How Do Antidepressants Work
Research into ketamine as an antidepressant began in the 1990s with Dr. Krystal and his colleagues Dennis Charney, MD, and Ronald Duman, PhD, at the Yale School of Medicine. At the time depression was considered a black box disease, meaning that little was known about its cause.
One popular theory was the serotonin hypothesis, which asserted that people with depression had low levels of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. This hypothesis came about by accidentcertain drugs given to treat other diseases like high blood pressure and tuberculosis seemed to drastically affect peoples moods. Those that lowered serotonin levels caused depression-like symptoms others that raised serotonin levels created euphoric-like feelings in depressed patients. This discovery ushered in a new class of drugs meant to treat depression, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors . The first one developed for the mass market was Prozac.
But eventually it became clear that the serotonin hypothesis didnt fully explain depression. Not only were SSRIs of limited help to more than one-third of people given them for depression, but growing research showed that the neurotransmitters these drugs target account for less than 20 percent of the neurotransmitters in a persons brain. The other 80 percent are neurotransmitters called GABA and glutamate.
Changing Views On Iv Ketamine Therapy For Depression
In the recent past, IV ketamine therapy was reserved for treatment-resistant depression as a last resort. This was typically only after patients tried and failed more accepted, FDA-approved treatments like oral antidepressants, psychotherapy, and Electroconvulsive Therapy . This view is now starting to shift towards using ketamine earlier in the course of the illness due to mounting anecdotal evidence and rigorous scientific studies.
The effectiveness of IV ketamine for depression is quickly entering mainstream psychiatry. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association released a consensus statement on the use of IV ketamine for depression in 2017. In this statement, they acknowledged that ketamine can be an effective treatment and provided guidelines for its use.
Is Ketamine An Effective Treatment For People Suffering From Debilitating Depression Here’s What You Need To Know
Nicole Bayman had battled depression unsuccessfully for nearly her whole life, trying dozens of antidepressants, attending therapy, and even receiving in-patient treatment in a hospital. About six months ago, she learned from her therapist about ketamine, a prescription medication thats approved for use in hospitals and other medical settings as an anesthetic and is now gaining widespread attention as a treatment for depression.
Soon after she began receiving regular infusions of ketamine, Bayman says, the depression began to lift.
I feel like a different person, says Bayman, an attorney who lives in Princeton, New Jersey. Its as if there were a veil over me and the veil was lifted. Before I started to receive ketamine, I could barely get out of bed. Now I can walk my walk and re-engage in life.
Bayman is not the only individual suffering from depression whose symptoms improved dramatically while on ketamine. Although its been abused in the past as a recreational drug because of its hallucinogenic and tranquilizing effects , today ketamine is drawing a lot of positive attention because it is being used off-label to treat treatment-resistant depressionand patients are happy with the results.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Main Cause Of Depression Among The Youth
Is Ketamine The Right Treatment For You
This is a discussion that should include your primary care doctor, your mental health provider, and any other health care professionals who care for you. Its important to remember that ketamine isnt a first-option treatment for depression, and it is generally used only when other, more longstanding treatments havent been effective. It is not thought to be curative rather, it improves symptoms for a certain amount of time. It is easier to say who isnt appropriate for ketamine treatment, based on the side effects.
Ketamine: How It Works
Medical uses for ketamine go back decades. Long used as an induction agent and sedative during surgical procedures, ketamine currently shows promise for other therapeutic uses, including as a treatment for severe depression, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain.
We are still learning about all of the ways that ketamine can improve your mental and physical health and wellness.
Ketamine temporarily interrupts pain signals, preventing them from registering in your brain. The drug produces a dissociative effect. Used therapeutically, it may be able to disconnect you from the negative cycle of your chronic emotional pain and allow your mood to improve.
Ketamine battles your severe treatment-resistant depression by transforming the interior of your brain. Specifically, ketamine increases your glutamate levels which improves energy and your happy neurotransmitters which improves mood. Without the constant pain signals, your depression can start to improve. Studies show that ketamine tames mental health symptoms immediately after treatment, with benefits continuing after treatment for most for weeks to several months.
Read Also: Podcasts About Anxiety And Depression
Why Is Ketamine Exciting For Treating Depression
If a person responds to ketamine, it can rapidly reduce suicidality and relieve other serious symptoms of depression. Ketamine also can be effective for treating depression combined with anxiety.
Other treatments for suicidal thoughts and depression often take weeks or even months to take effect, and some people need to try several medications or approaches to gain relief. This is true for talk therapies, antidepressant medicines, transcranial magnetic stimulation , and electroconvulsive therapy , which is currently the most effective treatment for major depression that fails to respond to other therapies.
Positive Effects Of Ketamine For Depression
In a small, recent study, it was found that within two hours of the first dose of ketamine, each individual item on a depression scale known as the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale , was reduced with the exception of appetite and sleep items which couldnt be assessed at that time.
