Application of Kampo Medicines for Treatment of General Fatigue Due to Long COVID

May 2022 in “ Medicina ”

Kazuki Tokumasu, Keigo Ueda, Hiroyuki Honda, Naruhiko Sunada, Yasue Sakurada, Yui Matsuda, Yasuhiro Nakano, Tomohiko Hasegawa, Yuki Otsuka, Mikako Obika, Hideharu Hagiya, Hitomi Kataoka, Fumio Otsuka

hair loss Kampo medicines hochuekkito qi deficiency

TLDR Kampo medicine can help treat general fatigue from long COVID.

This study at Okayama University Hospital analyzed 102 long COVID patients experiencing general fatigue, revealing that 24.1% of 609 prescriptions were Kampo medicines, with hochuekkito being the most common (71.6%). Symptoms included dysosmia, dysgeusia, headache, insomnia, dyspnea, and hair loss. The findings suggest Kampo medicines, especially those addressing qi deficiency, can be effective for general fatigue in long COVID patients. However, the study's single-center setting and subjective fatigue assessment are limitations, and further research is needed to understand the relationship between Kampo prescriptions and long COVID conditions.

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Research cited in this study

2 / 2 results

research More Than 50 Long-Term Effects of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1250 citations , August 2021 in “Scientific Reports”

COVID-19 leaves 80% of patients with long-term symptoms like fatigue and headaches.

research Prolonged and Late-Onset Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019

88 citations , October 2020 in “Open Forum Infectious Diseases”

Some people who recover from COVID-19 continue to have symptoms like fatigue and cough for over 120 days, and some experience hair loss about 59 days after getting sick.