USES: FOR THERAPEUTIC NEUROLYSIS OF NERVES OR GANGLIA IN INTRACTABLE CHRNIC PAIN IN
CANCER PAIN, TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA, GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NEURALGIA, ANGINA PECTORIS AND SEVERE CLAUDICATION DUE TO PERIPHERAL VASCULAR INSUFFICIENCY. TO CONTROL CERTAIN MANIFESTATIONS OF CEREBRAL PALSY AND SPASTIC PARAPLEGIA, CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK TO RELIEVE PAIN OF INOPERABLE UPPER ABDOMINAL CANCER, AND HAVE BEEN INJECTED INTRA-AND SUBCUTANEOUSLY FOR RELIEF OF INTRACTABLE PRURITUS ANI.
IT IS INJECTED PROXIMATE TO NERVE TISSUES AND INTO SPINAL SUBARACHNOID SPACES TO PRODUCE DEGENERATION OF NERVE FUNCTION (NEUROLYSIS) FOR CONTROL OF CHRONIC PAIN.
DOSAGE VARIES FROM AS LITTLE AS 0.05 TO 0.5 ML IN TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA TO 0.5 TO 1.0 ML PER INTERSPACE FOR SUBARACHNOID INJECTIONS. DOSES LARGER THAN 1.5 ML ARE SELDOM REQUIRED.
WHEN LESSER CONCENTRATIONS OF ALCOHOL ARE USED, LARGER VOLUMES ARE USUALLY INJECTED. A DOSE OF 2 ML OF 45% ALCOHOL HAS BEEN USED FOR INJECTING INDIVIDUAL MOTOR NERVES, OR FROM 1.5 TO 4.0 ML FOR EPIDURAL INJECTION IN CHILDREN WITH SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY; 50 ML OF 50% ALCOHOL HAS BEEN USED FOR CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCKADE.