A difficult-to-diagnose bacterial infection caused by specific types of tick bites, Lyme disease – and, more specifically, chronic Lyme disease – is a debilitating condition that can leave patients with a worse quality of life than those suffering from such disorders as congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. The symptoms of Lyme are diverse: fatigue, trouble sleeping, joint and muscle pain, depression, cognitive impairment, neuropathy, and headaches are just a few of the manifestations. No matter how chronic Lyme disease presents itself, the impact is almost always devastating.
More than 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, but because the condition is so difficult to identify during its early stages, the Center for Disease Control estimates that there are many infections that go undiagnosed.
Harder than diagnosing Lyme disease is treating Lyme disease. There are two schools of thought on how to effectively treat Lyme disease, both of which are rooted in antibiotics. However, once Lyme disease becomes chronic, a more integrated, multi-faceted approach is required. Herbal remedies, nutrition and diet, anaerobic exercise, Eastern medicine, and, now, ketamine infusions have been shown to treat the pain associated with Lyme disease when opiates and other pain treatments fail.
A recent report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) documents the case of a female patient suffering from chronic Lyme disease. This patient was unable to gain relief from such pain treatments as radiofrequency ablation, vitamin infusion therapy, opioid analgesics, and other pharmacological pain treatments. However, after undergoing a series of IV ketamine infusions, the patient reported significant pain relief, resulting in an improved quality of life, reduced depression and decreased opiate consumption. The NCBI states, “Opioid-sparing therapies, such as ketamine, should be used more frequently for the management of chronic pain. This is especially important given the frequency of opioid dependence and abuse…”
The recommendations made by NCBI are clear and direct – ketamine is effective for treating chronic pain associated with Lyme disease and should be used more frequently as an alternative to opiates. Furthermore, this research validates the effectiveness of ketamine infusions for the use of other chronic pain conditions. Patients suffering from such disorders as CRPS and fibromyalgia, as well as many cancer patients, have experienced pain relief after receiving ketamine infusions.
CONTACT VITALITAS DENVER
At our Denver ketamine clinic, we treat many chronic pain patients in addition to patients suffering from depression and other psychiatric disorders. If you or a loved one is experiencing reduced quality of life due to chronic pain or depression, please complete the brief form below and a member of our clinical team will contact you to answer any questions you may have about ketamine infusion therapy, address concerns, and otherwise point you in the right direction – whatever direction that may be.
