Efficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review PMC

Ketamine has become increasingly popular as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression and other mental health issues. Like any other addiction, ketamine can create a powerful bond that takes control of a person’s life. It is critically important that an individual who engages in inappropriate use of ketamine get professional counseling and treatment. For ketamine to be helpful in addiction treatment, it must be used under the close care of medical professionals. Ketamine, also known as Special K or Super K, is a short-acting anesthetic drug with hallucinogenic effects.

• Patients who experience symptom relief after intoxication should have continuous monitoring for 1 to 2 hours after their last symptom resolves.
• Alcohol has been present in anywhere from 30-70% of people who died of drowning.
• Because of its addictive nature, this drug is more commonly used in veterinary clinics to sedate animals.
• While users report feeling complete bliss on ketamine, consuming high amounts of this drug can produce effects similar to a near-death experience.

The F.D.A. in October issued a warning about the dangers of using compounded versions of ketamine. Compounded drugs are those that have been modified or tailored in a lab for the specific needs of an individual patient. Those who use it recreationally often snort the drug in powder form or administer it intranasally by spray. Mr. Perry had publicly acknowledged his long struggle with alcohol and drug use, but the report said he had been sober for 19 months and little was known about his relationship to ketamine.

The risks

While one individual might take the substance and feel relaxed, another may find their motor functions severely impacted, leaving them rigid and unable to move. Ketamine’s popularity comes with its ability to put users into a trance-like state, changing the way their environment looks and altering their mood. While hallucinogenic drugs like LSD can induce highs that last for several hours, a ketamine high is relatively short, with its effects only persisting for around thirty minutes to an hour. While it might at first seem that ketamine is a safer alternative to other substances, those who frequently abuse the drug can begin to develop a tolerance, needing more of it to achieve that same initial feeling.

To accurately isolate and measure the effect of the active treatment, outcomes need to be compared between groups to obtain valid information about the therapeutic potential of a treatment. Side effects like increased blood pressure and paranoia are rare and typically occur at very high doses. Ketamine overdose symptoms are similar to those of PCP overdose, although the effects of ketamine tend to resolve more quickly. Physical signs and symptoms are dose-dependent through the loss of consciousness. Patients may be unable to provide a relevant history, and clinicians should seek pertinent clinical information from witnesses.

Findings From Key Studies

The substance produces what is known as a dissociative, or “out of body” experience, and people who use it may feel euphoric, pleasant, happy, or relaxed, or report having enhanced sensory abilities. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms with ketamine, so ketamine addiction is sometimes called a psychological dependence. In this article, we will talk about what ketamine is, describe its short-term and long-term effects, and provide information about seeking treatment if you or a loved one are struggling with ketamine misuse. In a 2020 article, researchers reported some exciting results from a trial in forty people with alcohol use disorder.

• They may also be unable to move their body due to feeling completely detached from their body and surroundings (known as a K-Hole).
• Ketamine has been prized by recreational users for its “dissociative” quality, which distorts sound and vision, and ability to facilitate typically pleasing, out-of-body experiences.
• People use ketamine to feel euphoric, out-of-body experiences and other effects of hallucinogens.

Street ketamine is usually sold as a white/beige crystalised powder and is sometimes cut with other powders to add weight and improve the dealer’s profits. People who regularly use ketamine sometimes inject it to get a bigger hit. Central nervous system side effects such as agitation are less intense than those seen with PCP abuse. When misused, it is often sourced via the illegal diversion of prescription products, but analogs may be found on the streets. Studies have also shown that ketamine may be useful for withdrawal management.

Three Stages of Addiction

Binge use, where the user indulges in the drug in excess amounts in a short period of time has been reported, as well. The effects of abuse typically last 1 to 2 hours, but the users judgement, senses and coordination may be affected for up to 24 hours or longer. Sensations the user may seek include floating, stimulation and visual effects.

From all of us at UKAT, we would ask you to remain mindful of the dangers of ketamine use. Some indications that these committees included in their recommendations include spinal cord injury pain and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Improvement in these conditions is supported by weak or moderate evidence. This article will discuss the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ differences between ketamine and opioids, ketamine’s uses and legal status, and safety considerations for ketamine. For more information about the addiction services that Priory offer, download our brochure. We’ll also help you to book your free addiction assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within a few days.

These effects have seen a growing and worrying use of this drug for date rape. Widely known for its medicinal properties, ketamine’s effects have made it a popular addition to the party scene. It has also joined the ranks of GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) and Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) as a date rape drug. Ketamine is a drug gaining fast notoriety with America’s young population. In 2020, 1.3% of 12th graders were found to have misused the drug for recreational purposes—this number was at 0.7% only a year prior. Lynch, who is affiliated with the UVA Brain Institute, emphasized that ketamine should only be administered under limited circumstances, and only under close medical supervision.

• The first trial measured the differences in clinical outcomes between a higher and lower dose of ketamine in seventy detoxified heroin-dependent individuals, the lower dose acting as a control group.
• For depression treatment, by contrast, effects usually only last a few weeks.
• In fact, some users experience ongoing behavioural abnormalities as a result of their addiction, with others losing contact with reality even when they are not using the drug, which can lead to psychosis-like symptoms emerging.
• Some people do become addicted, and continue to use ketamine even when they plan not to or despite its negative effects.

When abused, it is typically insufflated (“snorted” up the nose) in social situations. It is also injected, consumed orally as a liquid (mixed into drinks), or smoked in marijuana or tobacco. It is frequently abused in combination with other substances, such as cocaine, MDMA or amphetamines. It is particularly challenging to blind participants to treatment group assignment in a study of a mind-altering substance, like ketamine, because people know they are getting a placebo if they don’t feel a change. In their second study, three sessions were compared to one session in 53 heroin-dependent patients. Three sessions were more effective, with higher abstinence rates (50 percent compared with 22 percent) at the one-year follow-up.

Depression

No human studies were found that evaluated the efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of tobacco or stimulant use disorders other than cocaine. Even after using Ketamine for a brief period of time, there is a high probability that a user will experience what is called a “comedown.” The comedown is a drug-induced equivalent to a hangover and can be intense and dangerous. Since Ketamine is designed ketamine addiction as a Sedative, it is very likely for users to experience intense confusion and delirium when the initial peak effects or “high” dissipates. These individuals may also experience muscle weakness, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. They may also experience numbness, impaired vision, and severe confusion that often leads to aggressive behavior, amnesia, and delirium.