Ketamine, also known as Special K or Vitamin K, has recently emerged as an alternative treatment option to conventional antidepressants. The drug works in less than half the time it takes most antidepressants to show their effects, making it more appealing to people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses where quick relief is important. But this new research suggests that ketamine may be much more than just another antidepressant. In fact, it could be the one-size-fits-all drug of the future for treating depression and many other conditions.
Background
Neurobiologist Dr. David Mischoulon, chairman of psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, has performed research on ketamine as a possible depression treatment. He said that after tens of thousands of people have been studied, he is convinced that it is safe and effective for the majority of patients with depression who don’t respond to other treatments.
What makes this study different?
This study is different from previous research on ketamine because it looked at ketamine not as a stand-alone treatment, but as an adjunct to other standard treatments like antidepressants.
Some background information on ketamine
This drug, also known as Special K, K or Vitamin K, has been used as an anesthetic by doctors since 1970 and gained popularity in clubs, music festivals and other events.
Advantages of using IV infusions as opposed to injections
While ketamine has long been used as an anesthetic, its use in treating depression is relatively new. The evidence thus far suggests that ketamine infusions might be a viable way to treat patients with severe depression, but not everyone is on board with it yet. Some critics contend that there are too many side effects associated with IV ketamine—from confusion and disorientation after treatment to addiction and sometimes death—to warrant making it readily available to large numbers of patients.
How does ketamine work?
Doctors have already used ketamine to treat depression in people who haven’t responded to other drugs, but they don’t know exactly how it works. When researchers examined ketamine in mice, they found that it worked by increasing the release of brain chemicals called endorphins. They also discovered that it boosted activity in dopamine neurons, which are responsible for generating feelings of pleasure and reward.
Side effects of using ketamine (disadvantages)
Short-term side effects are similar to those of other anesthetics, and include nausea, vomiting, and lightheadedness.
ketamine anxiety
A chemical called ketamine may be able to ease symptoms of depression faster than common antidepressants, according to new research in mice. Researchers found that depressed mice that were given low doses of ketamine had less anxious and depressive behavior within 24 hours, compared with untreated depressed mice.
ketamine effect on blood pressure
People with major depression have consistently been shown to have high blood pressure, but how ketamine works to address depression and mood regulation is unclear. Now, a new study published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that one of ketamine’s effects may be to reduce blood pressure. Although more research is needed, these findings suggest that targeting nitric oxide signaling pathways may provide another avenue to develop antidepressants that do not come with ketamine’s hallucinogenic side effects.
ketamine bladder treatment
In addition to treating depression, ketamine can also be used to treat another common mental illness: anxiety. In one study, which appeared in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, researchers found that using ketamine as an anti-anxiety medication resulted in significant and rapid reductions in depressive symptoms. For many patients, ketamine may be just what they need to improve their mood and outlook on life. If you or someone you know has been experiencing depression or anxiety—or both—there may be hope on the horizon.
ketamine benefits
The results of one study, which was presented at last month’s American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, demonstrated ketamine benefits in treating depression. In that trial, 30 patients with treatment-resistant depression were treated with ketamine over a period of 3 weeks (they received an infusion of ketamine twice during that time) and found that it produced significant antidepressant effects within hours. Those findings are interesting because they may challenge previously held beliefs about how antidepressants should work in order to be effective.