Last time we talked about how ketamine is currently receiving a bit of attention as a possible treatment for depression. This is interesting because historically ketamine has been used either as one of several drugs used to put a patient under for surgery or as a very risky and addictive recreational drug.

Ketamine, also called Vitamin K, Special K, Kit Kat, Cat Valium, Super K, and more, is a dissociative anesthetic which causes a disconnect between mind and body. Users experience what’s referred to as entering a K-hole The user undergoes a distortion of sight and sound for up to an hour. It’s often taken as a powder, snorted or put into drinks. The effects have been compared to that of LSD or PCP and include hallucinations and the user has little control during use.

We briefly talked about some of the benefits but what are some of the specific risks of ketamine usage? Well, it could raise your blood pressure or even destabilize your heart rate altogether. This is usually temporary but even more concerning is the impact ketamine could have on cranial pressure. It’s possible that there could be an increase in pressure which is why usage even in the medical arena should be closely monitored. Additionally, as with most drugs, there is a risk of liver damage. This is specifically challenging with ketamine though as it interacts with a large range of other drugs. The interaction can obviously go beyond liver damage but in recreational settings where it's likely to be combined with alcohol, this is particularly concerning and even deadly. If you undergo professional ketamine treatment, be sure to disclose all the other medications as the list of dangerous interactions is extensive.

It’s also not uncommon to feel disoriented and confused as you come out of the hallucinogenic state. People have also mentioned aches and pains, imparied judgment, anxiety and a temporary decrease in cognitive functioning.

So, considering the risks, what does ketamine do that other drugs do not which makes it worth consideration for some patients despite the negative side effects? Well, for starters ketamine’s effect on the brain does not end when the drug leaves a person’s system. In fact, the impact of ketamine is rooted in the brain's response to ketamine, not its presence. Ketamine stimulates the production of glutamate which is the foundation to the creation of new neural pathways. This paves the way for what some experts have referred to as a “reset” for the brain. The formation of these new pathways creates an opportunity for the patient to fortify neural pathways that aren’t shaped by depression and may protect against the return of depression in general.

Practitioners caution that because there are so many possible negative side effects attributed to ketamine and it is highly addictive, even the drugs made from ketamine should only be used once more traditional means have been unsuccessful. Additionally, ketamine-based drugs are not a cure all alone. Most treatment protocols also include behavioral therapy so that a patient doesn’t just continue the same lifestyle patterns that created their vulnerabilities to hormonal imbalances. As ketamine gains some traction in the spotlight, it’s important to note that it is a volatile and potentially dangerous chemical that should only be used with the supervision of a doctor with ketamine experience. Also, the ketamine based medications and the recreational drugs are not the same and ketamine, when misused, causes lasting cognitive and liver damage and sometimes death. Hopefully this gives you a more balanced view of what some are referring to as a miracle drug for depression. Always talk to your doctor and get a second opinion when considering something largely experimental for your health.

You might have seen Ketamine in the news recently. As we live through an unprecedented series of global disasters and traumas, the impact on our collective mental health is easy to imagine. Depression and anxiety are both at an all time high. Our stress levels are spiking and everyone is seeking a way to alleviate the toll on our lives even though we are still experiencing the traumas every day.

We haven’t talked a lot about mental health thus far but there are a number of things that support general health that are also effective for supporting one's mental health. Depression and anxiety are often tied to hormonal imbalances. Anything from a lack of serotonin and dopamine to too much estrogen and testosterone can cause a shift in how the brain operates. Some of these hormones are made while we sleep and some are boosted by regular exercise. We often think about how easy it is to pick up vices or bad habits but good habits like drinking enough water, getting regular amounts of sleep and consistent exercise also support the brain's ability to continue to pursue those same things moving forward.

Sometimes though, we are forced to experience stressors of some kind or another. Recently we’ve all experienced the stress of a global pandemic. Some of us have endured financial difficulty from job loss, sickness or other factors altogether. Family issues, work strain, injury, etc. all contribute to the amount of stress you may experience day-to-day. While healthy habits will allow you to manage these challenges more effectively, stress will still cause hormones like cortisol to build up in the brain over time. Regular sleep helps to flush out these build ups but if the stresses drag on, we become more and more vulnerable to the build up of hormones that interrupt some of our healthier coping activities and can lead us to waste our energy trying to stay afloat.

For many, the only way to halt a spiral down into detrimental cycles is to use a hormone based medication to supplement their normal production. One of the big risks of this option is that it may affect the body’s ability to naturally produce the needed hormones once an artificial source is introduced. Ketamine is gaining attention and a modest spotlight because it’s function is a bit different from traditional medications. Instead of artificially introducing the hormone that the brain is lacking, Ketamine stimulates the creation of the system that produces the needed hormone. This is also why medically administered ketamine causes long lasting benefits even after it's no longer being taken. You might also be aware that ketamine was and still is a very dangerous recreational drug and is incredibly addictive. So, while there seem to be some obvious benefits, there are also some extremely concerning downsides as well. Next time we will talk more about the pros and cons of this new treatment and take a look at why some might still consider it if they have severe depression.