Health - Ketamine and Pain management

[Fantasian]

As many know SWIF has some major problems with severe pain in his abdominal area. This pain is chronic and acute usually resulting in a hospital visit once per week where IV morphine is administered by a doctor. SWIF in his long and quite unfruitful search for alternatives to opiates due to there pleasurable however addictive side effects has eventually for him come to an end.

SWIF found that Entonox (50% NO and 50% Oxygen) was very effective for his pain even more so than the various opiates. He therefore tired to use it and stay off the opiates when going into hospital. Unfortunatly but understandably the hospital will not allow him to breathe Entonox for 8 hours (the duration of pain) as constant breathing would be required. So ususally SWIF is given either a high dose of Benzo or morphine which rids him of pain but leaves him pretty rough the following days.

SWIF following the dissaccociative route tried firstly DXM but gaining no analgesic effect moved on to Ketamine.

SWIF finds Ketamine unparalelled when it comes to analgesia linked to his pain, however how can he get prescribed this? He mentioned it to his GP and the GP laughed saying it was only used as a horse traquilizer. Is it worth talking to his pain specialist about it or will he get the same response?

It is so effective however far too expensive to consistantly get illegally.

Any information would be appriciated.

[Nagognog2]

Other than dressing up in a horse costume and scaring the living heck out of some elderly veterinarian, I don't know about any ongoing projects using ketamine anywhere for long-term pain relief, or a way to have this prescribed for a human. Though some are in the works, the jury remains out.

Has SWIM tried cannabis in different forms/methods? Such as orally rather than smoked? Many people swear by it's ability to alleviate pain that is untouched by anything else - including opiates. And it's toxic effects are nil - or close to nil depending on one's overall situation.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks, Appriciate the advice

[Fantasian]

Appriciate the advice unfortunatly SWIF doesnt have a good horse costume! SWIF has tried cannabis numerous times smoking and once via oral administration. SWIF tends to find that this does dull the pain a little but not enough to allow him to sleep or continue with tasks. SWIF also unfortunatly does not appriciate the recreational effects of Cannabis so doesnt generally enjoy the experience.

SWIF does live in the UK where Ketamine is regularly used for Children's Operations and as pain relief for unknown victims ie Car crashes. But SWIF guess this is just a stab in the dark,

[Micklemouse]

It may be worth a go. A quick flick through the BNF shows that ketamine is recognised as having decent analgesic properties at sub-anaesthetic levels, & is used off-license for neuralgia, but only by specialist prescribers. SWiF'd have to put a damn good case to his pain management specialist to stand a chance though...

[Forthesevenlakes]

swim would reccomend at least talking to swif's pain management specialist about it. perhaps bring up that swif heard it was being studied for that purpose, and was curious, but understood if it wasnt available for swif to use. maybe ask about how he could get involved in possible studies involving ketamine for pain control?

here

and here

might be good studies to read up on. when swim gets his access to pubmed up and running (it might be a few days so remind him!) he'll try to get swif the full articles. best of luck to swiF and please keep all of us posted as to any new developments with swiF's treatment =]

[Fantasian]

Thanks for the replies guys their appriciated, will be seeing the specialist tommorrow.