WHY KETAMINE INFUSIONS DO NOT WORK OUTSIDE FLORIDA

Below is a typical email I receive from patients complaining that ketamine infusions do not work outside Florida. The patient’s email has been edited to protect patient privacy. The treatment protocol used by the doctor has been deleted - again - to protect patient privacy.

 

My reply is published below:

 

Anthony F. Kirkpatrick, MD, PhD

 

 

 

From: XXX  XXXXXX
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
To: akirkpat@tampabay.rr.com
Subject: Re: Ketamine

 

Dr. Kirkpatrick,

 

I have finally found a Doctor that is doing ketamine infusions.  It has taken me about 2 1/2 yrs of searching and discussing ketamine.  I have had 4 infusions so far:  ….  The infusions are nothing compared to what you are doing. I don't get the same affect that I did in Florida. 

 

The Doctor wants to evaluate the infusions and may decide not to continue them because they have not helped yet??  This doctor is new at doing the infusions. 

 

Is there a reasonable explanation of why they are not working and why they are so different from the ones I had in Florida?  I would appreciate any input you may have.  I don't want this Doctor to drop me so I need reasons why they are not working. 

 

Thank You,

 

XXX  XXXXXX

 

 

REPPLY:

 

Dear XXXXXXXX:

 

Your doc’s failure to help you with ketamine infusions is not surprising. Your experience is a common one, especially when an anesthesiologist “experiments” with using ketamine for the first time to treat CRPS.

 

Unfortunately, your doc does NOT appreciate the fundamentals on how to apply ketamine for optimal safety and efficacy.

 

In particular:

 

  • Dose is important. But equally important is exposing the patient to high doses over a minimum of 3 consecutive days.

 

  • Your doc is NOT continuously measuring clinical outcome on an objective basis (which is essential to guiding the therapy).

 

Other factors that contribute to failure with ketamine infusions are covered in video recordings:

 

KETAMINE THERAPY

 

 

Anthony Kirkpatrick MD, PhD

www.rsdfoundation.org

www.rsdhealthcare.org

 

 

 

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