Thank you for posting your experience Dawn. How long will this infusion last you?

I have a herniated L4 disc and then on the front of my abdomen i have 70lbs of swelling that i feel a great deal of pain and burning in. But now the Fentanyl patch has helped with all the burning but there isnt any thing that will take the swelling away. I am taking a drug called Imuran that seems to help keep the swelling in check along with the prednisone. Every time i try to ween myself off of them i start to swell more, but only on my abdomen where i had all the surgeries.

The swelling makes me walk bent over in pain holding onto my walker. I am wondering/hoping if the ketamine will take away enough discomfort that i could walk standing up straight? Thats my prayer. I dont have the deep tissue burning now but i have the external skin pain if i touch my stomach and the temperature changes, hot and cold spots.

What a crazy body! I would just like more control over my body. Just not sure if this is my answer.

Hi Lori,

I can well understand the lumbar problems as I've had 4 cervical and lumbar surgeries so far and still have bulging discs all over.

However, keep in mind that ketamine will not repair any structural pain, only your RSD pain. Only your doctor or one well trained in RSD can tell you what the hope could be. I really think you need to get to a Dr experienced in it before considering ketamine further.

I don't know if that kind of swelling is normal for RSD? Hopefully someone else here could help answer that better.

There is no way of knowing how long the ketamine will last but it is extremely promising but does also entail booster infusions and for me, learning some new ways of coping with stress and doing all I can to minimize my physical over exertion. There really is alot many of us I think can do to help control our own pain once we can get the most severe pain under control, but that is the key.

No one can make life changes to help themselves when they can barely breathe due to the excruciating pain they are in and that's where hopefully some amazing Dr's will make alot of progress in our fight against it.

I am really sorry if I did not answer your questions well, it just sounds like your condition is very different from mine and not being a Dr, I certainly do not want to lead you in the wrong direction.

Dawn