You may have met someone who has benefited from ketamine for chronic pain or seen a video about how ketamine works to alleviate depression and anxiety. So you get all jazzed about trying ketamine infusions for yourself and you approach your doctor about it. Instead of getting helpful information and support to pursue infusions, you get a cold reception, a flat out “no”, or a simple shrug of the shoulders.
Ketamine is shedding it’s old reputation and gaining a new life as an effective and rapid treatment for depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Some researchers even state that ketamine is "the biggest breakthrough in depression research in a half century.” You may have read news articles, seen videos on YouTube, or perhaps have even heard of a ketamine infusion clinic near you. But should you consider trying it for your own depression?
This piece was published first on BreastCancer-News.com. For more information about the author, Nancy Brier, click here.
“No fresh flowers,” my doctor said. “Avoid salad. No uncooked food. And don’t bring visitors home.”
Treatment for breast cancer took the better part of a year, and a lot of that time, I spent alone. No wonder cancer sometimes comes with depression.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition affecting 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the United States. This disorder is characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts and behaviors. Interfering with work, interpersonal relationships, and in general, patients’ enjoyment of life, OCD can have a devastating effect due to its debilitating nature. The only FDA approved treatment for OCD are serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), but the effects of these are limited. Meaningful improvement can take up to 6 to 10 weeks and symptom relief is limited. To find a better way to treat this disorder, researchers at Columbia University conducted a study involving ketamine infusions.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful, disabling neurological condition. Previously known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), it affects 1.2% of the adult chronic pain population. Women are affected more than men, with a 3:1 ratio. CRPS can develop after trauma, minor injuries, or surgery. The signs and symptoms are classically clustered into four groups.
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