Re: Dr. Hibner - 3 Day Ketamine Infusion and Me
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:49 pm
Faith, your question to me is quite timely as I was going to update on my plans with Ketamine.
1) I joined three new forums to begin to have a better understanding of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD) and Ketamine. Between the three sources I have been able to piece together a wealth of information. It is like a full-time job!
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum21.html
Ketamine Klub on Facebook
RSD/CRPS on Facebook
2) I went to NYC the middle of October to see a Dr. Hertz. He is a CRPS specialist that trained under the world renowned Dr. Schwartzmann in PA. I would have gone to Dr. Schwartzmann but the wait time to see him is 2 years! Dr. Hertz looked at my legs and examined them carefully. He told me I should really consider the Ketamine Coma as he felt that was my best option. I told him currently I am not looking for a treatment quite so aggressive and would prefer an outpatient medium dose infusion. He said he would do a 10 day outpatient Ketamine protocol where you go in for a 4 hour infusion of 50mg/hr of Ketamine. They would treat all symptoms such as nausea, hallucinations, headaches, etc with other drugs. I would then return every 4 weeks for 2-3 months for boosters then every 3 months. I would need a cardiac and psychiatric consult before the infusion. His office called me and scheduled me for Feb. 20, 2012 to start the infusion. I had already discussed with both Dr. Hibner and Dr. Howard about putting off the surgery on the left side until we got my legs under better control.
3) However, I received a message from Dr. Howard telling me a physician in Rochester, NY is doing Ketamine and made an appointment for me to see her. I saw her on Monday 11/14/2011 and she also looked at my legs and said we will get you scheduled ASAP for Ketamine. Her protocol is quite similar to Dr. Hertz. They will start with 100mg total to be infused over 2-4 hours and increase to 300 mg total over the 10 day period. Because the Ketamine that I as given when I saw Dr. Hibner in October did not totally relieve all my pelvic pain the second week they are going to do Lidocaine infusions together with the Ketamine. On Wednesday 11/16/2011 I got a call from the doctors office saying my insurance had approved the Ketamine infusions and I am scheduled to start December 12th!! Now that is fast and I feel like it is a God send! Boosters will be determined on how I am doing and she felt like I wouldn't need to and shouldn't cancel my surgery with Dr. Hibner.
4) After my infusions I will post how I am doing. I will also be in contact in Jan with Dr. Hibner about what to do after my left pudendal surgery with Ketamine. When I was there in October I discussed the possibility of delaying the surgery until the CRPS/RSD is under better control. Dr. Howard thought if the insurance would pay they should admit me a day or two before the surgery and start the Ketamine infusion. Dr. Howard is thinking along these lines because the CRPS/RSD has moved into my right butt cheek and incision. When I stand now my pudendal incision turns all bluish/purplish along with my legs. Also, just pressing slightly on my right butt cheek now it turns red and has become hyperreactive to touch.
5) All the doctors are quite optimistic and so I am that the Ketamine will help. I had such a good response to it in Phoenix that getting higher and longer dosing should help. Even now I still see some improvements. For example, my legs would swell when I would stand and they no longer swell. Also, my right butt muscles were very tight since the surgery and just would not loosen up no matter how much massage, PT, heat, ice, etc but since the Ketamine my right butt cheek and the pain is sooooo much better in that right butt. I remember being in the ICU and feeling my whole body take a deep relaxing breathe and touching my butt and thinking "Wow, those hard muscle knots have finally given up." I still have some trigger points in my piriformis but it has come along ways! I don't mind nor care that I might need Ketamine boosters the rest of my life if it helps give me more quality to my life and stops the muscle spasms in my legs that will put in a wheelchair at some point if they can't get them to stop.
1) I joined three new forums to begin to have a better understanding of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD) and Ketamine. Between the three sources I have been able to piece together a wealth of information. It is like a full-time job!
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum21.html
Ketamine Klub on Facebook
RSD/CRPS on Facebook
2) I went to NYC the middle of October to see a Dr. Hertz. He is a CRPS specialist that trained under the world renowned Dr. Schwartzmann in PA. I would have gone to Dr. Schwartzmann but the wait time to see him is 2 years! Dr. Hertz looked at my legs and examined them carefully. He told me I should really consider the Ketamine Coma as he felt that was my best option. I told him currently I am not looking for a treatment quite so aggressive and would prefer an outpatient medium dose infusion. He said he would do a 10 day outpatient Ketamine protocol where you go in for a 4 hour infusion of 50mg/hr of Ketamine. They would treat all symptoms such as nausea, hallucinations, headaches, etc with other drugs. I would then return every 4 weeks for 2-3 months for boosters then every 3 months. I would need a cardiac and psychiatric consult before the infusion. His office called me and scheduled me for Feb. 20, 2012 to start the infusion. I had already discussed with both Dr. Hibner and Dr. Howard about putting off the surgery on the left side until we got my legs under better control.
3) However, I received a message from Dr. Howard telling me a physician in Rochester, NY is doing Ketamine and made an appointment for me to see her. I saw her on Monday 11/14/2011 and she also looked at my legs and said we will get you scheduled ASAP for Ketamine. Her protocol is quite similar to Dr. Hertz. They will start with 100mg total to be infused over 2-4 hours and increase to 300 mg total over the 10 day period. Because the Ketamine that I as given when I saw Dr. Hibner in October did not totally relieve all my pelvic pain the second week they are going to do Lidocaine infusions together with the Ketamine. On Wednesday 11/16/2011 I got a call from the doctors office saying my insurance had approved the Ketamine infusions and I am scheduled to start December 12th!! Now that is fast and I feel like it is a God send! Boosters will be determined on how I am doing and she felt like I wouldn't need to and shouldn't cancel my surgery with Dr. Hibner.
4) After my infusions I will post how I am doing. I will also be in contact in Jan with Dr. Hibner about what to do after my left pudendal surgery with Ketamine. When I was there in October I discussed the possibility of delaying the surgery until the CRPS/RSD is under better control. Dr. Howard thought if the insurance would pay they should admit me a day or two before the surgery and start the Ketamine infusion. Dr. Howard is thinking along these lines because the CRPS/RSD has moved into my right butt cheek and incision. When I stand now my pudendal incision turns all bluish/purplish along with my legs. Also, just pressing slightly on my right butt cheek now it turns red and has become hyperreactive to touch.
5) All the doctors are quite optimistic and so I am that the Ketamine will help. I had such a good response to it in Phoenix that getting higher and longer dosing should help. Even now I still see some improvements. For example, my legs would swell when I would stand and they no longer swell. Also, my right butt muscles were very tight since the surgery and just would not loosen up no matter how much massage, PT, heat, ice, etc but since the Ketamine my right butt cheek and the pain is sooooo much better in that right butt. I remember being in the ICU and feeling my whole body take a deep relaxing breathe and touching my butt and thinking "Wow, those hard muscle knots have finally given up." I still have some trigger points in my piriformis but it has come along ways! I don't mind nor care that I might need Ketamine boosters the rest of my life if it helps give me more quality to my life and stops the muscle spasms in my legs that will put in a wheelchair at some point if they can't get them to stop.
