Many people know the desperate feeling of having to live with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Every waking moment can seem like a chore, and in extreme cases, someone suffering from depression may sadly decide that they no longer wish to be here at all.
There was been a clamor recently concerning ketamine, and the drug’s effectiveness at dealing quickly and effectively with the symptoms of depression. Ketamine remains largely used as an anesthetic, but recent research has shown that it can also be used as an effective treatment option for depression.
How Ketamine Can Be Used as an Effective Treatment for all Forms of Depression
Times seem to be changing though as more and more evidence and anecdotal testimonies are being uncovered documenting ketamine’s successful use for treatment-resistant depression. Finally, the FDA has approved a substance named esketamine, which is a derivative of ketamine and is being administered as a nasal spray. Esketamine will be released under the brand name of Spravato and is being developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Belgian company owned by pharma giant Johnson & Johnson.
This step is hugely significant, as it is the first approval of a brand new type of antidepressant for decades. Esketamine will not immediately be made available to everyone with depression though; just to patients for whom traditional treatment and anti-depressant medicines have not helped.
It is not known yet how successful esketmine is likely to be in treating treatment-resistant depression as Spravato will only have half the active ingredients that are present in a ketamine infusion. The early signs are promising though – in adults under 65 around 70 percent of those treated responded favorably. In such clinical trials, any success rate over 50 percent is considered to be successful.
Ketamine as an Anti-Depressant Takes Only Days and Sometimes Hours to Become Effective
Unlike traditional anti-depressants which can take weeks to become effective, ketamine takes just days or even hours until its effects are felt. This makes it an important treatment for patients who are regarded as being at high risk of suicide.
If you feel that ketamine could help you with your depression, or you would just like to speak to someone about ketamine and what it could do for you, then please contact us here at the Ketamine Center by phone at (855) KETAMINE. You can also contact us by using the online support form available on our website.