Ketamine in fibromyalgia: a systematic review.
Advances in rheumatology (London, England) July 29, 2024 Jozélio Freire de Carvalho, Eduardo Pondé de Sena 8 citations
A systematic review of six studies involving 115 fibromyalgia patients found that ketamine, an anesthetic drug, appears effective and safe for short-term pain relief. Most patients were female (88-100%), aged 23 to 53, with disease duration from one month to 28 years. Ketamine was given intravenously or subcutaneously at doses of 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg. Pain scores on a visual analog scale dropped from 59-100 mm before treatment to 2-95 mm after. Short-term studies showed good response, but the only eight-week follow-up study did not. Side effects occurred during infusion but resolved quickly. More long-term studies are needed.