Grace Butcher has lived with major depressive disorder and PTSD since she was a teenager.
Since the age of 15, she has been prescribed a variety of treatments and medications, some more effective than others. Her worst symptoms had improved by last summer, but she still felt like she wasn’t living the “healthiest life” of her life.
“I was on every antidepressant, every anti-anxiety medication. I was hospitalized three times,” she said. “I felt like I had kind of maxed out what was available to me for my mental health and kind of hit a plateau.”
Then, late last summer, Butcher started taking ketamine at a clinic in the Milwaukee area.
Ketamine is known to many as a hallucinogen that induces a dissociative state. What recent research has revealed The drug can treat depression and other mental health disorders in some patients, especially those who don’t respond to other medications.
Over the past decade or so, ketamine clinics have opened in Milwaukee and across the country to treat people with mental health issues.some use esketamine nasal spray To treat patients. Some people use intravenous ketamine or fast-dissolving oral tablets.Nasal sprays are currently the only FDA-approved dosage form, but other dosage forms have been detected in some studies effective.
Butcher began IV ketamine treatment in 2022. ederica health, The Milwaukee clinic was one of the first in the United States to offer IV treatment for depression and other mental health conditions.
“I didn’t have nightmares anymore. I didn’t have panic attacks. The major depressive episodes, which I was used to having at least once a month, kind of stopped,” she recalled.
Here’s what you need to know about ketamine therapy and its potential to treat mental health conditions.
What is ketamine?
Ketamine It is a dissociative anesthetic with some hallucinogenic effects. This drug distorts the user’s visual and auditory perception. It can also cause feelings of sedation, tranquility, and relaxation. It is classified as a Schedule III drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration.This means there is a potential for abuse that can lead to moderate to low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
Ketamine is effective for pain relief because it makes the user feel “disconnected” from the pain.
Ketamine is a medical product approved as a short-acting injectable anesthetic for use in hospitals and clinics since the 1970s. US Drug Enforcement Administration. Esketamine is also approved for use as a nasal spray for depression. From 2019.
Ketamine has a history of being used as a recreational party drug for its psychedelic effects.There was that too Used as a “date rape” drug This is because high doses can cause people to black out, become confused and compliant, or forget what happened while under the influence of the drug.
What can ketamine treat?
When it comes to mental health uses, ketamine is only approved by the FDA to treat depression.
However, with Ederica Perspective Wellness, another ketamine clinic in the Milwaukee areaprovides ketamine treatment for patients who:
- major depressive disorder
- bipolar disorder
- neuralgia
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- suicidal thoughts
- anxiety
How does ketamine work in treating depression?
Most antidepressants act on the brain’s monoamine systems, targeting serotonin or similar neurotransmitters.What about ketamine? Target a completely separate glutamate system.
For this reason, Ketamine stimulates proteins It is called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein is thought to increase connections between brain cells, alleviate depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.According to some studies, ketamine treatment Effective in approximately 70% of treatment-resistant depression cases.
Additionally, ketamine is different from traditional antidepressants because patients experience its effects in hours rather than days or weeks.
What are the risks of ketamine treatment?
Psychiatrist Dr. Smita Das is a professor at Stanford University. Council on Addiction Psychiatry of the American Psychiatric Association; It warns patients and the medical community to be skeptical of treatments not approved by the FDA.
“We have powerful, evidence-based methods to treat things like depression that should be considered ahead of ketamine…” Das said. “These include treatments, medications, and combinations thereof.”
He doesn’t want patients to “spend time, money and energy on less proven treatments like ketamine infusions” when they could benefit from more proven methods. He said he was not.
But despite his hesitance when it comes to ketamine treatment, Das said he understands why it is appealing to patients, especially those who have struggled with their mental health for years.
Less research has been done on the long-term effects of ketamine treatment. But, says Dr. Joshua Berman, who leads the development of Columbia University’s ketamine treatment program, told the New York Times Ketamine’s effects “may also be temporary,” meaning patients may need to continue taking the drug regularly once they begin treatment.
Is ketamine treatment covered by insurance?
Esketamine nasal spray is FDA-approved and is generally covered by insurance, but other ketamine treatments are not.These treatments may cost: Average price: $400-$800 per treatment.
There is Nonprofit organizations supporting patients when paying for treatment.
Is ketamine treatment safe for me?
Ketamine treatment is not recommended for People with certain health conditions. These include people with high blood pressure, thyroid problems, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and people with schizophrenia, which can lead to psychotic episodes.
Das also warned against use by people with a history of substance use disorders. An addiction psychiatrist, she said, many patients begin ketamine treatment, but when they are unable or unable to continue treatment, they increasingly turn to other substances, such as alcohol or street ketamine. He said he has seen it happen.
