in extravasation
• The excess pressure on the vein could cause damage to the vein itself.

Despite the risks of IV therapy, they are rare, usually minor, and the benefits far outweigh them. Further, IVs administered by a trained medical professional help minimize the chances of these issues. 

On the other hand, Ketamine does have some common and serious side effects which are mostly connected with drug misuse and dosage, but with professional medical personnel on hand, these things are easily prevented and taken care of.

Is it possible to prevent Long Covid? 

The best and only way to prevent Long Covid is to avoid getting Covid entirely; however, like colds and the flu, this is highly unlikely. The best way to protect yourself against Covid-19 is to get vaccinated and take the ongoing booster shots. While the vaccine doesn’t guarantee you will never get Covid, vaccinated individuals who still get Covid are less likely to develop Long Covid. 

Final thoughts

Despite not garnering enough national attention, Long Covid is one of the most serious epidemics to hit the nation since the emergence of Covid-19. The symptoms vary greatly from person to person, ranging from mild to life-threatening. The scary part about Long Covid is that it attacks every part of your mind and body and can be very debilitating. 

New statistics estimate that between 10% and 35% of all Covid patients¹¹ will experience some form of Long Covid. Some will be much more severe than others,¹² but all Long Covid cases could potentially become life-threatening. While there are many treatments that may help you during your recovery, ketamine IV treatments can help you combat the neurological effects of Long Covid and help you get back to doing the things you love.