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Old 12-02-2007, 07:44 PM
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fmichael fmichael is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
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fmichael fmichael is offline
Senior Member
fmichael's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
Posts: 1,239
15 yr Member
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Yeah, I have a thought. Rheumatologists use it in treating RSD, especially in combiniation with Infliximab (Remicade) and it apparently works pretty well, especially on celebrities because Remicade is an orphan drug when it comes to RSD and since it costs roughly $1,000 every six weeks, most insurance companies won't cover it. (The same may be said for Methotrexate, but it's cheaper.)

The only thing is that Methotrexate is a chemo agent that was NEVER designed for long term maintenance use. I know that my internist is adament that I not go on the therapy. Check out the Medline blurb on it here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a682019.html

And here's link to the full insert from Drugs.com: http://www.drugs.com/pro/methotrexat...ml?printable=1

Personally, I think the most interesting and hopeful treatment out there right now is something called "right-unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)." It has gotten very little press, but the beauty of the thing is that it doesn't have the same cognitive side effects as the more conventional bi-lateral ECT. But that's the subject of another thread altogether. In the meantime, and admittedly going off-topic, check out, "Treatment of CRPS with ECT," Marie Wojcik Wolanin,MD, Vasko Gulevski, MD, and Robert J. Schwartzman, MD, Pain Physician 2007; 10:573-578 (containing a remarkable case report of full remission over a number of years following treatment with bi-lateral ECT for depression associated with her CRPS.) Be assured there are other citations, which I will post in the approriate thread.

Mike
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