Methadone for phantom limb pain.
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.
Bergmans
Lonneke
L
Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Snijdelaar
Dirk G
DG
Katz
Joel
J
Crul
Ben J P
BJ
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
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone