Ketamine and Fibromyalgia
Ketamine infusions are one of the most effective treatments for controlling chronic pain. Fibromyalgia is a disorder that affects muscles and bones and causes joint pain and tiredness. Ketamine infusions work against Fibromyalgia by increasing blood flow, increasing dopamine activity, and inhibiting the NMDA receptor (N-methyl D- aspartate). Constant pain can harm several aspects of a person’s life. Ketamine frequently gives long-lasting relief to people with Fibromyalgia, allowing them to regain their lives. If you have Fibromyalgia and are looking for an alternative treatment, read on to learn more about ketamine infusions for Fibromyalgia.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia, or fibro, is a tricky disorder to define and diagnose due to the limited knowledge about how the condition presents in the neurological and musculoskeletal systems. However, this complicated chronic pain disorder may magnify your brain’s pain signals, leaving you with inexplicable and system-wide pain and persistent fatigue, mood issues, and cognitive impairments (fibro fog)(1). Women are significantly more likely to acquire Fibromyalgia, which can occur due to physical or mental stress. However, medical professionals describe that anybody can develop Fibromyalgia, even without a triggering event(2).
There is currently no treatment for Fibromyalgia, as the specific cause remains unknown. Therefore, the medical community is left to treat the condition symptomatically, with varying outcomes. Fortunately, ketamine infusion treatment provides new hope for fibromyalgia patients by helping them regain control of their pain and discomfort.
Maintain a better physical and mental balance in your life with Ketamine.
How does Ketamine work for Fibromyalgia?
It appears to alleviate the central nervous system’s sensitivity associated with more significant pain in Fibromyalgia. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor inhibitor, seems to raise glutamate levels in the brain, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. Additionally, it appears to increase dopamine activity(3). The ability of Ketamine to improve circulatory function is fascinating, considering the reduced blood volume and other probable circulatory problems associated with Fibromyalgia. One research indicated that Ketamine considerably reduced fatigue and recommended that it should be tested in patients with nervous system diseases(4).
Moreover, it is essential to mention that relief with ketamine infusions occurs immediately compared to conventional drugs, which may take weeks or months. That’s because Ketamine resets the brain’s pain processing, reducing the quantity of medicine required regularly.
Evidence supports the use of Ketamine for Fibromyalgia.
Recently, Dutch researchers discovered that 30-minute Ketamine infusions lowered pain levels in Fibromyalgia by 50%. Still, the effect was too brief (less than 2 hours) to consider it a first-line treatment for Fibromyalgia (5). French research conducted in 2007 showed that subcutaneous Ketamine lowered pain levels and increased blood flow to brain areas linked with pain management in individuals with Fibromyalgia (6).
In a 2006 review paper, Wood claimed that the favorable response in Fibromyalgia by Ketamine was noted due to increased dopamine levels in limbic system (brain part) neurons rather than NMDA receptor inhibition(7).
Ramachandran hypothesized that Ketamine’s anesthetic characteristics might be beneficial in ‘dissociative illnesses’ such as Fibromyalgia, in which patients try to dissociate from their pain(8).
References:
- Häuser W, Ablin J, Fitzcharles M-A, Littlejohn G, Luciano JV, Usui C, et al. Fibromyalgia. 2015;1(1):1-16.
- Marques AP, Santo AdSdE, Berssaneti AA, Matsutani LA, Yuan SLKJRbdr. Prevalence of Fibromyalgia: a literature review update. 2017;57:356-63.
- Wood PBJTJoP. A reconsideration of the relevance of systemic low-dose Ketamine to the pathophysiology of Fibromyalgia. 2006;7(9):611-4.
- Bengtsson AJR. The muscle in Fibromyalgia. 2002;41(7):721-4.
- Noppers I, Niesters M, Swartjes M, Bauer M, Aarts L, Geleijnse N, et al. Absence of long-term analgesic effect from a short-term S-ketamine infusion on fibromyalgia pain: a randomized, prospective, double-blind, active placebo-controlled trial. European journal of pain (London, England). 2011;15(9):942-9.
- Guedj E, Cammilleri S, Colavolpe C, de Laforte C, Niboyet J, Mundler O. Follow-up of pain processing recovery after Ketamine in hyperalgesic fibromyalgia patients using brain perfusion ECD-SPECT. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. 2007;34(12):2115-9.
- Wood PB. A reconsideration of the relevance of systemic low-dose Ketamine to the pathophysiology of Fibromyalgia. The journal of pain. 2006;7(9):611-4.
- Ramachandran VS, Seckel EL. Using mirror visual feedback and virtual reality to treat Fibromyalgia. Medical hypotheses. 2010;75(6):495-6.
