My 15 year old daughter has CRPS and has had 4 in-patient infusions with ketamine. The difference is her doctor puts in an epidural (like women in labor get) and puts the ketamine/lidocaine combo in that way. It has no effect on the brain at all but she is numb from the waist down for the first 48 hours. Then they slowly decrease the ketamine and as long as her pain stays down it keeps decreasing. If her pain comes back they raise the levels again for a time. It takes 3-4 weeks of this to provide lasting relief but she will get a year to 18 months of pain relief from it. She recently tried out-patient IV ketamine 4 hour infusions over 4 days and it gave her great relief during and for about 6 hours after but after the final infusion her pain is back in full force. Her doc has started her on compounded oral ketamine capsules to try until we can decide whether to do the epidural again or not. We recently moved from Dallas where he doc is to Oklahoma so the distance is an issue now. We will take her down there though if that is what helps - no question!

Hi Mom with RSD Child,
I too have a daughter with RSD. I would love to know more about the doctor your daughter saw for her epidural. My 18-year-old daughter had one ketamine infusion with the experience leaving her very apprehensive about the option of trying it again. It was supposed to be a four hour out-patient procedure, but 10 hours later she still could not come out of it and had to be transferred to the main hospital. For many nights and days, she had lots of bad dreams and mental confusion. If you have a minute, would you please share the name of the doctor, etc. Thanks so much!

Her doctor is Dr. Allen Farrow-Gillespie at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. The hospital has their own pain management clinic where they do both in-patient and out-patient treatments. I forgot to mention that during the 3-4 weeks with the epidural they do about 4 hours a day of intense physical therapy in the PT department of with them in her room. Then on her "off" time she walks the halls or goes to the teen center and stuff like that. Because they are pain free they want to get out and do things even though it is tiring. It is an amazing place and I am so sad that we are no longer there locally!

Mom ... Thanks so much for sharing this information as it has the potential to help many. Is sounds like a very remarkable program. I pray that your daughter again finds relief ... this time forever.