While you might not associate ketamine, a psychedelic club drug known for its dissociative effect on users, with legitimate health care, years of scientific research suggests ketamine may be an effective treatment for depression and other mental illnesses. In fact, in 2019 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a ketamine treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) — in other words, depression that hasn’t improved after the use of standard interventions, including antidepressants and counseling.
Ketamine isn't recommended for those who are pregnant, are nursing, have any sort of uncontrolled heart disease issues, have a history of psychosis, or have ongoing substance abuse problems, adds Itzkoff.
What are the potential risks of using ketamine for depression?
“As with all drugs, there are potential side effects associated with ketamine use,” says Hong. These may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion. Additionally, even minimal doses of Spravato nasal spray may induce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia patients, he adds, noting that hallucinations are rare but have been reported. Though ketamine has the potential to become addictive, more research is needed to determine the addiction risk of ketamine when its administered in professional medical settings.
It’s also important to note that a July 2022 study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found clinical trials on ketamine for the treatment of mental health disorders underestimated BIPOC patients. Therefore, existing research may not paint a full picture of the efficacy of ketamine for depression for all groups.
Currently, ketamine is also not generally accessible from a financial standpoint. “While some insurance companies will pay for treatment, many will not,” says Dalthorp. “The self-pay cost of six [ketamine] infusions can be more than $3,000, an amount many patients struggling with depression simply can’t afford.” FTR, Spravato comes at a high price too, costing about $729 for just two units of nasal spray.
However, Dalthorp and her team are working with commercial insurance companies in the hope of getting coverage for ketamine treatments. "We can't just offer ketamine to those with the financial means to pay out of pocket when so many are struggling," she says.
While insurance companies might not be ready to cover such ketamine costs for patients, promising research and treatment plans offer a potentially life-saving way to combat TRD, and everyone should be on board with that.
Fact-checked by Cherisse Harris
