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Ketamine is an anesthetic and pain-relieving medication often used to treat neuropathic pain that hasn’t responded to standard treatments. It can also help lower a patient’s need for opioids. Administering ketamine through controlled infusions may reduce pain over the long term and enhance the effects of other pain medications, allowing those drugs to work effectively at lower doses. However, it’s important to note that ketamine does not work for everyone.
Ketamine, traditionally used as an anesthetic, has been found effective in managing certain chronic pain conditions, particularly those with a neuropathic component. Its primary mechanism involves antagonism of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which plays a role in pain signal transmission and central sensitization—a process where the nervous system becomes sensitized to pain stimuli. By inhibiting NMDA receptors, ketamine can reduce the amplification of pain signals, thereby providing analgesic effects.
Ketamine is typically administered in low doses through intravenous infusion for chronic pain management. This method allows for controlled dosing and monitoring, aiming to alleviate pain symptoms in patients who have not responded to conventional treatments.
The medication is delivered through an intravenous (IV) line inserted into a vein—usually in the arm or the hand.
An infusion pump is used to deliver the appropriate dose while medical staff monitor the patient’s pain levels and vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate. Ketamine is considered a very safe medication.
The infusion starts at a low dose to test how the patient responds. Based on this response, the dose is gradually increased and carefully monitored until the desired therapeutic level is achieved or side effects occur. The outcomes of this initial treatment help determine the plan for future infusions.
It’s important to understand that ketamine doesn’t provide lasting pain relief for every patient.
While side effects are possible, carefully managing the dosage can reduce or eliminate many of them. Common side effects include:
Jacobs Pain Centre, 8920 Woodbine Ave, Ste. 102, Markham, ON L3R 9W9
Since 2002, Jacob’s Pain Centre has provided effective, comprehensive pain management through a multidisciplinary approach. We combine evidence-based treatments with supportive care to deliver accurate diagnoses and personalized pain management plans.
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