Characteristics Of Ketamine As A Psychotropic Drug For Depression
Ketamine is one of those examples that shows how counterintuitive the world of psychotropic drugs can be. Firstly, because as with other psychoactive products, this substance is both a medication and a drug used for recreational purposes, depending on the context and its mode of use. And secondly, because the sedative and anesthetic effects it has on the body can become part of the treatment of people who suffer from a pathology characterized by a lack of activation of the nervous system: depression.
To better understand the characteristics of this drug used for mood disorders, in this article we will make a brief summary about it. the effects of ketamine and how it can be used in patients with depressive-type symptoms
As we have advanced, ketamine is a drug relatively frequently used in the field of medicine It is a product characterized by its anesthetic, analgesic and sedative properties, and also because it produces a state of dissociation that produces distortions in the way of perceiving reality. Furthermore, its effects appear and disappear very quickly, especially if it is administered intravenously. This, as we will see, is part of what makes it an interesting resource in the treatment of depressive disorders.
Since it was synthesized in laboratories to be used primarily as anesthesia in the treatment of diseases and in surgical procedures, both the medical and illegal use of this drug has become widespread internationally. In its format as a recreational drug, it is usually called “special K” or simply “keta”, and is used in powder or liquid form for its dissociative and hallucination-inducing effects, as well as for the sensation of relaxation it provides in a very short period of time. term.
Now, as with drugs with these types of powerful properties, the use of ketamine outside of medical indications carries many risks and has a harmful effect on the body.
In addition to facilitating the onset of an addiction (although its addictive potential is moderate, somewhat lower than that of other substances commonly consumed in the world of nightlife), it can cause severe alterations in the kidney system and liver. At lower doses and even after a single intake, side effects such as confusion or disorientation, euphoria, very intense hallucinations that lead to losing control of what one is doing or even amnesia (which, along with the rest of the symptoms, have turned this substance into one of the drugs used to rape).
On the other hand, since its effects disappear relatively quickly, this makes it easier to end up falling into a spiral of substance abuse. In addition, it can interact in an undesirable way with other drugs, especially anesthetics and sedatives. Ketamine abuse can cause death if the dose is too high due to its direct effects on the brain (the nervous system is so inhibited that breathing stops), but deaths do occur due to its impact on the behavioral patterns of those who consume it: traffic accidents, suicides, drownings in bodies of water, etc.
Why can ketamine be useful in treating depression?
Various research has shown that ketamine tends to improve the quality of life of people who suffer from the main types of mood disorders: major depression and bipolar disorder in its depressive phase. The exact neurobiological mechanism by which this occurs is not well understood, but what is most interesting about ketamine as a psychotropic drug for depressed people is that can produce antidepressant effects in the very short term in a matter of a few hours after taking the first dose.
This is important, because most antidepressants only produce a significant effect after several days of regular intake, and even weeks, since they require a cumulative change to occur in the patient’s nervous system. And this can be a problem in the face of pathologies as severe as bipolar disorder and major depression, taking into account that In many cases there is a high risk of suicide attempts
Thus, while other antidepressant drugs mitigate the symptoms of depression after a few weeks (in which time everything must also be done to get the patient involved in the treatment and taking the drug in the indicated doses and periods), Ketamine can make a person start to feel better within a period of 4 to 12 hours after taking it, and the effects usually remain at very high levels for about 24 hours. In many cases, furthermore, this improvement is still present after a week, although with more moderate effects.
On the other hand, It is very important that the use of ketamine is always carried out following the doctor’s instructions, and it is also essential that this substance is not used if a treatment that requires it is not being applied. As we have seen, adverse effects are a real possibility, and so is the risk of developing an addiction.
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