It’s an anesthetic popular with veterinarians, but the latest
studies show ketamine also shows promise as a potential
antidepressant. Ketamine produces hallucinations, out-of-body
feelings, disorientation and even amnesia that can last a few
hours, which has made it not just a staple in veterinary clinics
but occasionally in nightclubs as well, as a recreational drug.
In a research review published last October in the journal
Science, however, researchers called the growing connection
between ketamine and depression “the most important advance in
the field” in the depression field over the past 50 years. And
now scientists report on two formulations of drugs with
ketamine’s benefits, but without its consciousness-altering
risks, that could advance the drug even further toward a
possible treatment for depression. Prozac and other methods of
stabilizing mood, including talk therapy, take weeks, not hours,
to show benefits. A rapid-acting antidepressant like one based
on ketamine could potentially be lifesaving