Can Ketamine Help Migraines? Lessons from the Emergency Department

The pain from a migraine headache can be crippling. Calling it a headache does not do it justice, because many can feel migraine pain radiate throughout the entire body, not just their head, neck, and shoulders. An unfortunate fact is that over 35 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Additionally, science shows us that the higher risk groups are female (43% of all US women), and all genders in the 35-45 age group. This is roughly the entire population of the state of California.

In response, drug companies have introduced different medications, but what happens when migraine meds don’t work? What happens when the pain is so bad that you must be taken to the ER because you can’t transport yourself? If trips to the emergency department seem to work because “they have the good stuff”, then that is a good place to start. How do hospitals treat migraines so efficiently? It’s not a secret, it’s ketamine. Because the drug is safe when administered in the right doses, you’ll understand the reason that doctors use ketamine for migraines in the emergency department.

Ketamine has shown promise in treating certain types of migraines. In this article, you will learn about proper dosage and how emergency departments use ketamine.

If you don’t know where to go for migraines or if ketamine for migraines even works, continue reading and we’ll explain the amazing advancements in emergency medicine and how a properly dosed amount of ketamine combats the short- and long-term effects of migraine pain.

Before we explain how ketamine for migraines works, consider the following facts about ketamine itself, and remember that this information applies to medical and therapeutic uses only.

1. Ketamine was approved for human use in 1970. Shortly after the FDA’s decision, ketamine found its way to the battlefields of Vietnam as a field anesthetic.
2. The World Health Organization included ketamine on their “Essential Drugs List” due to it being among the safest and most effective drugs in modern health.
3. Today, ketamine is being clinically studied for its effects on chronic pain, depression, asthma, alcohol withdrawal, and migraines.
4. As an analgesic, ketamine has proven in multiple studies that is effective in relieving both acute and chronic pain.

Since we know ketamine is safe when administered with the right doses, what does that have to do with the emergency room? Recent data shows that approximately 2.8 million people per year visit the emergency room for head pain. Out of that number, almost 800,000 of them are directly related to migraine pain. Another factor to consider is the argument that migraines might be weather related. While there is no direct proof, one study showed that as temperatures rise, there is an increase in ER visits due to migraines. If you live in a warm climate like Houston or Arizona, that is something to take into consideration.

We’ve now established that ketamine works exceptionally well for migraines, and over 2,000 Americans visit the ER every day due to migraines. If you are a part of this group, it’s okay. You are not alone in needing help. What we’re about to tell you can change your life for the better, just keep reading.

The goal of any hospital emergency department is to stabilize patients, so they are either fit enough to go home, admitted to the hospital, or transported to another facility. Hospital emergency departments are well-trained in ketamine and for good reason. Below is a list of ketamine applications that hospitals utilize:

• Rapid Sequence Intubation (Severe breathing complications)
• Procedural Sedation
• Acute Pain Management

However, just because ketamine helps, hospitals may not use ketamine for every instance. There are other remedies such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, triptans, antihistamines, and more. Emergency departments can and do utilize ketamine in small doses if the situation warrants its use.

Since we know our frontline workers in hospitals and emergency departments are overworked and understaffed throughout the country, it is our responsibility to inform you that a new way to treat migraines is now available.

At YOURx Health, our healthcare professionals can design a strategy for your migraine care and recovery. Depending on your insurance coverage, a trip to the ER and the subsequent treatments you receive can be costly if you haven’t reached your deductible. Rather than fighting with insurance and hospital billing departments, at YOURx Health, we offer the same migraine relief in the comfort of our world-class facilities, and you collaborate directly with us.

Our team can put you on a plan that does not just involve being reactionary. With regular therapy sessions over a period of time, ketamine has shown in studies that it can lessen and, in some cases, eliminate migraine symptoms. Relief from refractory chronic migraines is what gets people asking, can ketamine help migraines? Simply put, yes it can.

When your body tries to protect itself from a migraine, your brain releases chemicals called neuropeptides that travel to the outer layer of the brain in an attempt to reduce pain. However, these neuropeptides cause inflammation and the swelling of blood vessels around the brain. This is the pain that migraine sufferers describe as “throbbing and pulsating” because of the added pressure the inflammation causes in the head.

This leaves just one question, why ketamine therapy at YOURx Health?

If you are tired of the pain, nausea, sleeplessness, lack of appetite and even that sensation of your hair being painful, then it is time to take back control of your daily life and visit us at YOURx Health. In our years of experience, we have met and treated many migraine patients. Whether they make immediate appointments for acute attacks or get themselves on a regular therapy schedule to prevent refractory chronic migraines, we can create a personalized health plan tailored specifically to your health history and body type. Once we get to know you and how your migraines are affecting your life, our healthcare professionals will be happy to consult with you and determine the best way to get you on the road to owning your migraines and not letting them own you. If you are interested in learning more about ketamine for migraines, click HERE to contact us, or give us a call at 832-585-0456.