Ketamine, typically used as an anesthetic, is now being used to treat treatment-resistant depression. Studies have found that low doses of ketamine can significantly reduce symptoms of depression within 24 hours for some patients. While ketamine itself is administered intravenously in a medical setting, the FDA has approved esketamine, a related drug, which is administered as a nasal spray. Potential side effects of ketamine therapy include dissociative feelings during treatment but most patients report only mild or no side effects.

1. KETAMINE: A NEW
BREAKTHROUGH IN
DEPRESSION TREATMENT

2. WHY KETAMINE?
Ketamine, a drug that has been used in the medical
field as an anesthetic for decades, is being re-purposed
to treat depression. Low doses of ketamine are proving
to be effective for even the most stubborn cases of
treatment-resistant depression.
Shortly after beginning ketamine infusion therapy,
patients often report a significant improvement in their
depression symptoms. Various medical clinics are now
offering ketamine therapy as an alternative treatment
option for those who have not responded to traditional
antidepressants.

3. WHY KETAMINE?
A study led by Jennifer L. Phillips, Ph.D., an associate
scientist in the Mood Disorders Research Unit at The
Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, compared
the effects of active placebo versus infusion ketamine
in 41 participants with treatment-resistant depression.
The study was a double-blind, randomized cross-over
comparison.
The participants who received a single dose of ketamine
reported experiencing a significant reduction in
symptoms within 24 hours. The non-placebo participants
received six ketamine infusions three times a week and
reported a 50% decrease in symptoms throughout the
treatment.

4. HOW IS KETAMINE
UNIQUE?
Ketamine can make a real difference as it does not rely on increasing serotonin
levels.
A study led by Dr. Connor Liston and a team of researchers examined how
ketamine infusion therapy works in the brain to reduce depression symptoms in
mice that displayed behaviors similar to depression. They found that after a single
dose of ketamine, the mice no longer exhibited these symptoms and brain scans
revealed an increase in the formation of dendritic spines, or brain cell extensions,
in their neurons that were fully functional.
This suggests that ketamine may be making changes in the actual neurons
themselves — allowing you to regrow lost neural connections and create lasting
change to brain function. The participants who received a single dose of ketamine
reported experiencing a significant reduction in symptoms within 24 hours. The
non-placebo participants received six ketamine infusions three times a week and
reported a 50% decrease in symptoms throughout the treatment.

5. FDA APPROVAL FOR
KETAMINE
While standard ketamine infusions don’t yet have
FDA approval, another form of ketamine became
FDA-approved in 2019: esketamine. Traditional
racemic ketamine is usually administered via IV at a
clinic with supervision from a health professional.
Esketamine functions similarly to ketamine and
contains the “S” molecule; this form is administered
in a nasal spray that is marketed under the brand
name Spravato.

6. WHAT ARE THE SIDE
EFFECTS OF KETAMINE?
Ketamine therapy usually has mild or no side effects. However, some
patients may experience a dissociative feeling during the initial stages of
treatment which may be described as “floaty” or “disconnected.” These
feelings usually don’t last long. Generally, ketamine therapy can provide
a soothing and therapeutic effect. Many patients report feeling clarity in
their thinking and a reduction of their depression symptoms after the
treatment, which can last for hours.
Some patients report feeling like they’re in a state of semi-consciousness
during the treatment, and find the drowsiness relaxing. They are aware of
their surroundings but tend to prefer keeping their eyes closed to
enhance the feeling of relaxation.