07 Dec Does Ketamine treatment really help with depression?
Ketamine has been gaining a lot of attention lately as a potential treatment for depression.
Some people call it a miracle drug, while others are skeptical about it. So what is the truth about Ketamine and depression? Does it help? Or is it just another hyped-up medication with no real benefits?
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at Ketamine and its effects on depression. We’ll also discuss the pros and cons of using Ketamine to treat this condition. By the end of this post, you should better understand whether or not Ketamine can help you overcome your depression.
The History of Ketamine
Ketamine got its start in Belgium in the 1960s as an anesthesia medicine for animals. It was used in treating injured soldiers on the battlefields in the Vietnam War. The FDA approved it as an anesthetic for people in 1970. Unlike other drugs, Ketamine doesn’t slow breathing or heart rate, so patients don’t need to be on a ventilator to receive it.
Ketamine is what scientists call a dirty drug. It doesn’t just target one system in the brain, but dozens. It has a weak effect on opiate receptors. One study showed that when patients took naltrexone (which blocks opioid receptors), they did not experience the anti-depressive effects of Ketamine. These same receptors are also targeted by drugs like heroin and cocaine.
Most importantly, Ketamine affects the glutamate system. Glutamate is used in the brain for neurons to communicate. Ketamine seems to block glutamate at high doses, making it an effective anesthetic. But at low doses, glutamate production is enhanced.
How does Ketamine treatment help with depression
Now, when people are under stress for a long time or depressed for a long time, they can start to lose connections. When Ketamine is administered, some of those effects seem to start to reverse. It is believed that Ketamine may help regenerate neuronal connections. One of the appeals of Ketamine is the rapid onset of action and unique mechanism of action versus other antidepressants or even augmenting agents. Another aspect is that as many as 4 million adults in the US have treatment-resistant depression, making another option appealing.
Possible side effects of taking Ketamine for depression
- Short-term: Problems with attention, learning, and memory; dreamlike states, hallucinations; sedation; confusion; loss of memory; raised blood pressure; unconsciousness; dangerously slowed breathing.
- Long-term: Ulcers and pain in the bladder; kidney problems; stomach pain; depression; poor memory.
Ketamine has been shown to be effective in treating depression, but it’s not without side effects or risks. The potential benefits of ketamine treatment for people suffering from severe depression should be weighed against the possible complications before deciding on whether this medication would work for you. If you are interested in learning more about how Ketamine works and what types of mental health conditions can benefit from ketamine therapy, please reach out to our team at [contact information].
We offer consultations with licensed psychiatrists who have experience prescribing ketamine treatments for various disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
