Fibromyalgia affects approximately four million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And if you’re one of them, you’re no stranger to sleep disturbances, fatigue, and anxiety/depression. Perhaps the most disruptive symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread pain, whether that’s migraines or musculoskeletal pain.
Here at Beverly Hills Migraine and Pain Management Institute, Dr. Benjamin Taimoorazy knows that finding relief for “fibro pain” is frustrating. Not only are fibromyalgia symptoms often mistaken for symptoms of other conditions, but pain relief is complicated by the fact that the pain is often linked to the way the neurotransmitters in your brain function.
Fortunately, we offer many fibromyalgia treatments, including intravenous IV ketamine. Here’s a closer look at this treatment.
Before we explore how ketamine treats fibromyalgia, let’s first explore fibromyalgia and what causes the pain associated with it. Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder in which pain is felt at a greater intensity than is warranted. This is called abnormal pain perception processing.
Common symptoms include brain fog, fatigue, mood problems (anxiety and/or depression), headaches, and pain. The National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) reports that the pain can be dull, burning, shooting, stabbing, or deep aches.
It’s currently unclear what causes fibromyalgia, although the NFMCPA notes that injury and illness can trigger its onset. Regardless of what causes it, treatment is necessary in order to improve your quality of life. Intravenous ketamine infusions show great promise in reducing pain, improving mood, and restoring a quality of life.
Research shows that ketamine is effective in managing pain, but it’s particularly helpful for pain with neuropathic elements. Ketamine wasn’t invented as a pain medication. Rather, it was first used during the 1950s as an anesthetic medicine during the Vietnam War. Now, ketamine is used to treat a variety of conditions from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Here’s how ketamine infusion therapy works for fibromyalgia:
Additionally, ketamine creates a mild sedative effect. Together all of these effects of ketamine help to tackle the physical symptoms and mood instability associated with fibromyalgia.
If you’ve ever received an IV infusion before, you are already familiar with the process of receiving IV ketamine. Ketamine is delivered intravenously, directly into your bloodstream. After an initial quick pinch, the rest of the therapy is easy. Simply, sit back and relax while the IV bag empties.
If ketamine is right for you, Dr. Taimoorazy may suggest a series of infusions, but how many exactly you need depends on your unique situation. We administer IV ketamine in both our Beverly Hills and Northridge, California, locations. The process can take about an hour, but because ketamine can cause mild short lasting sedation, you’ll need a friend or family member to drive you home.
Ketamine doesn’t have to be the only aspect of your treatment plan. Our goal is to help you improve your quality of life by reducing your physical and emotional symptoms of fibromyalgia. We may suggest additional treatments including physical therapy, exercise (like walking or swimming), medical management, and regenerative medicine.
Fibromyalgia can be tough, but you’re never alone on this journey. To learn more about IV ketamine therapy (or any of other treatment options), call us to make an appointment. Reach us at 424-302-0289 or request an appointment online.
