NeuroTalk Support Groups - Phentolmyne infusions ?

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- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD and CRPS) (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/)

- - Phentolmyne infusions ? (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/84523-phentolmyne-infusions.html)

Phentolamine infusions ?

Can anyone please tell me about Phentolamine (sp ? ) infusions ? My pain dr wants to do them in several weeks and this is the first time I have ever heard of that treatment.

Thanks !
L2L

I've never heard of it either so I went and looked it up. LOL

It says that Phentolamine increases blood flow by expanding the blood vessels. The cause of the skin color changes we have is due to the constriction of the blood vessels. They have clamped down and this drug will open them back up. It's a block and as with any block, it will help if your pain is SMP, sympathetically maintained. It won't help if the pain is SIP, sympathetically independent.

Quote:

The I.V. phentolamine infusion has recently been developed by Raja (9) as an alternative test to block sympathetic activity, and this simple technique avoids some of the potential pitfalls associated with sympathetic blocks. Phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic blocker, is infused via a peripheral vein, and the patient's pain is evaluated using a visual analog scale as the infusion is continued. While the patient may exhibit the possible problems of hypotension and tachycardia, the test offers minimal risk and certainly very little discomfort to the patient.

This quote is from here: http://www.rsd-ca.org/Detailed%20Article.htm

Quote:

Other Types of "Sympathetic Blocks". A sympathetic blocker (alpha adrenergic antagonist), phentolamine, given I.V. has been advocated as a diagnostic test for SMP. However, false negative tests have been reported as high as 43%. Moreover, this approach is somewhat elaborate and requires considerable technician time and expense. 4 The phentolamine test is a diagnostic procedure while a sympathetic block is a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic procedure. 37 However, the phentolamine test may be valuable treatment option in the situation where a sympathetic block is not possible or when multiple extremities are involved.

This quote is from : http://www.rsdfoundation.org/en/en_c...uidelines.html

Hugs,

Karen

l2l

i have had this done as DX tool only. this was 11 yrs ago at the time they were using to just dialter blood vessels if responded and turned bright red and warm them positive RSD DX tool. i did have hypotension and tackycardia. but both of these already existed with in my rsd. but the meds made it worse then normal

i hope that this helps

carrie

Karen & Carrie--
Thank You so much. I am not super new to CRPS and RSD, but I am new to pain management. I just moved back to the US -- from living overseas, and was referred to "pain management". Overseas, my neurologist took care of everything (meaning my epilepsy and the RSD/CRPS) and back in the states I am being referred to all different specialists.

:) L2L

Is it a block or an infusion- I believe I had an infusion of it...

Quote:

Originally Posted by love2laugh (Post 497660)