[QUOTE=wswells;734217]You have been thru alot too but seem to be on the right track.

I think you are right, that maybe I was thinking this was ,not a cure all, but the closest thing to it.

The meds I'm on just take the edge off I'm still a good 7-8 but I refuse to take any more. too many side effects. I was also thinking that maybe because my B/P is always very high even on the B/P meds that I take, that this might be one reason maybe that the Dr.,s don't want me to do the ketamine. Have you ever heard of this?

How long have you had RSD? I know too long,right. You have a great attitude about the realities of RSD, I do most of the time, but being rejected for the ketamine discouraged me especially because I still don't know exactly why, I see my Dr. Friday and we will be figuring this question out, the reasons that no one wants me to even try the ketamine.

Congrats to you for really getting relief and being able to stay off the bad meds. and for explaining to me some of the questions I had I am still a little confused about all of this but glad that you had a good experience.

Thanks Wendy


Wendy,
I've actually had RSD for about ten years but was only diagnosed at the Hospital for Special Surgery this past fall. Before that, I had 3 cervical surgeries (disc fusions, laminectomies, etc, both posterior and anterior) and lumbar laminectomies. I had a surgeon who thought he was a god and never stopped to consider that maybe my problem wasn't one his repeated surgeries could fix. When he should have referred me to pain management, he instead performed more surgery.

Other then those surgeries and my RSD which has spread from my head to my toes on the left side, I'm the picture of great health. I don't know if any medical conditions you may have could be a factor. My primary RSD doctor also felt I would be an excellent candidate due to my age (38) and my past responses to anesthesia. Each time I had it for different surgeries, I had full relief for about 6 weeks (which I thought was from the surgery). Turned out is was from the anesthesia because the pain returned each time with a vengeance.

Before the ketamine, my pain levels were off the scale to the point ER doctors could no longer get my pain under control without risking my life. Ketamine has been a godsend for me but I do also know it isn't a cure and what's more important than anything in fighting this is understanding it and yourself as well as you can.

Collect as much information as possible, read the articles,pay attention to your triggers and find what you can do to counteract them.

Most importantly, never give up hope.