Intravenous Lidocaine Infusions Relieve Chronic Abdominal Pain: Case Report

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that presents with chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility. Treatment methods include surgery, no treatment, or medical therapy, commonly including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives, androgenic agents, progestins, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Unfortunately, many of these patients have pelvic pain refractory to conventional medical treatment. Intravenous (IV) lidocaine infusions have been studied extensively for neuropathic pain, but there is no report available in regards to whether it could be beneficial for those afflicted with chronic pelvic pain secondary to endometriosis. CASE REPORT: We would like to share the first report of a 37-year-old woman with chronic refractory abdominal pain from endometriosis continuously receiving greater than 3 weeks of pain relief from IV lidocaine infusions. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates that IV lidocaine infusions may be an effective and safe treatment option for those suffering from chronic abdominal pain from endometriosis.