Ketamine is often used as an aesthetic in hospitals and by veterinarians. It is also sometimes used as a 'party drug.' It's recently made news for a different reason, with studies examining the efficacy of ketamine in treating depression. Ketamine is a dissociative drug, which means it distorts sight and hearing by acting on separate substances in the brain.
This might cause someone to feel disconnected from reality. We know that ketamine has the potential to benefit those who have been resistant to conventional therapies for depression. However, there are concerns regarding its limits. Is it secure? What is the duration of the effects? Is this a viable long-term solution?
How can ketamine help in depression treatment?
Ketamine works as a depression medication by affecting a critical molecule in the brain called glutamate. It is also considered to have an impact on brain cell proliferation and function. Ketamine study participants often have severe depression that has not responded to previous therapy.
Ketamine lowered depression symptoms quickly and gave relief for many days in several studies, a far quicker response than conventional therapies. These studies have revealed that ketamine has the capacity to alleviate emotions of despair, helplessness, and even suicidal ideation without increasing mood.
Despite delivering encouraging short-term outcomes for some patients, these studies also demonstrate that ketamine therapy may be unexpected, and its long-term promise as a depression treatment has to be determined.
Getting the correct dosage and delivery
Most researchers are attempting to determine the optimal ketamine dosage and method of administration, with clinical studies using either an intravenous drip, injection, or nasal spray. The outcomes have been mixed.
In a successful experiment in New South Wales, elderly persons were given ketamine via injection. This trial had good outcomes, with 68.8% of individuals obtaining symptom remission.
Another study used nasal spray to give ketamine. However, all five individuals suffered serious adverse effects, including the inability to self-administer all of their nasal spray due to a loss of coordination.
The experiment was cancelled, and the findings emphasize the uncertainties around ketamine dose and safe delivery. Many of the studies were also too small to give definitive proof of ketamine's efficacy and safety as a therapy. Larger-scale research is required.
What are the side effects of ketamine?
Individual responses to ketamine therapy will differ. The adverse effects seen during studies underline the potential dangers of ketamine, especially when used under medical care. Concerns have also been raised concerning individuals attempting to self-medicate or obtaining off-label ketamine treatments before the data is available. Ketamine's possible effects at various doses are likewise unknown.
What we do know about ketamine, based mostly on studies with recreational users, is that it may have a variety of detrimental short- and long-term impacts.
More investigation is required
Ketamine has a high potential as an antidepressant. However, further investigation into its usefulness as a long-term therapy is required to assure patient safety. It's also not the only medicine being studied for those suffering from depression, particularly depression that hasn't responded to previous medications or therapies.