Ketamine
My doctor prescribed ketamine nasal spray as an abortive a few weeks ago. It didn't work well for me, so this week he prescribed an oral version to take 3 times a day. He's starting me on a low dose and says we can gradually increase it. I have a constant migraine that gets acute 2 or 3 times a week. I've tried researching the drug online and have found info (including an article on this site) about the IV and intranasal forms, but does anyone have any experience with the oral version?
--Kaci
H Kaci,
I've not used Ketamine, is a NMDA receptor antagonist and general anesthetic, but know some who have for temporary relief. The thing is it won't stop the migraine process, but may help with pain relief. It usually isn't among medications that are considered first for treating migraine. We do have information on ketamine in this article; https://migraine.com/blog/ketamine-for-management/.
There are over 100 medications that can be used for migraine prevention, so don't lose hope. Let me share that information with you in this article; https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-management-essential-4-preventive-treatment/.
Keep us posted on how you are doing,
NancyThanks, Nancy. This is my 12th year in this battle (war?) and I'm far beyond the first lines of defense. I stopped counting the number of preventives I'd tried several years ago. I think it would depress me to even know the number now! I haven't lost hope though. My current doctor is a headache specialist who stays educated on current research and never seems to run out of things to try.
Thanks for taking your time to share these links with me. This website is a great resource. I only recently discovered it and wish I'd found it sooner!
-Kaci
Hi Kaci,
What state are you in? I am having difficulty in finding a doctor to prescribe ketermine nasal spray.Thanks
nanomug,
Unfortunately I'm all the way in Mississippi. I wish I had some advice for you. Do keep in mind that ketamine isn't a magic bullet. My doctor talked about it as if it were, but I didn't see any improvement until a year and a half after starting ketamine, trying it in multiple forms, and taking it in combination with other drugs--and frankly, because I'm taking it in combination with other meds, I don't know how much the ketamine is helping versus something else I'm taking.
Continue pursuing new avenues of treatment, including this one. It's great that you're advocating for your own health. I just want to make sure that you and others know that ketamine is just like any other migraine treatment; everyone responds differently to it.
Best of luck. I pray that you experience some relief soon.
Kaci
I live in Southern California and am willing to travel to se a doctor that prescribes ketermine nasal spray. Can anyone give me a name of a doctor?
Thanks
BeckyMemantine is a Alzheimer’s DrugInfusion but works on the same receptors in your brain. For me it was a life changing. It literally changed the chemistry in my brain. I don’t know who else to describe it. I have bizarre migraines and a crappy history of events & conditions that make a lot of other medications unsafe. Ketamine has caught my attention as a rescue, or at least something to reduce the Hell of a full blown attack.
