Ketamine infusions--any advice?

Hello, all. I'm looking into ketamine IV infusions for chronic pain. I've had chronic nerve pain for a long time, and my doctors highly recommend this treatment. I'm ready to give it a go, but I'm concerned as to whether the ketamine might cause a herxheimer reaction. Has anyone tried ketamine infusions? Did they work? Did you herx or get sick? I'm chemically sensitive, so I suspect I'll need a smaller dose than what is standard. Also if anyone has tried Spravato (esketamine), please let me know the same answers as it and ketamine infusions have some similarities.

i was almost at that point with my frayed nerves but only did it topically. fwiw high dose royal jelly and phosphatydlcholine ivs (patricia kane protocol) and oral high dose omegas and efa seemed to aliveiate and even heal . do you have burning sensations? any diagnosis of small fiber or pdn?

Hello. Sorry you had such an unpleasant experience with your infusions.
In 2014 I had kidney cancer and had a radical nephrectomy and a tumor on my small intestine removed. Luckily I’ve been cancer free since. But I developed Degenerative disc disease and three herniated discs in my lumbar and three herniated discs in my neck. I had a two level cervical fusion done in 2016. Although it helped the pain in my arms, I developed severe nerve pain, chronic migraines, burning skin feeling and severed lower back pain. I tried every medication. In 2019 I had a spinal stim installed with one lead going to my neck and one lead to my lower back. This barely helps the pain in my right leg. I take multiple opioids, muscle relaxers, ketamine compound cream as well as many medications for depression. Nothing really helped. Sorry for the long winded, short version of my history. Basically I’m in agony and depressed every day.
Two months ago, my pain management dr. finally decided to try ketamine infusions. I started with 200 mg over a 2-3 hr timeframe in a hospital outpatient facility. I was pretty much out of it the rest of that day at home. The next day I felt amazing. My pain level went from a constant 7-8 to a 3-4 instantly. I felt great. I got a bunch of stuff done around the house that I would never be able to do without spending two days in bed afterwards. Then exactly two weeks after the first infusion, everything came right back. After spending two weeks without a headache, I got a severe one and from there it was back to square one. My dr decided to do another one. They were so backed of from the pandemic, my next infusion was two months later. I finally had my second one on October 14 2022. Exactly two weeks later, yesterday, I felt the pain start in my neck and went right into my head into a severe migraine. I felt like I hit brick wall. Depressed and in severe pain today.
So I came back onto this forum after about a year to see if I can find out if anyone had the same experience and came across your post and figured I would share my experience with ketamine infusions. I would absolutely do it again because I cannot explain how good I felt for the two weeks. I haven’t felt that good for years. I’m hoping there is a way they can just make it last longer. My next one is scheduled for the middle of December.
Best of luck with whatever direction you go in.
Rogi

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