Treatment of central post-stroke pain with oral ketamine

Case report of 68 year old female with central post-stroke pain successfully treated with oral ketamine. The patients pain was refractory to conventional pain treatments and she had persistent right hemi-body neuropathic pain with allodynia and hyperalgesia. An intravenous ketamine trial. followed by oral ketamine with titration to 50mg three times a day was beneficial in decreasing allodynia and hyperalgesia, as well as improving functional capabilities. Known side effects including dysphoria, hallucinations, and paranoid feelings were attenuated with benzodiazepines. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd All rights reserved.