ketamine and Itching studies

Ketamine: A cyclohexanone derivative used for induction of anesthesia. Its mechanism of action is not well understood, but ketamine can block NMDA receptors (RECEPTORS, N-METHYL-D-ASPARTATE) and may interact with sigma receptors.
ketamine : A member of the class of cyclohexanones in which one of the hydrogens at position 2 is substituted by a 2-chlorophenyl group, while the other is substituted by a methylamino group.

Research Excerpts

Excerpt	Relevance	Reference
"Pruritus is the most common complication of intrathecal morphine; however, its exact molecular mechanism is unclear, and treatment is challenging."	7.88	NMDA receptor antagonists attenuate intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus through ERK phosphorylation. ( Huang, Y; Li, S; Qin, J; Shen, L; Wang, W, 2018)
"Pruritus is the most common complication of intrathecal morphine; however, its exact molecular mechanism is unclear, and treatment is challenging."	3.88	NMDA receptor antagonists attenuate intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus through ERK phosphorylation. ( Huang, Y; Li, S; Qin, J; Shen, L; Wang, W, 2018)
"The ketamine group was administered a ketamine bolus and infusion during surgery."	2.71	Intraoperative intravenous ketamine in combination with epidural analgesia: postoperative analgesia after renal surgery. ( Karaman, H; Kararmaz, A; Kaya, S; Ozyilmaz, MA; Turhanoglu, S, 2003)
"IVPCA ketamine in combination with morphine provides superior postsurgical pain relief at lower dosage and with fewer side effects than morphine alone."	2.68	Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. ( Colclough, GW; Javery, KB; Steger, HG; Ussery, TW, 1996)
"This will promote the research and treatment of pruritus and depression."	1.48	The behavioral study on the interactive aggravation between pruritus and depression. ( Bai, Y; Feng, YP; Li, H; Wang, XD; Yang, G, 2018)

Research

Studies (17)

Authors

Clinical Trials (7)

Trial Overview

Trial Outcomes

Peak Itch Intensity Between the Vehicle and Active Treatments (Individual and KeAmLi-combo).

Timeframe	Studies, this research(%)	All Research%
pre-1990	0 (0.00)	18.7374
1990's	4 (23.53)	18.2507
2000's	2 (11.76)	29.6817
2010's	9 (52.94)	24.3611
2020's	2 (11.76)	2.80

Authors	Studies
Kwatra, SG	1
Kambala, A	1
Cornman, H	1
Reddy, SV	1
Cohen, SP	1
Ferreira, S	1
Azevedo, A	1
Velho, GC	1
Sanches, M	1
Selores, M	1
Lee, HG	1
Grossman, SK	1
Valdes-Rodriguez, R	1
Berenato, F	1
Korbutov, J	1
Chan, YH	1
Lavery, MJ	1
Yosipovitch, G	2
Jaller, JA	1
Shen, L	1
Wang, W	1
Li, S	1
Qin, J	1
Huang, Y	1
Wang, XD	1
Yang, G	1
Bai, Y	1
Feng, YP	1
Li, H	1
Poterucha, TJ	2
Murphy, SL	2
Davis, MD	3
Sandroni, P	2
Rho, RH	2
Warndahl, RA	2
Weiss, WT	2
Griffin, JR	1
Cardis, MA	1
Pasieka, HB	1
Adam, F	1
Horvath, G	1
Joo, G	1
Kekesi, G	1
Farkas, I	1
Tuboly, G	1
Petrovszki, Z	1
Benedek, G	1
Kararmaz, A	1
Kaya, S	1
Karaman, H	1
Turhanoglu, S	1
Ozyilmaz, MA	1
Javery, KB	1
Ussery, TW	1
Steger, HG	1
Colclough, GW	1
Chia, YY	2
Liu, K	2
Liu, YC	1
Chang, HC	1
Wong, CS	1
Fischer, M	1
Steinborn, A	1
Tan, PH	1
Kuo, MC	1
Kao, PF	1

Trial	Phase	Enrollment	Study Type	Start Date	Status
Antipruritic Effect of Topical Ketamine, Amitriptyline, and Lidocaine[NCT03096444]	Phase 2	13 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2017-05-23	Terminated (stopped due to Efficacy was not seen after interim analysis)
Does a Single Intravenous Dose of Ketamine Reduce the Need for Supplemental Opioids in Post-Cesarean Section Patients?[NCT00486902]		188 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2006-07-31	Completed
The Use of Ketamine as Rescue Analgesia in the Recovery Room Following Opioid Administration. A Double-blind Randomised Trial in Postoperative Patients.[NCT00163969]	Phase 4	40 participants	Interventional	2002-04-30	Completed
PCA Ketamine-Morphine Versus PCA Morphine as Post-Operative Analgesia in Colorectal Surgery.[NCT06010056]	Phase 4	60 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2018-04-05	Completed
PCA Ketamine-Morphine Versus PCA Morphine as Post-Operative Analgesia in Colorectal Surgery[NCT06021717]	Phase 4	60 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2018-04-05	Completed
Comparison of Intravenous Push Dose of Low Dose Ketamine to Short Infusion of Low Dose Ketamine for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Pain in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study[NCT02363270]		48 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2015-04-01	Completed
Low Dose Ketamine Versus Morphine for Moderate to Severe Pain in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study[NCT01835262]	Phase 4	90 participants (Actual)	Interventional	2013-04-30	Completed
[information is prepared from clinicaltrials.gov, extracted Sep-2024]

