Ketamine Infusions for Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia can have a huge impact on one’s daily life and have a big effect on important relationships. Aside from overall pain, fibromyalgia can also cause things such as severe headaches, mood swings, chronic fatigue, and trouble with retaining information. If you are someone who experiences pain or other symptoms of fibromyalgia, reach out to us today. There is no need to go through life feeling like you can’t actively deal with your pain. Schedule your free complimentary consultation to learn how off-label Ketamine Treatments can help with symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
Patients suffering from fibromyalgia affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain usually accompanied by other intrusive symptoms like chronic fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood problems. The disorder amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.
In the past, diagnosis for fibromyalgia was performed through a trigger point exam, which required a doctor to apply pressure to each tender point to figure out if it appears to be fibromyalgia. If an individual had 11 of the 18 tender points test positive, they could be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Today, there is a symptom severity score chart and widespread pain index to better determine if an individual has fibromyalgia. Tender points for those who have fibromyalgia include:
- Head
- Collar bone/neck
- Upper and lower back
- Inside arms
- Lower stomach
- Glutes
- Above the knees
Chronic pain from fibromyalgia can be difficult for others to understand as pain receptors in the brain are responsible for the pain a person feels. The pain does not come directly from the muscles that are being felt, making it difficult to explain to those who do not have fibromyalgia. At MindScape Ketamine & Infusion Therapy, we are here to help you with the extremely real pain you are dealing with and we hope to help you begin your journey towards relief.
Some of the most common ways of treating fibromyalgia include medications like over-the-counter pain meds and prescriptions. Antidepressants might also be suggested along with medications used to treat epilepsy. There are also some therapies that are recommended to help soothe the physical toll it takes on individuals, as well as the mental health of the individual. Some of these therapies include water exercises to strengthen and relax the muscles, occupational therapy, and guided counseling to help people deal with their stress by talking to someone who is neutral and willing to listen.
There is currently no true cure for fibromyalgia, but low dose IV Ketamine Infusion for fibromyalgia has been clinically shown to be an effective treatment for fibromyalgia sufferers by blocking the pain signals of the nervous system. Improvement may be seen after one treatment with minimal side effects.
Ketamine Fibromyalgia Treatment Protocol
- 1-hour low-dose infusion: 40 minutes of active infusion and a 20-minute active recovery before being released to go home.
- The low-dose infusions typically start around 0.5 mg/kg/hr and may be adjusted to the response of the patient.
- Initial series of 6 infusions administered over several weeks.
- Maintenance infusion sessions are conducted every 3-5 weeks after the initial series.
The number and frequency of treatments are variable from patient to patient depending on factors such as the severity of the symptoms, the other medications a patient may be on, and the patient’s response to the treatments.