Ketamine to treat pain of Fibromalgia

Posted , 3 users are following.

I have fibromalgia and take Oxycontin, having tried most other forms of pain relief without success. Now the doctor at the pain clinic wants me to go into hospital for a cure of Ketamine by perfusion pour 4 days. Has anyone tried it, does it work, and what are the potential problems? I am especially anxious about side effects as the treatment is for 4 days. Any advice will be most welcome. Thank you.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Julia

    Yes I had the Ketamine perfusion at the beginning under the pain management team, but have to say that it didn't help mine very much and even had Lidocaine perfusions and they didn't help much either. But that doesn't mean that you wouldn get the same effect, they may help you more. I would say that anything that helps your pain is worth a try. Good luck if you decide to have them. 

  • Posted

    Hi

    I had two rounds of ketamine each lasting for 5 days.  I checked into the hospital each morning at 6, had my vitals checked, dressed into a grown.  The infusion started at 8 and usually finished around 2 or so.  Then I was sent to recovery, had vitals checked again, had something to eat and drink and then home.  I was also given ketamine capsules to take when I went to bed and again in the morning so that there was always some medication in my system.  After the infusion I was weaned off over a period of a couple of weeks.  It did help me, but I had to go through it twice.

    Hope you get relief .

    • Posted

      Thank you for your input. Last week the hospital phoned me and gave me 2 hours notice to go in for my first treatment. I stayed from Tuesday until Friday and had 3 treatments each lasting 4 hours, I wasn't given ketamine capsules. Before I had the tratment I was very nervous because I had read that certain people have halucinations, and that others become agressive. The doctor in the hospital said don't worry it's just like cannabis!! As I have never taken cannabis that didn't help much. I had no hallucinations, no feeling of being high, and it does seem to have diminished the pain, but to be fair, they told me I need 5 more treatments. But at least there weren't nasty side effects. He also told me to combine Dafalgon with the Oxycontin that I take. I didn't think paracetemol could do much for the pain, but he said it increases the efficacity of the Oxycontin and that the morphine increases the action of the paracetemol. That does seem to be true. I have tried it for three days and sometimes I am (briefly) nearly pain-free; an incredible sensation that I had almost forgotten! It has given me real hope that there will be a solution for the pain which I have had to endure for several years. It is just trial and error. Sometimes I feel like giving up. It is so disheartening to try one medication after another with very limited success, and sometimes horrible side effects. This treatment, the ketamine combined with my habitual treatment and paracetemol, has given the best results so far. Did you find the benefit lasted? Or was it short-term?

    • Posted

      I'm so sorry that you are suffering so much.  The treatment did help me and I'm doing ok.  I had the infusion for CRPS but I also have fibromyalgia, costochrondritis, and Chiari.  I recently was diagnosed with costochrondritis.  Another side effect from fibromyalgia is myofascial issues which I also have!

      I was given an injection to counteract any side effects before the infusion.  I had this 5 years ago so I'm sure things have changed.

      praying that you will get relief from this pain soon.

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