All can say is that I have been on ketamine for the last 14 months. It has NOT cured me... it has not MAGICALLY made me better. BUT...... it has given me some quality of life back - which I personally think is good.

I am tried EVERY medication out there - I have taken methdone, fentanyl, pethidine, morphine, oxycodone (I know it's similar to morphine - but slightly different too), calcium channel blocks, sleeping tablets, anti epileptics, anti depressants, muscle relaxants, blood pressure meds (to allow more blood to my extremeities), botox, epidurals, sympathetic blocks, had a sympathectomy...

Ketamine has been the most successful pain killer I have had. MY pain never drops below a nine - but I can now move around, I can get out of bed, I am not crying all day and all night. The last 14 months have seen me go from someone that didn't go out or do anything but cry and work to someone that can now eat, attend university full time, and have a social life. To be honest, I don't CARE how it works....as long as it does.

I really don't feel that we should be arguing between us - I know we are always going to have individual thoughts on RSD and how it should be treated, I just feel that we should all remeber we are fighting for the same thing - a treatment that WORKS, doctors that UNDERSTAND US, and the under lyng physiology that leads to the development of RSD. There are so few of us already, we can't dilute what we are aiming for by fighting between ourselves...

To steal a very corny phrase "It's all for one and one for all".. Also, all of us are ratty (and I mean ALL OF US) from too much pain, no sleep and just total eughiness... we are all going to take things personally - I know I do - I have been reminded by several people on this forum that when people go on about wheelchair use they are not dissing people who have to use them... it's something i have a very thin skin on

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