Physicians, psychotherapists and other health care professionals are collaborating to pioneer strategies to use ketamine to treat mental health disorders, PTSD and chronic pain. One such individual is Dr. Carlos De La Hoz, a triple board-certified anesthesiologist, regenerative medicine and pain-management doctor of the Neomedicine Institute (Doral, Florida). In recent years, the dissociative anesthetic ketamine…
How effective is ketamine for depression?
First synthesized in 1962, the dissociative anesthetic ketamine is rapidly growing in popularity for its off-label use in treating depression and mood disorders. In recent years, hundreds of clinics across the U.S. have begun offering ketamine for depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. The surge in interest has also attracted startups such as Mindbloom…
Ketamine for depression: Is disassociation really necessary?
Ketamine has emerged as a quick-acting antidepressant in recent years. While use of the dissociative anesthetic for depression has exploded, hurdles remain. A single ketamine infusion can cost $400 or more in the U.S. Ketamine can also cause significant transient increases in blood pressure. Furthermore, higher doses of the drug can lead to pronounced states…