Ketamine and Depression

TODAY, DEPRESSION IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY IN THE WORLD, UNDERSCORING THE GREAT NEED FOR BETTER TREATMENT OPTIONS. Approximately ⅔ OF PEOPLE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE TO KETAMINE INFUSIONS AND up to ⅓ OF PATIENTS EXPERIENCE, REMISSION.

Up to half of all people with depression are not adequately treated by the initiation of conventional therapies, or cannot tolerate the side effects of antidepressant medications. Many continue to suffer from what is called treatment-resistant depression. Today, depression is the leading cause of disability in the world, underscoring the great need for better treatment options. Scientific studies done at the National Institute of Mental Health and academic centers throughout the world have found that about ⅔ of people have a successful response to ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression. A response is generally considered to be a 50% reduction in symptom severity as measured by depression rating scales. About ⅓ of people can have complete remission of their depression. Studies also show that ketamine significantly improves suicidal thoughts. People who do respond to treatment with ketamine have rapid relief of their suffering, and often feel significant and long-lasting improvements in mood and well-being within hours to days.

How long the treatment effects last depends on the individual. Clinical experience suggests that the effect of the recommended full course of 6 infusions usually lasts from weeks to months. It has been observed that people with a family history of alcohol abuse actually can have longer-lasting effects. Benefits can be sustained by doing a single booster infusion as needed and determined by your individual response. Some people even find that they no longer need to take antidepressants. To solidify the gains you have from your treatment and to ensure long-lasting success, it is important to continue to see your primary physician or mental health care provider.

Ketamine and Chronic Pain

KETAMINE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN MANY TYPES OF CHRONIC PAIN. PEOPLE WHO RESPOND TO TREATMENT CAN HAVE UP TO A 50% REDUCTION IN PAIN LASTING ON AVERAGE THREE MONTHS.

Chronic pain can be a severe and debilitating syndrome. It is often difficult to treat and can be associated with comorbid depression and the development of substance use disorders. Chronic pain overlaps with depression in 30-60% of people. Many treatments such as opiates and anti-inflammatory drugs also have significant side effects. Ketamine has been found to be effective in many types of chronic pain, particularly neuropathic pain.

Clinical experience with ketamine infusions for neuropathic pain suggests that people who do respond to treatment can have a 50% reduction in pain that lasts about three months on average, followed by intermittent booster infusions as required. In some types of chronic pain, the brain cells become sensitized to pain signals causing severe discomfort even long after the physical cause of the pain is gone. Ketamine acts to stop chronic pain by blocking the NMDA receptor, cutting off the transmission of pain signals from the body to the brain. This is analogous to the negative feedback loop of a musical amplifier causing an intolerable sound, where ketamine infusions turn the amplifier off, allowing it to reset and subsequently stop interpreting the peripheral input as pain. Ketamine also significantly improves depression which sometimes accompanies chronic pain, thereby additionally improving the lives of those suffering from these disorders.

Ketamine and Bipolar Disorder

PEOPLE WHO DO RESPOND TO TREATMENT WITH KETAMINE HAVE RAPID RELIEF OF THEIR SUFFERING, AND OFTEN FEEL SIGNIFICANT AND LONG-LASTING IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD AND WELL-BEING WITHIN HOURS TO DAYS. About ⅔ OF PEOPLE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE TO KETAMINE INFUSIONS FOR BIPOLAR DEPRESSION.

Bipolar disorder can be debilitating and difficult to treat illness. Similar success rates are observed for treating bipolar depression as those with unipolar depression. Scientific studies done at the National Institute of Mental Health and academic centers throughout the world have found that around ⅔ of people have a successful response to ketamine infusions for bipolar depression. A response is generally considered to be a 50% reduction in symptom severity as measured by depression rating scales. About ⅓ of people have complete remission of their depression. Studies also show that ketamine significantly improves suicidal thoughts. People who do respond to treatment with ketamine have rapid relief of their suffering, and often feel significant and long-lasting improvements in mood and well-being within hours to days. Although ketamine does not cause or precipitate hypomania or mania, people in a current manic phase of bipolar disorder should not take ketamine.

How long the treatment effects last depends on the individual. Clinical experience suggests that the effect of the recommended full course of 6-infusions usually lasts from weeks to months. It has been observed that people with a family history of alcohol abuse actually have many longer-lasting effects. Benefits can be sustained by doing a single booster infusion as needed and determined by your individual response. Some people even find that they no longer need to take antidepressants. To solidify the gains you have from your treatment and to ensure long-lasting success, it is important to continue to see your primary physician or mental health care provider.

Ketamine and PTSD

BREAKING NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) causes significant morbidity and mortality (from suicide) globally and in the US. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the general population is approximately 5%. The incidence of PTSD is increased to approximately 20% among people who are exposed to neglect, abuse, violence, rape, or military combat. Despite treatment with current standard medical treatment and psychotherapy, PTSD remains a severe and emotionally painful chronic illness in up to 40% of patients. As such, there is a great need for more effective alternative treatments.

Scientific studies have shown that single infusions of ketamine significantly reduce PTSD symptoms. Military trauma patients who received ketamine for pain control rather than morphine were 50% less likely to develop subsequent PTSD. Since ketamine also improves depression and suicidality which can often coexist with PTSD, many people find additional relief and have significant improvement in their lives. With the appropriate therapy, ketamine may act to temporarily break the negative thought patterns developed as a result of PTSD, allowing new and more healthy patterns to be built in their place.

Ketamine and Addiction

KETAMINE TREATMENT FOLLOWED BY PSYCHOTHERAPY MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TREATMENT.

Substance use disorders are a serious public health problem. Tobacco, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and cancer, kills up to half of its users, or approximately 6 million people each year (~ 9% of all deaths globally). Alcohol accounts for over 3 million deaths every year (~6 % of all deaths globally). Alcohol abuse is also directly related to a range of mental health disorders, medical diseases, and injuries. Half of all trauma is associated with alcohol, as are over 70% of all suicide attempts.

Current treatments for substance use disorders are relatively ineffective. Medical treatment for tobacco use is less than 35% effective at 6-months. For alcohol addiction, the best medical treatment achieves abstinence in only 1 out of 9 patients treated. So despite receiving standard evidence-based treatment, the majority of people with addiction continue to suffer. Ketamine has been used in the treatment of addiction since the 1970s in Russia. Studies with ketamine treatment followed by psychotherapy suggest that it may be more effective than other currently available treatments, with abstinence rates at one year up to 65% for alcohol and 50% for heroin. Ketamine also significantly improves depression which often coincides with addiction, thereby additionally improving the lives of those suffering from these disorders.

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