By the way, these facts are provided by the W.H.O. and you can get a bit more by following this link https://www.who.int/medicines/news/20160309_FactFile_Ketamine.pdf
So what does this mean and why are we sharing it?
First, we want you to understand that Ketamine has been a tool for anesthesia for a long time. It's use as a street drug is such a small percentage of use, but for some reason it is all people think about when they hear the word Ketamine. We even see challenges with our marketing and communications efforts through digital channels like Facebook, because they even seem to think that the only use for Ketamine is one that is, shall we say, less than above board.
The fact is, there has been quite a bit of research done on using Ketamine as a treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, PTSD, and so many others. It seems the more research that is done, the more we find out what Ketamine can be used for.
According to this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4933765/
"After more than half a century since its discovery, ketamine has emerged as a promising drug for pain management, anti-depression and anti-inflammation."
Let's look at this again. Ketamine has emerged as a promising drug for:
This deserves some serious consideration.
Let's look at the conclusions of the article linked to above:
"Ketamine is a special example of how an old drug can be readapted for new applications. The mechanisms of ketamine's effects are mainly related to its inhibition of the NMDA receptor and its pathway. It has the potential to become a first-line anti-depressive medication, especially for refractory major depression, as well as suicidal ideation in unipolar and bipolar disorders. Moreover, it is also an effective adjuvant that prolongs the duration of a single-medication for pain management in the ED and is a safe choice for children to alleviate surgery-related pain. While the current literature provides evidence for acute relief of chronic neuropathic pain, evidence supporting the efficacy and tolerability of ketamine for the long-term treatment of chronic pain is still limited. Finally, ketamine also appears to have local and general anti-inflammatory effects, the benefit of which remains to be elucidated."
So back to the original questions, is Ketamine a drug? Yes it is, a seemingly very useful drug that should be given it's due.
If you are interested in learning more about how we are using Ketamine with our clients please give us a call, we are happy to talk with you about it whether or not it can be an effective treatment for you.