Hi, I am new to the board but not to RSD unfortunatly. I just started seeing a new pain doctor. We discussed ketamine vs the neurostimulator.
He told me that there have been some studies showing possible memory issues in people who have taken a lot of ketamine. I am trying to find out if anyone who has received it for RSD has experienced memory issues and if they got better with time or were permanent?

Thanks!

I wonder from the way you describe it, whether your physician is thinking of studies in recreational ketamine users when he says there is memory loss in people who took a lot of it. That phrase 'took a lot of it' sounds like the way recreational users rather than clinical patients might be described.

Ask him for copies of the studies he is talking about and tell him you want to understand how those studies apply (or don't) to your own personal circumstances.

That said, cognitive deficit and memory loss is indeed extremely common in ketamine users both recreational and legitimate in a hospital or prescribed context. One of the other especially nasty side effects from extensive use is severe bladder damage.

Ketamine has been around since the 50s and 60s so there is a vast amount of published research which I just can't trawl through. You should be able to get enough reputable medical information from Googling to determine the likely potential memory loss risks for the particular ketamine treatment that is being proposed by your doctor for you. I imagine most ketamine treatment for CRPS is well controlled and managed but if it is to be given by infusion, over multiple days and/or sessions at increasing doses, there is always a risk of hallucination and memory loss side effects. You need to speak to your doctor, research thoroughly and weigh up the potential benefits against the potential risks for your specific situation.

Thanks for the info. I have been doing tons of googling for it and it is hard to find any really good articles on long term effects. There is a lot of stuff on short term and short term follow up. I am just worried as I really am leaning toward the ketamine over the neurostimulator.

Most definitely this is what it says in NHTA Dissociative anesthetic, hallucinogen, psychotomimetic here http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/r...s/ketamine.htm and easier to understand thats scary this is more to my knpowlege http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine Their number 1 use is for pain it was an animal Tranquilizer way back when I worked if you want to write me you can ,but I feel any medication you feel is going to affect your memory etc ,even Marijuana enthusiast must admit that about Pot (it makes me paranoid about the pain . I know a few online who went to Germany to be induced into a Ketamine coma and one person said it helped her a lot others I dont remember or taking it by tablet is used ,for me I tried this and opiates as long as I keep my opiates to a level or plain so I dont get to used to them
Read some of the peoples Autobiographicals they wanted to cut off the offending limb etc
I hope this helps it will change you like any strong drug ,if you have a Doctor you trust listen to him and if its affordable maybe another Neurosurgeon
Gentle Hug
rsdno
Thanks![/QUOTE]

Hi Supergirl123,

I not sure if you've looked into Epidural Infusion or not but if you haven't that might be a better and less risky/costly first step than Ketamine. There are 2 main types of infusion one that is similar to the ketamine protocol where by you are infused for 4-7 days with ropivacaine or similar meds., and the hope is that this will somehow reset the pain signals. Some have gone into complete remission afterwards and some have had significant pain relief lasting many months after and even when pain returns in those folks the pain is not as severe as it was prior to the infusion. The other way they can use and epidural infusion is as a continuous infusion that requires a permanent port for the meds to be infused daily. I recently had one placed and it has done wonders for my pain levels and with very little side effects.

I also have a neurostimulator (SCS) implanted, which I've had for about a year and though it works it just didn't work enough, I still use it everyday and I am thankful to have it.

For what its worth.. my thoughts on ketamine:

When I discussed ketamine with one of my doctors he told me that he wouldn't recommend it to family or close friends because "some people just don't come back the same" from it. That was enough for me to try everything else first.. not saying I wouldn't try it if things continued to go down hill but, at least for me, it would be my very last resort.

I do hope you find something that works and most of all that you feel comfortable with and believe in your heart that it will work, which is often half the battle. We read so often how things don't work or about the risks that sometimes I personally think that hinders (at least to some degree) the benefits even before they are attempted.

Best wishes to you for whatever direction you decide to go!
Tessa

Thanks everyone for all the advice. Tessa, I never even heard of that epidural option, one doctor I had spoken with mentioned using ketamine in an epidural but my insurance would not cover it because it was totally experimental. I am just not sure what to do. One other complicating factor for me is the fibromyalgia. One doctor told me the neurostimulator will make it worse. Now this new doctor says that is not true. I don't remember if I mentioned this but I had a test dose of ketamine during a nerver block and it really helped my fibromyalgia as well as RSD. That one dose gave me almost a full week with much reduced pain.