Long COVID causes patients to experience persistent symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and more—and they disrupt daily life long after the infection first appeared. Plasmapheresis is a blood–cleansing therapy that removes inflammatory proteins, microclots, and spike proteins to help reset immune function. While it is not a cure, it is proving to be an effective treatment to reduce symptoms and provide patients with some much-needed relief.
For many, COVID symptoms came and went. But for others, they’ve lingered, evolving into persistent, life-disrupting issues. Fatigue, brain fog, and physical pain can stick around, turning daily life into a struggle. Unlike the initial infection, standard treatments fail to offer the much-needed relief, and there has been no effective treatment. That is, of course, until now.
Plasmapheresis is an emerging therapy that is showing promise when it comes to offering a renewed sense of hope and treat long COVID symptoms in patients. What is it, and how is it used? Let’s talk about it.
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID syndrome refers to a range of persistent symptoms that can extend for weeks or months after an acute COVID-19 infection. The symptoms can vary from patient to patient, and how impactful they are will depend on the individual. However, a few of the most common signs that an infection may be lingering include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, joint pain, heart palpitations, memory issues, muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating.
Doctors consider it to be long COVID if it lasts for at least 12 weeks and disrupts daily life, causing significant impacts to the patient’s health, careers, and relationships.
Understanding Plasmapheresis
Plasma is the liquid in the blood that carries antibodies, inflammatory proteins, and other substances throughout the body. Plasmapheresis, sometimes referred to as therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) or therapeutic apheresis, is a medical procedure in which the blood is drawn and the plasma is separated and removed. The blood cells are returned to the body using either saline or donor plasma.
This procedure cleans the blood by removing inflammatory cytokines and other harmful substances that are present in it. Circulating spike proteins found in plasma are also reduced through this procedure.
Plasmapheresis was originally created to help treat autoimmune diseases and neurological conditions, it has proven itself to help reduce inflammation and improve long COVID symptoms. Its goal is to reset immune function. The blood-cleansing treatments are safe with little to no side effects and seem to be well-tolerated by long COVID patients. Careful monitoring by trusted medical professionals should be done for the duration of the treatment.
How Long is Plasmapheresis Needed?
Plasmapheresis is done in sessions, and the number of those sessions that are needed will depend greatly on the patient. Their level of health and the severity of their symptoms will play a role in how well the treatment will work, as well as how well the patient responds to it.
Typically, a series of three to six treatments is recommended and is spread out over several days. Lab tests will monitor progress so that adjustments can be made along the way as needed.
Why Does Plasmapheresis Work For Long COVID?
In order to fully understand the connection between plasmapheresis and long COVID, it is important to take a closer look at what leads to it to begin with. While the exact cause may be unknown, medical professionals agree that it is the result of a combination of things, such as immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, persistent viral fragments, microclotting, and autoantibody production. This can lead to a host of symptoms that can impact the body.
For instance, research shows that microclots in the blood impair circulation and oxygen delivery to tissues throughout the body, including the brain. This can worsen symptoms like fatigue, cognitive function, and others. The key is to treat the micro clots while keeping inflammation at bay and free from damage from a cytokine storm by removing them from the blood.
Plasmapheresis can potentially address all of these things at the same time.
Effective Long COVID Treatment
Finding the right treatment for long COVID is so important for healing. Because symptoms are not responding to traditional treatments, other methods need to be sought, like plasmapheresis, for example.
Many researchers and medical professionals find that a combination of blood thinners and antiaggregants works well to address microclots. This is the first step. Plasmapheresis is used to clear out the cytokines. Antivirals target reactivated viruses. And, antioxidants reduce cellular stress and support recovery.
A multifaceted approach is necessary in order for patients to get the relief they need from long COVID and all of the persistent symptoms that come along with it.
Plasmapheresis provides real, measurable results that are very promising in addressing these persistent symptoms, but it is not a cure-all. More research is needed so that standard protocols can be put in place across the United States and throughout the world.
Get Long COVID Treatment at Lyme Mexico
Are you still struggling with symptoms from a COVID-19 infection that should have cleared up months ago? If you are persistently exhausted, struggling with memory and concentration, and have other aches and pains that won’t go away, you could have long COVID.
At Lyme Mexico Clinic in Puerto Vallarta, patients like you can receive advanced therapies that are designed to get to the root cause of the problem, rather than just trying to address the symptoms. Plasmapheresis is the cornerstone of this treatment, going directly to the source.
If you are ready to wake up feeling full of energy and clear-minded, then you need Lyme Mexico as a partner in your healing. Schedule your consultation and become a patient today!
Conclusion
Many people throughout the world are still dealing with serious challenges due to long COVID infections. As researchers continue to find ways to provide patients with the relief they are seeking, plasmapheresis may not be curing the condition, but it is reducing the impact of the symptoms by getting to the root cause.
Check This Out!
Fatigue. Brain fog. Shortness of breath. If these symptoms have lingered for 12+ weeks after COVID-19, it may be Long Covid. You’re not alone—and there are treatments that can help. Plasmapheresis, antioxidants, and targeted therapies offer real paths to recovery.
Watch the video below for further explanation and details.