Recent research suggests that the use of a drug called Ketamine may actually be incredibly effective for those with depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD who have not responded to first-line treatments.
What is Ketamine and how does Ketamine work?
Ketamine is a categorized as a “dissociative anesthetic,”. On the street, it is commonly known as “K” or “Special K.” Ketamine got its start as an anesthesia medicine in the 1960s. It was used on the battlefields of the Vietnam War. Since the 1970s, ketamine has been marketed in the United States as an injectable short-acting anesthetic for use in humans and animals.
It’s a clear liquid when used in medicine and – at low doses and upon emergence from anesthesia – it produces changes in mood, body image, and can make people seem slower, more relaxed and chilled out, but it can also stop people from being able to move properly and from making sense.
The side effects of ketamine may include dissociative changes that are nearly always mild and transient, if they occur, as well as temporary elevation of heart rate and blood pressure often occur. People have mentioned they feel “floaty” or disconnected but that usually only lasts 45 minutes or so.
How long the effects last, and also how long it stays in your system, depends on how much you’ve taken, your size, whether you’ve eaten and what other drugs you may have also taken.
See also: 10 Ketamine Infusion Questions And Answers
Medical grade ketamine is now being researched as a potential treatment for people who suffer from major depression, bipolar disorder, severe anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and chronic pain. “Outside of the clinic, ketamine can cause tragedies, but in the right hands, it is a miracle,” says John Abenstein, MD, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The potential to become addicted to ketamine is low when administered within a medical setting.
