An old anesthetic medication is getting new attention as a fast-acting way to reverse suicidal thoughts. That’s the news from a high-powered study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, online, Dec. 15, 2017. Ketamine could change the face of the emergency treatment of major depression and suicidal thoughts.
The Amazing History of Ketamine:
Ketamine was first approved as an injectable general anesthetic in 1970. It is especially helpful for severe pain due to burns or emergency surgery (Acta Pharmacological Sinica, March 28, 2016). That’s because it is both a powerful anesthetic and a very effective analgesic.
The amazing pharmacological activity of ketamine is unusual. First, it is very sedating. When administered intravenously it knocks a patient out promptly. In addition, it has powerful pain relieving properties. That’s something that few other anesthetics can brag about. It means that people in pain get fast relief from their agony. It can be extremely helpful after an accident when there are fractures, burns or traumatic amputations. It can provide cancer patients non-opioid pain relief.
The drug is also neuroprotective. That means that it may be helpful for people with a traumatic brain injury. But wait, there’s more! People with asthma or other breathing problems do well with ketamine. That’s because it has broncho-dilator activity. It may also be anti-inflammatory.
When people are in shock, their blood pressure can drop precipitously. Ketamine can actually raise blood pressure and improve cardiovascular physiology. This can be very valuable during emergency surgery.
Ketamine vs. Suicidal Thoughts:
For the last several years psychiatrists have been intrigued with ketamine’s rapid onset antidepressant activity. A new study from Columbia University Medical Center reports that ketamine infusions reverse suicidal thoughts faster than anything else available.
The trial results were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (Dec. 15, 2017). The investigators compared ketamine to the sedative midazolam. 80 suicidal patients were randomly assigned to receive infusions of one drug or the other.
The impact of ketamine was dramatic and fast. Some patients experienced a reduction in suicidal thoughts within a few hours. The benefits lasted for several weeks while the subjects also received additional psychiatric counseling.
Ketamine Side Effects:
OK, I admit that I am fascinated by ketamine. I first learned about this drug back in 1969 and 1970 while in graduate school in the pharmacology department at the University of Michigan. The professors reported on its favorable analgesic action. They also discussed a major downside of ketamine.
Dissociative Anesthesia:
Ketamine (Ketalar) is characterized as a “dissociative” anesthetic. My neuropharmacology professor described it as a kind of separation of mind and body. As people came out of surgery in the recovery room they needed to be isolated. The room needed to be darkened with very little noise or other stimulation. That was quite different from the normal recovery process after surgery.
We were told that with ketamine the mind often “comes back” before the body. As a result, some patients may feel a strange sense of dissociation. It can be disconcerting if people don’t realize what is happening.
Other Ketamine Side Effects include:
• Excessive saliva in the mouth
• Digestive upset, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting
• High blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Muscle twitching
• Double vision, uncontrollable eye movements
• Hallucinations
Learn More About Amazing Ketamine:
Want to know more about this extraordinary drug? Here are some articles we have written that you may find helpful:
Can Ketamine Stop Suicidal Thoughts?
Can Ketamine Jump Start Antidepressant Action?
Show 983: Intriguing Approaches to Overcoming Depression
This radio show interview with Elizabeth Ballard, PhD, describes a study she helped conduct in the early days of ketamine research against suicidal thoughts. We think you will find it intriguing. The streaming audio and mp3 podcast are free.
Share your thoughts or experience with ketamine in the comment section below.
