Ketamine Infusions for Pain
Question: I'm trying to find information on Ketamine infusion to treat pain for polio survivors.
Dr. Bruno’s Response: There’s no data on treatment of pain or depression with ketamine in polio survivors yet. My concern is that ketamine is an anesthetic. Therefore, the "normal" dose would be too much for polio survivors and put them out for much longer than non-polio survivors.
The usual dose lasts about 2 hours and there are risks:
unconsciousness,
high blood pressure,
dangerously slowed breathing,
stomach pain,
depression
and poor memory.
I always recommend finding the cause of the pain.
Resources:
1. Ketamine for Depression: What to Know
2. Ketamine