title: Methadone for phantom limb pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this case series was to determine if severe phantom limb pain could be reduced with oral methadone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cases of phantom limb pain refractory to multiple treatment modalities were treated with oral methadone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain clinic at a major university medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients with severe, intractable phantom limb pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oral methadone was administered, starting with a low dose of 2 to 5 mg twice a day or three times a day and slowly titrated upward to achieve pain relief.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated administration of a visual analog scale for pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of oral methadone may be of value in the treatment of phantom limb pain; controlled clinical trials would be appropriate to verify this observation.
authors.affiliation: Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergmans
authors.forename: Dirk G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Snijdelaar
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Ben J P
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Crul
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010591:Phantom Limb / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone