Ketamine

Articles About Ketamine from Lori Calabrese, MD | The Ketamine Blog

Breakthrough anesthesia medicine proves life-changing for many who suffer from severe mood disorders.

In the last several years, a medicine began to emerge as a remarkable treatment for mood disorders. It was developed and FDA approved for anesthesia around 1970. Over 25 years later… it began to show its colossal hidden ability. What sort of ability? The power to relieve depression and other psychiatric disorders in a most dynamic way. Disorders like PTSD, bipolar depression, postpartum depression, addiction, social anxiety, and even eating disorders respond to this extraordinary treatment that involves a series of IV infusions. And perhaps the most remarkable of all, ketamine infusions can erase suicidal thinking in a few short hours. These articles about ketamine treatment are presented here to dispel stigma about psychiatric conditions and to give hope about treating them. 

Early Testing was Cautious

Researchers tested it with trepidation 10-20 years ago. Then each study built upon the last. Their work revealed more insights about what actually causes depression, and how to treat it effectively. Never before has a medicine helped relieve symptoms in such a wide variety of people and their symptoms.

Researchers Still Learning All Ketamine Can Do

Ketamine works in multiple areas and systems of the brain. It improves the function of mechanisms that have been impaired by the stress of depression and anxiety. It helps the G proteins that pile up on lipid rafts in the cell membrane slide to off. This equips them so they can do their job enhancing signal transmission.

It also turns on the mRNA switch which in turn flips on DNA to build up brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF).  BDNF then causes synapse connections between neurons to proliferate in turbo mode, transforming and replenishing the connections between brain cells all around the brain, lighting it up with information, cognition, creativity, and insight. 

There’s more that it accomplishes, like tamping down the cell bursting in the lateral habenula so you can experience the reward of pleasant moments. We don’t know what researchers haven’t discovered yet, but we look forward to hearing what’s next.

Ketamine Does More Than Bring Relief, It’s Transforming

The results of IV ketamine treatment are transformative.  Those who have been weighted under a blanket of lethargic apathy and despair typically find they feel better and better after treatment. They often find they have the energy and motivation to dive into tasks they couldn’t face in recent memory.

More patients with treatment resistant conditions respond to ketamine than any other medicine available. It may sound odd, but the patients it helps the most are those who suffer the most from severe disorders. With continued research, neuroscience researchers and psychiatrists are learning methods of administration that help more and more patients enjoy a rapid and robust response,.

As a result, these individuals enjoy renewed hope. They express amazement at their energy for life and work, and an overall transformation in what they enjoy and are able to accomplish. They report a more balanced and joyful outlook, and the desire to rebuild and strengthen their relationships.

Ketamine is NOT for Everyone

With all the good IV ketamine treatment accomplishes, some people still  don’t respond to it at all. The percentage of people who don’t respond is comparatively small, and we need to see more studies that can help explain why.

Why Ketamine Sometimes Doesn’t Work

There are others who have a significant response initially, then the response fades. One reason for that may be they have a deficiency of certain components in their blood. They may have a low folate level, or low testosterone, and some other deficiencies. In cases like this, sometimes replacing those nutrients helps that patient respond to ketamine treatment and experience resilience again. There are even cases where a patient’s blood levels are normal but the levels of certain components in their cerebral spinal fluid is low. By replacing that deficiency, the patient is able to enjoy a very positive and robust response to ketamine treatment.

Neuroscience is gaining knowledge by leaps and bounds in the 21st century. We hope to see more and more medicines that work as well as ketamine for those who have not yet been helped.

These articles about ketamine expand on those things we learn from neuroscience research in the labs, as well as those things we learn from research in our practice.

How Optimism Improves Your Healthy Outlook

When life wears you down, optimism improves your healthy outlook.

How is it that some people seem to maintain a bright outlook in their daily life, including in times of difficulty? Is it naiveté or something else? Others say that their “realistic” outlook has served them well and they rely on it, but their realistic perspective can typically be dangerously pessimistic. And what’s so bad […]

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Struggling to Get Your Life Going?

When you're struggling to get your life going, the obstacles seem to pop up everywhere.

Are you a young adult, say between 20 and 35 or so, and find it really hard to get out on your own? Maybe it’s been hard to do well in college, or to hold a job long enough to make real progress toward your independence and future. It can be daunting to know where […]

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When Aging Parents Need Your Help, Who Will Help YOU?

When your aging parents need your help, it can take a toll on you as caregiver.

When you google “top 5 stressors for marriage,” you get a lot more than 5 stressors. Things like finances, a new job, moving, in-laws, children, health crisis, poor communication, and major changes are just a few. But when you combine in-laws, health crisis, finances, moving, and major changes into one avalanche, like moving an aging […]

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Sometimes You Just Need a Full Life Makeover, Right?

A full life makeover can restore a home or restore your hope.

A ramshackle two-story house leans in the distance, behind a rusty, crooked gate. Passersby hardly notice it anymore…it’s just become part of the landscape. But when an investor looks at it, he sees the potential. A life makeover for that house is called for. He buys the property and sends in designers and remodeling crews. […]

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When Trauma Sabotages Your Life – You Can Overcome It!

When trauma sabotages your life, overcome it with ketamine.

Stephanie was a happily married thirty-something woman with 3 young children. She adored her husband and after 12 years of marriage, she still felt a thrill every time they held hands or caught each other’s eye. She fully expected the spark between them would see them through good times and bad, and they worked at […]

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When Abuse Leads to Overwhelming Stress at Work

A boss who uses abuse can lead to overwhelming stress.

Garrett is a 38-year old computer programmer who works in the IT department of a nationwide mortgage company. After ten years in the same department, the stress of the job seems to just pile upon itself. The short length of time allotted for projects to be completed, the abrasive attitudes of co-workers who are all […]

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Straight Talk: Let’s Be Honest About Excessive Social Media Engagement

Excessive social media engagement can hinder a students success.

Zach is 15 year-old high school sophomore. Some say that 14-15 can be the hardest teen years. Insecurities about identity, body image, personality, and a need for acceptance without the freedom of driving can add seemingly insurmountable pressures for a young person. But those miseries and uncertainties can be compounded by the hostile input that […]

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