United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

The Dr today just recommended that my husband be put in a medically induced coma and given meds to stop his pain has anyone heard of this and does it work? It is very popular in Germany for a last option instead of heavy meds. It is done at Drexel in Pa

The meds that are given are Ketamine ever heard of it?

Thanks for your help


Message was edited by: beth lucas

Here's a link to a discussion about Ketamine on a Spinal Cord Injury website. Although it starts off about studies on Ketamine reversing depression, the 3rd post on that page is one I put up with links to video news stories regarding the coma induced treatment.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=77221

I've been very interested about this research/therapy. My basic understanding is that it "resets" the overactive pain response within the neurological system. Our nerves are continually responding to a trauma that is no longer present, basically the "door" is stuck open between neurons and the are screaming pain at each other. The Ketamine induced coma puts the nerves to "sleep" and allows the pathways that communicate pain to shut down and reset

Check out the video links, there are conversations with patients that have gone through the treatment in Germany and it sounds quite promising.

Best of Luck, and please keep us all posted on what you end up doing and how things go.

Christopher