The following positive effects of ketamine for depression were seen as reductions in:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Feelings of weariness, diminished energy or listlessness
- Concentration difficulties
Also Check: Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Depression
Adverse Effects Of Ketamine
Ketamine is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act and, as noted above, approved by the FDA for anesthetic indications . Common adverse effects associated with anesthetic ketamine use include emergence reactions, hemodynamic instability, and respiratory depression. These symptoms are very rarely reported at the subanesthetic doses typically administered to treat depression. At the higher doses often associated with illicit use, ketamine can induce a condition termed the K-hole, in which the individual may be non-communicative due to dissociative symptoms, lack of awareness of self and environment, and/or unresponsiveness to external stimuli. Symptoms are typically self-resolving, and management in these situations is supportive . There is also a risk of abuse and dependence with ketamine, and repeated use may result in tolerance and dependence individuals may experience withdrawal.
Use For Chronic Pain Treatment
The use of ketamine infusion for treating chronic pain is effective through an interdisciplinary, multimodal, patient-centered approach. Ketamine is beneficial for managing chronic pain in many disorders, including ischemic limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome , fibromyalgia, phantom limb pain, and other neuropathic conditions.
Ketamine has also been proven to treat anxiety and depression caused by chronic pain and other chronic conditions. As a principle of the multimodal approach, doctors use ketamine infusion therapy as a first or second option in treating neuropathic pain, regardless of the cause. Since the potential lasting effects on the memory and cognitive functions in chronic pain patients yet requires more study, ketamine infusion therapy is only used for patients with treatment-resistant neuropathic pain, as it is with refractory CRPS pain.
Ketamine infusion therapy may be applied as an opiate substitution for cancer pain, majorly from neuropathic causes, and may sometimes help for treating patients who cannot handle opioids or those facing issues with opioid responsiveness. Ketamine can lower the severity and occurrence of opioid side effects, which is a critical factor in patient compliance. For instance, the opioid-ketamine combination may prove beneficial for non-neuropathic pain or in cases of mixed nociceptive/neuropathic pain.
Recommended Reading: Cell Phone Use And Depression
Ketamine Infusion For Depression Treatment In Colorado
Ketamine Infusion Therapy has been found to relieve the symptoms of depression in some cases within hours, rather than the usual weeks most antidepressants can take. While each patients conditions are different, on average 75% of patients find relief through Ketamine Infusion Therapy. We invite you to give us a call today or request a free consultation to learn more about this exciting new treatment.
What Does A Ketamine Treatment Consist Of
Rather than being a first-line treatment, Dr. Levine says, ketamine is given when other antidepressants dont work. Its usually administered by an IV infusion in the arm, and typically the effects last for anywhere from days to weeks.
Generally, its administered in a tapering sequence in which patients receive three infusions the first week, two in the second week, once weekly for the next three weeks, and then moving to maintenance of, on average, once per month, Dr. Levine says.
The drug can also be administered by an injection into a muscle, or as a dissolvable medication that is placed under the tongue.
Ketamine has also been used in cases of bipolar disorder, but it is not indicated for patients with active psychosis, mania, or unstable cardiovascular disease, Dr. Levine says. Nor is it indicated in children, he adds.
You May Like: I Can Feel Myself Slipping Into Depression
Are Ketamine Infusions For Depression Safe And Effective
Yes. Ketamine is recognized as one of the safest, most widely used anesthetics in the world. Its approved for several medical uses in human and veterinary medicine and is the medication of choice for sedating young children due to its safety profile.
World-renowned institutions have confirmed the efficacy of antidepressant ketamine infusions for the treatment of mood disorders and various pain conditions. Yale University, Stanford University, Harvard University, UCLA, USC, NYU, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Black Dog Institute of Australia, Cleveland Clinic, and Mt. Sinai Hospital are a few of the leaders.
At Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles, we offer the best possible chance of relief in our state-of-the-art facility in the Culver City area of Los Angeles, California. Our highly experienced and compassionate team consists of accomplished individuals who have education, training, and experience serving those with mental health conditions, as well as a personal affinity and connection to the work we do. Dr. Steven Mandel is a pioneer in this field who has personally administered more ketamine infusions than almost any other provider in the United States and even globally.
Does Insurance Cover Ketamine Infusions?
Many insurers will partially reimburse the cost of ketamine treatment for depression. We do not bill insurance, however we can provide you with billing statements with the necessary CPT codes for you to file a claim once your treatment concludes.
Application Of Ketamine Infusion Therapy For Depression
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate adversary, when infused intravenously, has been proven to be beneficial for treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts, and bipolar depression.
According to a study published by a British team, ketamine is beneficial as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment for depression, especially the treatment-resistant depression due to its rapid rate of efficiency. Since major psychiatric disorders such as MDD are part of the most incapacitating neurological, mental, and substance-abuse related ailments, new treatment methods are being evaluated to treat or interrupt the onset of these disorders.
Ketamine infusion therapy has been used in combination with psychiatric treatment and can provide significant, momentary relief to the symptoms the long-term effects are still under research. Minimal doses of ketamine can cause rapid and strong antidepressive effects, including treatment-resistant patients who are not yielding to electroconvulsive therapy. Studies have shown that ketamine infusion therapy lowers depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts within 30 to 40 minutes in about 60 to 75 percent of patients.
