Health - High-dose ketamine infusion for complex regional pain syndrome

[Niteflights]

This is getting to be a rather popular medical treatment in Germany. Americans are flying over to get it for $30,000. If you Google it you can find some videos of patients describing the treatment which is rather amusing.

Treatment consists of a full ketamine induced coma for 48-96 hours or more. The literature describes using 50x the conventional anesthetic dose. German doctors report that the therapy has cured (5+ years) many patients of RSD, a life dehabilitating condition previously considered incurable. The pervading theory is that after a certain threshold of NDMA blockade the neuronal pathways literally reset.

An interesting study was published finding that the patients actually improved cognitive and memory tests after the treatment. (MEDLINE: The neurocognitive effects of 5 day anesthetic ketamine for the treatment of refractory complex regional pain syndrome).

Some US doctors are now following suite and prescribing low dose ketamine for RSD.