Is Ketamine More Than Just A Tranquilizer?

Dr Ken Stewart is one of the founders of Santa Fe Ketamine, the very first medical group in New Mexico to provide ketamine treatment. According to Dr Stewart, doctors realized the therapeutic benefits of ketamine when first responders used it to calm down agitated patients who had been rescued from suicide attempts.

Dr Stewart recalled an incident between a patient and first responder as testament to the usefulness of ketamine:

Someone is trying to jump off a bridge, and they give them Ketamine in the ambulance to calm them down, and nine months later, they say, I haven’t felt suicidal for nine months.

By the same token, in 2014, researchers discovered that a ketamine infusion significantly reduced symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in 41 patients who had undergone significant trauma.

Furthermore, researchers for the APA (American Psychological Association) noted in 2017 that several doctors prescribed intravenous ketamine for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

More recently, basketball star Lamar Odom has been using ketamine as a ‘healthy high’ to treat addiction. Over the past two years, the star has been using ketamine under medical supervision as part of his recovery process. Being True To You has trained and certified hundreds of experienced coaches across the globe to work with individuals like Lamar through their treatment sessions.

Is Ketamine FDA Approved?

In spring 2019, the FDA approved a ketamine-based nasal spray specifically for use as an anti-depressant. Dr Benjamin Brody, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical Center, marvelled at the breakthrough. He said:

What’s so exciting about ketamine is not only that it works for people whose symptoms are not responding to traditional treatments, but it also works much more rapidly—in days or even hours.

This is an exciting discovery since the most common type of drug prescribed for depression – SSRIs – can take a couple of months to start working, unlike ketamine. The downside, however, is that several side effects often accompany them. I, for one, experienced nausea, dizziness and suicidal thoughts during my 12-year stint on Citalopram, so I can personally vouch for this!

What Do I Need To Consider Before Using Ketamine?

Ketamine has been declared safe to use in a controlled, medical practice. However, when it is used outside the approved limits, it can be hazardous.

If you’re thinking of using ketamine for therapeutic purposes, here’s five things to consider:

• Much like opioids, ketamine addiction can be destructive. So, if like me, you have a history of substance abuse, it’s essential to weigh up the benefits and drawbacks when considering whether ketamine is right for you.
• Dosage is also crucial. If you take it for anesthetic purposes, the ketamine dose would be much larger than taking it for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, it’s important to stick to the recommended dose.
• Combining ketamine with alcohol/drugs can have adverse reactions, some of which can be life-threatening. Users may be at increased risk of urinary tract issues, memory loss, shortness of breath, comas, and death. So, don’t mix ketamine with any of these substances.
• Ketamine can cause an increase in blood and intracranial pressure. Consequently, stay away from ketamine if you have any of the following conditions: brain swelling, glaucoma, brain lesion or tumors. In the same way, if you are regularly using this for therapeutic purposes, make sure you have your blood pressure checked frequently.
• Different tools work for each person; ketamine therapy doesn’t work for everyone. When ketamine works, people usually respond to it within 1-3 sessions. If a person has no response at all, further sessions are unlikely to help. Instead, it’s probably wise to seek alternative treatments.

Integration coaching…opens the door to real change… To ensure you get the most out of your treatment sessions, we recommend starting with one of our ketamine coaching packages.