X owner Elon Musk recently explained He used small doses of ketamine “once every other week” to manage the “chemical currents” causing his depression. Getting out of a “negative mindset” can help, he says.
This sparked a variety of reactions in the media, including on X (formerly Twitter), from strong support for Musk’s treatment options to suspicions that he had a drug problem.
But what exactly is ketamine? And what is its role in the treatment of depression?
It was first used as an anesthetic
Ketamine is dissociative anesthetic Used in surgery and for pain relief.
At certain doses, people are awake but disconnected from their bodies. This is useful for paramedics, who can, for example, continue talking to an injured patient while drugs block pain without affecting the patient’s breathing or blood flow.
Ketamine is also used in veterinary settings to sedate animals.
Ketamine is a mixture of two molecules, commonly referred to as S-ketamine and R-ketamine.
S-ketamine, or esketamine, is more potent than R-ketamine and was approved in the United States in 2019 as a serious, long-term treatment under the drug name Spravato. depression Patients who did not respond to at least two other treatments.
Ketamine is thought to be changes chemicals in the brain Things that affect your mood.
Although it is not known exactly how ketamine acts on the brain, scientists believe that it changes the amount of the neurotransmitter glutamate and therefore changes symptoms. depression.
How was it developed?
Ketamine was first synthesized as an anesthetic by chemists at the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company in Michigan, USA. It was tested on a group of prisoners at Michigan’s Jackson Penitentiary in 1964 and was found to be immediately effective. Few side effects.
US Food and Drug Administration approved Ketamine was used as a general anesthetic in 1970. Ketamine is now included in the World Health Organization’s core list of essential medicines for health systems around the world. Anesthetic.
In 1994, researchers began studying the effects of low doses of ketamine after patients reported improvement in their symptoms of depression after surgery using ketamine as an anesthetic. depression.
The results of the first clinical trial were Published in 2000. In this study, seven people were given either ketamine or saline intravenously over two days. Similar to previous case studies, ketamine was found to reduce symptoms of depression quickly, often within hours, with effects lasting up to seven days.
For the past 20 years, researchers have been studying the effects of ketamine. Treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder Reducing obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and substance usewith generally positive results.
in one study community clinic When we offered intravenous ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety, we found that the majority of patients reported improvement in their symptoms of depression eight weeks after starting regular treatment. .
This may sound like a lot of research, but it’s not.a Recent reviews of ketamine research In ketamine studies conducted over the past 30 years, we found only 22 ketamine studies involving a total of 2,336 patients worldwide. In comparison, in 2021 alone he had 1,489 studies conducted. Anti-cancer agent.
Is ketamine prescribed in Australia?
Although research results on ketamine’s effectiveness are promising, scientists still don’t really know how it works. This is why it is not readily available from Australian GPs as a standard treatment for depression. Instead, ketamine is primarily used in specialized clinics and research centers.
However, clinical use of ketamine is increasing. Spravert nasal spray was approved Approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in 2021. direct supervision of a medical professional, usually a psychiatrist.
Suprabat Dose And the frequency varies from person to person. Typically, it starts with 3 to 6 doses over several weeks to see the effect, and then as a maintenance dose he moves on to every two weeks.nasal spray cost Between $600 and $900 Australian dollars This will severely limit access to drugs for many people.
Ketamine can be prescribed ‘off-label’ by Australian GPs who can prescribe Schedule 8 drugs. This means that it is the GP’s responsibility to assess the patient and their medication needs.but drug expert Due to the lack of research on negative side effects and long-term effects, caution is advised.
What about illegal use?
Concerns about the use and misuse of ketamine have been heightened by highly publicized deaths related to ketamine. medicine.
Ketamine has been used as a recreational drug since the 1970s. People report that it makes them feel euphoric, trance-like, floating, and dreamy. However, the amount used recreationally is usually higher than the amount used recreationally. to treat depression.
Information regarding deaths from ketamine is limited. What is reported is Due to an accident or the combination of ketamine and other drugs.No deaths reported treatment setting.
reducing prejudice
Depression is the third leading cause of: disorders around the world And effective treatment is needed.
Seeking your doctor’s advice about treating depression is smarter than following Mr. Musk’s advice. which drug to use.
But Musk speaking publicly about his own mental health challenges and experiences with treatment could reduce the stigma around seeking help for depression and other mental health conditions.
Julaine AllanAssociate Professor of Mental Health and Addiction, Rural Health Research Institute; Charles Sturt University
This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.