Also Check: What Is Ect Treatment For Depression
A Promising Yet Unregulated Industry
Many ketamine providers, including Mindbloom, require clients to meet with a psychiatric clinician to ensure they are a good fit for the therapy. Mr. Beynon said his company, which conducts these screenings remotely, turns away roughly 35 percent of those that apply including people whose symptoms arent severe enough to warrant it or are too severe for at-home treatment. He declined to provide documentation to support this claim.
However, this level of screening is not required by law and some patients just find a prescribing doctor online who will issue the drug through a private pharmacy with no other oversight.
The potential for abuse is reason to be cautious about ketamines use outside of a carefully controlled clinical setting, said Dr. Rodriguez particularly in clinics that may be providing higher doses than what has been studied. There is potentially this opioid effect, this rush, that taps into brain regions that may be susceptible to addiction, she said.
Ketamines impacts can also be transient, Dr. Berman said, meaning some patients may need to keep taking it but most research has not looked at the long-term effects of ketamine therapy.
I am not sure why the same evaluation and management guidance isnt being used for other forms of the treatment, Dr. Sanacora said.
The Restore Infusion Can Helpeven When Nothing Else Has:
“Dr. Grass promises rapid relief from severe symptoms of depression, and he delivers! My wife was severely depressed with dangerous suicidal impulses. In her state of despair, she could not commit to starting weeks of antidepressants which made her feel worse with side effects before they could start to make her feel better. She needed an immediate solution to buy her the time to make rational decisions and engage in treatment. That is what Restore did for her. Dr. Grass and Charlene tailor the treatment to meet the client’s needs and offer first-class confidential treatment that works. Immediately lifting the burden of severe depression allows the light back in, possibly saving a life and offering hope to the patient and those who care around them. It doesn’t need to take weeks and months. Three days worked! If you or a loved one are suffering from severe depression, call them. It works.”
Steve. CBermuda
Also Check: Fighting Severe Depression And Anxiety
The Future Of Ketamine Iv Therapy
IV-administered infusions are not yet widely available for mental health therapy. To begin with, infusions of ketamine aren’t approved to treat depression and are considered “off label” usage when being provided. In addition, insurance doesn’t cover usage of IV ketamine for depression even if it is recommended by your physician.
Dr. Oliver believes that “in five years,” these infusions will be applied “as a first-line treatment for major depression.” He also said it will most likely be an “early option” for moderate depression, as well as being used for anxiety, and first-line therapy for suicidal ideations.
“It’s a generic medication, so no big pharma money is pushing it,” he said.
However, the FDA’s approval of the nasal spray could indicate that there may be similar approval for infusions in the future. In the case of esketamine, there was a thorough collection of “adverse event data” in its trial phase before the FDA approval, Dr. Oliver said.
Still, much more work needs to be done, especially when you consider that providers in this field are using largely varying doses of ketamine. Sanacora would like to see more standards applied across the board as ketamine therapy grows in adoption as a regular mental health treatment.
“I, and several of my colleagues have been calling for a central registry surrounding the use of ketamine for these purposes to allow us to collect meaningful high quality data on the drug’s safety and efficacy,” Dr. Sanacora said.
Common Uses For Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine infusion therapy can help treat several conditions. In addition to being an effective anesthetic and analgesic, the drugs anti-inflammatory and anti-depressive attributes make it an effective treatment option for nervous and mental health conditions such as:
- Double vision or blurry vision
- Disturbance in the perception of time, color, texture, or sound
These physical and cognitive side effects may occur after both short-term and prolonged exposure to ketamine.
Some individuals have also described a dream-like state during their treatment in which they feel drowsy yet awake.
Due to these risks, ketamine infusion therapy is suggested only for patients who do not respond to more conventional treatments. However, for those with severe symptoms or suicidal thoughts, the benefits of ketamine treatment may outweigh the risks.
Also Check: How To Lift Myself Out Of Depression
Dartmouth Ketamine Therapy Center Offers Vouchers For Depression Anxiety Pain
Are you suffering from chronic pain candor depression? Are you looking for a better way to resolve your condition? Voucher worth $100 off with Thrive IV Ketamine & Vitamin Infusion series based in Dartmouth, MA!
Life is meant to be enjoyed but how can you live life to the fullest when youre always in pain? If youve tried everything but the kitchen sink , then a new type of therapy may be your answer!
Thrive IV Ketamine & Vitamin Infusions offers ketamine IV infusion therapy for chronic pain relief. Act now and clan your Voucher for $100 of any mood infusion series.
The alternative medicine center is on a mission to provide high-quality care to patients suffering from various mood disorders and nerve damage. Recent data suggest the potential benefits of ketamine in improving patients lives, especially for chronic pain management.
Find relief today at
Thrive IV explains that ketamine therapy has shown therapeutic benefits for those suffering from chronic pain conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome . In fact, some studies suggest that regular treatments can reduce pain symptoms by 70% to 80% in the first hour alone.
Collective evidence proves the usefulness of ketamine therapy for seemingly incurable conditions. You are NOT doomed to live a life of pain forever. There is hope and light at the end of the tunnel.