"Peak itch intensity between the vehicle and 4 other active treatments (individual ketamine, amitriptyline, or lidocaine, and KeAmLi-combo). Itch intensity was measured on a 100mm scale visual analog scale for 10 minutes. 0 was weighted with no itch and 100 was weighted with most itch imaginable." (NCT03096444)
Timeframe: 10 minutes

Mechanical Thresholds (Mechanical Detection and Pain).

Intervention	Intensity score (Mean)
Topical KeAmLi Combo	62.7
Topical Ketamine	63.1
Topical Amitriptyline	69.2
Topical Lidocaine	65.8
Topical Vehicle	61.9

Assess mechanical detection and pain thresholds using von Frey filaments stimulators (measured in force mN) to calculate the final threshold as the geometric mean of five series of ascending and descending stimuli. (NCT03096444)
Timeframe: 5 minutes

Thermal Threshold Detection (Warmth and Heat Pain)

Intervention	mN (Mean)
	Mechanical Detection Threshold	Mechanical Pain Threshold
Topical Amitriptyline	3.573423965	152.4768146
Topical KeAmLi Combo	3.519376956	152.3293608
Topical Ketamine	3.464204768	135.9
Topical Lidocaine	3.546037659	126.9
Topical Vehicle	3.525692637	148.7138273

Two standardized quantitative sensory tests are performed to measure warmth detection threshold (assesses the threshold of which warmth sensation is first detected) and heat pain threshold (assesses the threshold at which heat pain sensation is first detected). Measured in change in celsius. (NCT03096444)
Timeframe: 3 minutes

Cumulative Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen for Supplemental Analgesia to Treat Breakthrough Pain

Intervention	Degrees celsius (Mean)
	Warm Detection Threshold	Heat Pain Threshold
Topical Amitriptyline	33.9	40.0
Topical KeAmLi Combo	33.6	39.8
Topical Ketamine	34.0	40.0
Topical Lidocaine	33.7	39.4
Topical Vehicle	33.8	39.7

Cumulative hydrocodone/acetaminophen for supplemental analgesia to treat breakthrough pain for 72 hours following cesarean delivery (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 72 hours

Disturbing Dreams

Intervention	tablets (Median)
Ketamine	10
Placebo	9

Number of subject reporting disturbing dreams at 72 hours post cesarean delivery (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 72 hours

Number of Subjects Requiring Supplemental Analgesia in the First 24 Hours Following Cesarean Delivery

Intervention	participants (Number)
Ketamine	0
Placebo	0

Request for oral hydrocodone/acetaminophen for pain not controlled by around the clock non-steroidal antiflammatory drugs in the first 24 hours following cesarean delivery. (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 24 hours

Pain Score (0-10) at 2 Weeks Following Cesarean Delivery

Intervention	participants (Number)
Ketamine	64
Placebo	66

Numeric rating for pain score (0 to 10) reported at 2 weeks following cesarean delivery. Zero is no pain and 10 is worst pain imaginable. (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 2 weeks

Postoperative Nausea

Intervention	Scores on a scale (Median)
Ketamine	2
Placebo	2.6

Number of subjects reporting nausea in first 24 hours following cesarean delivery (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 24 hours

Postoperative Vomiting

Intervention	participants (Number)
Ketamine	27
Placebo	30

Number of subjects that vomited in the first 24 hours following cesarean delivery (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 24 hours

Postperative Pruritus

Intervention	participants (Number)
Ketamine	13
Placebo	13

Number of subjects with pruritus in the first 24 hours following cesarean delivery (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 24 hours

Verbal Pain Scores (0 to 10) at First Analgesia Request

Intervention	participants (Number)
Ketamine	12
Placebo	19

Numeric rating of pain scores (NRS) scale (0 to 10) at time of supplemental analgesia request. Zero is no pain and 10 is worst pain imaginable. (NCT00486902)
Timeframe: 24 hours

Overall Rate of Feeling Unreality

Intervention	Scores on a scale (Median)
Ketamine	3
Placebo	4

Overall rate of feeling of unreality as measured by Side Effects Rating Scale for Dissociative Anesthetics (SERSDA) (NCT02363270)
Timeframe: 30 minutes

