13 / 14
Page 45
Notes:
conferenceseries
.com
Volume 7, Issue 3 (Suppl)
J Palliat Care Med, an open access journal
ISSN: 2165-7386
Palliative Care 2017
June 21- 22, 2017
3
rd
International Conference on
June 21- 22, 2017 | Philadelphia, USA
Palliative Care & Hospice Nursing
THEUSEOFDEXTROAMPHETAMINESULFATETOAMELIORATEINTRACTABLENEURALGIA
PAIN INANADVANCED GERIATRIC PATIENT
Brittney Katsoff
a
, Jerome H Check
b
, Rachael Cohen
b
, Diane Check
b
and
Deanna Greco
b
a
Vitas Healthcare: Hospice & Palliative Care, USA
b
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, USA
Statement of problem:
Dextroamphetamine sulfate has many years provided marked relief of pain from a variety of disorders that
failed to respond to conventional therapy including, but not limited to, headaches, pelvic pain, interstitial cystitis, fibromyalgia,
abdominal pain associated with motility disorders, or inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. The present study
evaluated the benefits vs. side effects in an 88 year old man suffering from such severe post-herpetic neuralgia over a 5-year duration
that he was investigating whether there are any doctors or clinics available where assisted suicide is performed. The patient had
failed to improve following treatment with gabapentin, pregabalin, and duloxetine and had marginal relief from lidocaine patches,
hydrocodine, oxycodone (all caused nausea), acupuncture and TENS unit.
Findings:
The patient was started on dextroamphetamine sulfate 15mg extended release capsule daily starting at age 88 (after 5 years
of no relief from left sided flank pain extending to the back same area as herpes infection). His dosage was increased to 30mg which
provided 90% relief of pain within 2 months of treatment. The relief lasted 5 years with daily treatment. He died peacefully while
sleeping at age 93 pain free for 5 years.
Conclusions:
This very elderly man had no side effects from treatment with dextroamphetamine sulfate. The drug is believed to
provide amelioration of pain by stimulating the release of dopamine from sympathetic nerve fibers. This biogenic amine function
to inhibit cellular permeability. Excess absorption of irritants into the tissues may lead to excessive inflammation leading to pain.
Palliative care specialists should be aware of the benefits of sympathomimetic amine therapy for pain even for people in their late 80’s
or 90’s.
Biography
Brittney Katsoff completed her university training at University of Pennsylvania receive an AB degree (major psychology). She received an M.D. degree from
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Temple University School of Medicine and is board certified in internal
medicine. She completed her fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Drexel University Medical School and is board certified in that specialty. She is the
lead or co-author of 45 peer reviewed manuscripts. She is currently working as a specialist in hospice and palliative medicine for Vitas.
laurie@ccivf.comBrittney Katsoff et al., J Palliat Care Med 2017, 7:3(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2165-7386-C1-008