Premium
Ketamine Infusion Combined With Magnesium as a Therapy for Intractable Chronic Cluster Headache: Report of Two Cases
Author(s) -
Moisset Xavier,
Clavelou Pierre,
Lauxerois Michel,
Dallel Radhouane,
Picard Pascale
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/head.13135
Subject(s) - ketamine , medicine , nmda receptor , chronic pain , anesthesia , cluster headache , placebo , physical therapy , receptor , migraine , alternative medicine , pathology
Background Chronic cluster headache (CH) is a rare, highly disabling primary headache condition. As NMDA receptors are possibly overactive in CH, NMDA receptor antagonists, such as ketamine, could be of interest in patients with intractable CH. Case reports Two Caucasian males, 28 and 45 years‐old, with chronic intractable CH, received a single ketamine infusion (0.5 mg/kg over 2 h) combined with magnesium sulfate (3000 mg over 30 min) in an outpatient setting. This treatment led to a complete relief from symptoms (attack frequency and pain intensity) for one patient and partial relief (50%) for the other patient, for 6 weeks in both cases. Conclusion The NMDA receptor is a potential target for the treatment of chronic CH. Randomized, placebo‐controlled studies are warranted to establish both safety and efficacy of such treatment.