Numeric Rating Scale of Pain

Intervention	Participants (Count of Participants)
IV Push Group	22
IV Drip Group	13

"We will compare efficacy as a difference between 2 groups in pain score at 30 minutes post-analgesic administration. The primary outcome is the difference between 2 groups in pain score at 30 minutes.~Pain will be measured via Numeric rating scale from 0 to 10 with 0 being no pain, 5 being moderate pain, and 10 being severe pain" (NCT01835262)
Timeframe: 30 minutes

Intervention	Units on a scale (Mean)
Morphine	3.93
Ketamine Group	4.07

Article	Year
Intraoperative intravenous ketamine in combination with epidural analgesia: postoperative analgesia after renal surgery. Anesthesia and analgesia, 2003, Volume: 97, Issue:4 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Epidural; Analgesics, Opioid; Anesthesia, General; Anesthetics, Dissociative; Anes	2003
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Comparison of morphine and morphine with ketamine for postoperative analgesia. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 1996, Volume: 43, Issue:3 Topics: Adult; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Diskectomy; Double-Blind Metho	1996
Adding ketamine in a multimodal patient-controlled epidural regimen reduces postoperative pain and analgesic consumption. Anesthesia and analgesia, 1998, Volume: 86, Issue:6 Topics: Analgesia, Epidural; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics, Opioid; Anesthetics, Dissociative; A	1998
Patient-controlled epidural analgesia with morphine or morphine plus ketamine for post-operative pain relief. European journal of anaesthesiology, 1999, Volume: 16, Issue:12 Topics: Abdomen; Analgesia, Epidural; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Arousal	1999

Article	Year
Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Neuropathic Pruritus. JAMA dermatology, 2023, 09-01, Volume: 159, Issue:9 Topics: Cervical Vertebrae; Humans; Ketamine; Pruritus	2023
Epidermolysis Bullosa Pruriginosa successfully treated with concomitant topical and systemic agents. The Australasian journal of dermatology, 2020, Volume: 61, Issue:4 Topics: Administration, Topical; Amitriptyline; Analgesics; Drug Therapy, Combination; Epidermolysis Bullosa	2020
Topical ketamine-amitriptyline-lidocaine for chronic pruritus: A retrospective study assessing efficacy and tolerability. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2017, Volume: 76, Issue:4 Topics: Aged; Amines; Amitriptyline; Analgesics; Chronic Disease; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Drug Therapy,	2017
Successful Treatment of Epidermal Nevus-associated Pruritus with Topical Ketamine-Amitriptyline-Lidocaine. Acta dermato-venereologica, 2018, 01-12, Volume: 98, Issue:1 Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Amitriptyline; Analgesics; Antipruritics; Drug Combinations; Forehead; Hu	2018
NMDA receptor antagonists attenuate intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus through ERK phosphorylation. Molecular brain, 2018, 06-28, Volume: 11, Issue:1 Topics: Analgesia; Animals; Butadienes; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; Injections, Spinal; Keta	2018
The behavioral study on the interactive aggravation between pruritus and depression. Brain and behavior, 2018, Volume: 8, Issue:6 Topics: Animals; Antidepressive Agents; Behavior, Animal; Chloroquine; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Dise	2018
Topical amitriptyline-ketamine for the treatment of brachioradial pruritus. JAMA dermatology, 2013, Volume: 149, Issue:2 Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Adult; Amitriptyline; Analgesics; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Forearm; Huma	2013
Topical amitriptyline combined with topical ketamine for the management of recalcitrant localized pruritus: a retrospective pilot study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2013, Volume: 69, Issue:2 Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Aged; Amitriptyline; Chronic Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hum	2013
Amitriptyline/Ketamine as therapy for neuropathic pruritus and pain secondary to herpes zoster. Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD, 2015, Volume: 14, Issue:2 Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Amitriptyline; Analgesics; Drug Combinations; Gels; Herpes Zoster; Humans	2015
Safety of Topical Neuromodulators for the Treatment of Pruritus. JAMA dermatology, 2016, 12-01, Volume: 152, Issue:12 Topics: Administration, Topical; Aged, 80 and over; Amitriptyline; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Dose-Response R	2016
Inhibition of itch-related responses at spinal level in rats. Acta physiologica Hungarica, 2011, Volume: 98, Issue:4 Topics: 5-Methoxytryptamine; Analgesics; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Interaction	2011
Therapy-resistant erythrodermia-related pruritus: effective treatment with ketamine hydrochloride. Archives of dermatology, 1999, Volume: 135, Issue:10 Topics: Dermatitis, Exfoliative; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Humans; Ketamine; Middle Aged; Pruritus	1999

ketamine and Itching