Ketamine produces effective and long-term pain relief in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1

Pain. 2009 Oct;145(3):304-311. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2009.06.023. Epub 2009 Jul 14.

Abstract

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 (CRPS-1) responds poorly to standard pain treatment. We evaluated if the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist S(+)-ketamine improves pain in CRPS-1 patients. Sixty CRPS-1 patients (48 females) with severe pain participated in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled parallel-group trial. Patients were given a 4.2-day intravenous infusion of low-dose ketamine (n=30) or placebo (n=30) using an individualized stepwise tailoring of dosage based on effect (pain relief) and side effects (nausea/vomiting/psychomimetic effects). The primary outcome of the study was the pain score (numerical rating score: 0-10) during the 12-week study period. The median (range) disease duration of the patients was 7.4 (0.1-31.9) years. At the end of infusion, the ketamine dose was 22.2+/-2.0 mg/h/70 kg. Pain scores over the 12-week study period in patients receiving ketamine were significantly lower than those in patients receiving placebo (P<0.001). The lowest pain score was at the end of week 1: ketamine 2.68+/-0.51, placebo 5.45+/-0.48. In week 12, significance in pain relief between groups was lost (P=0.07). Treatment did not cause functional improvement. Patients receiving ketamine more often experienced mild to moderate psychomimetic side effects during drug infusion (76% versus 18%, P<0.001). In conclusion, in a population of mostly chronic CRPS-1 patients with severe pain at baseline, a multiple day ketamine infusion resulted in significant pain relief without functional improvement. Treatment with ketamine was safe with psychomimetic side effects that were acceptable to most patients.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anesthetics, Dissociative / therapeutic use*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Ketamine / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / drug therapy*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Dissociative
  • Ketamine