Stellate Ganglion Block Therapy for Treating PTSD — Would SGB Shots Also Help Tinnitus?

Has anyone tried an SGB shot for tinnitus? It supposedly mutes the fight or flight response? Just wondering if anybody has tried it?

Could a simple shot be a breakthrough treatment for PTSD?

 

Very interesting - could do with some of that stuff right now.

When tinnitus invades your life so suddenly it turns your world upside down that I wish something like this was available for those first months.

All you need to do is read all the new intros in the Support section to see how almost every person has the same reaction... unless they’ve always had it... I do think it’s a very traumatic event.

Given that some of those vets will also have tinnitus, it would be interesting to know if it has had any negative effect physiologically on the tinnitus.

Not sure what’s in the injection though, will have a read.

 

Intratympanic bupivacaine instillation for tinnitus treatment?

Bupivacaine - spelling may be incorrect.

 

For further reading if you're interested, there is a thread about SGB for hyperacusis/acoustic shock disorder in the hyperacusis section here at Tinitus Talk:

Fix for Sound Induced Pain — Stellate Ganglion Block?

 

Just wondering if anyone had anything else on this in the couple months since the post. I just heard about SGB on a podcast about PTSD. It really sounds like this might be worth chasing after.

 

Effects of greater occipital nerve block on tinnitus and dizziness

 

Reviving this thread because my amazing Prolotherapist who took me from disabled to functioning again with dozens of spinal injuries recommended a SGB because of my paralyzing panic.

I might have this done next week @Uklawyer instead of my upper cervical PRP treatment. I do trust him with my life. He has injected me places that are life threatening without serious expertise and people fly to his location for this expertise.

I’ll keep you posted.

 

Thanks @IntotheBlue03.

 

Hi all and @Uklawyer.

I had the SGB this morning. Unfortunately I had to drive in on CBD oil and very little bit of Clonazepam in order to make the drive so I can’t report back any changes in tinnitus. However, all of my panic symptoms have dissipated since the injection and I was able to drive home and around without any issues.

THAT is absolutely huge because I’ve become stricken with panic and agoraphobic since the onset of my severe tinnitus, which I do believe has caused me PTSD at this point.

I have no adverse effects that could have occurred, the only symptom that is making me uncomfortable now is some brain fog that has dissipated some since the injection due to the numbing agent that lasts 4-6 hours. Hoping that continues to go away but honestly I have not been clearheaded in weeks so it’s a wonder if it’s truly due to the injection or not.

Hope this helps and all questions are welcome.

 

Hi @IntotheBlue03, good to hear you are feeling lighter right now - hope it continues. See how you are going tomorrow.

Where was the injection made and did the doctor single out any particular cranial nerve(s)?

 

@IntotheBlue03, so happy to hear you're feeling relief from the anxiety from your ordeal.

How long do they expect the injection to help in this way?

 

I understand that the effect of these types of injections are very short lived?

 

Hello! I have a friend that has severe tinnitus after COVID-19 and her 12-year-old daughter is suffering from severe parosmia over a year. They are treating many parosmia patients with Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) and it is resetting almost immediately in about 60% of the people. Parosmia is where everything you taste and smell is horribly distorted and is like rotting flesh, sewage, burning cigarettes, etc. Some of these people have been on feeding tubes and are really bad off from it.

Anyway, through researching we found there are several SGB studies for tinnitus! Here are the following studies below. I received 2 blocks about 2 weeks ago and it spiked the first 1-2 days and then went back down. No real change for me, but I may go back for a few more and ask for just Lidocaine as these studies were done (mine was steroid plus Lidocaine). I know a woman who had her tinnitus disappear after having it for 18 months and a guy said his reduced by 50%. They both had parosmia they were seeking the SGB for and the tinnitus improvement was a cherry on top. It makes me wonder why this wasn't continued as a tinnitus treatment or researched more?

Stellate Ganglion Block for the Relief of Tinnitus in Vibration Disease

Stellate Ganglion Block in the treatment of Meniere's disease and in the symptomatic relief of tinnitus

Not block but light therapy at SGB:

Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus by Xenon Phototherapy on the Stellate Ganglion

 

Where do you get these shots? Do you ask your family doctor or is it like a pain clinic you go to?

 

Yeah, pain clinics will do them. The one I did was $300 per shot. But there are places that do between $150 and $600 per shot.

 

Hmm, I have government drug plan and they cover Botox... I wonder if they cover this lol.

 

Hello! I got tinnitus about 9-10 weeks ago following an ear infection. It started as a high electric hiss in right ear (the ear with the worse infection) that became reactive, and now I’ve got about a total of 6 sounds between the right and left ear.

As you can imagine, my stress response, sleep, and emotional/mental state have all taken a dive, and I truly believe all of this has played a hand in making the tinnitus as bad as it is.

I have endured a lot of trauma and PTSD this past year with infertility and IVF, which I also think played into my perfect tinnitus storm.

So, I am in the process of getting the SGB. I sent in my paperwork to The Stellate Institute in Annapolis, MD and will hear back from the doctors next week to review my case. I can share here updates and progress with this!

 

What did you take for the ear infection? Any medications prescribed?

 

I was given Augmentin. The ringing started before I was given the antibiotic. I think what further screwed me is as soon as I cleared the ear infection, within 5-7 days I caught a bad cold. That is when one ring turned into more, and then just downhill from there I could honestly deal with some of the ringing because it’s not super loud, but the reactivity has taken this to a whole other level of hell.

 

Do you mind telling us the clinic that has been doing your prolotherapy? Any improvement with the SBG? Would you recommend them?

 

Can I ask where you went? I'm in NYC and not too far from you. I also have pretty severe PTSD from other issues. I would love to know.

Also, has anyone looked into Dual Sympathetic Block? It's supposed to be the "next level" approach.