Ketamine therapy

[[ba...]]

Anyone have any luck with this supposed new breakthrew? It's supposedly for major depression and costs enough but any help would assist.

[[Th...]]

Ketamine is not new or a new treatment.  

 

The 1960s

Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 by a professor of Chemistry, Calvin L. Stevens. It was first tested on animals, which provided promising results. It was also used for testing on human prisoners in 1964. In humans, ketamine proved to act faster and reduce toxic behavior, which made it the preferable anesthetic choice over PCP.

The 1970s

After promising trials, the FDA approved ketamine for medical use in 1970. It was first on American soldiers during the Vietnam War for battlefield surgery. It was a highly effective anesthetic, but it soon began to be illicitly abused, beginning in the West Coast in the early 1970s. Throughout the 70s psychiatric and academic research on the effects of ketamine began.

The 1980s

Ketamines use as a party drug began to increase in the 1980s, spreading across the US. Around this time, new forms of the drug were popping up into the street drug market. Capsules, powders, tablets, solutions, and injectable forms of ketamine became popular. In the mid-80s subcultures began to adopt it more frequently, such as rave culture. Ketamine was commonly sold as “ecstasy” at this time.

The 1990s

By this time ketamine’s illicit use began to dominate the conversation around it. It was still used medically as an anesthetic, but it was now widely abused on the streets. Ketamine, or “Special K” on the streets, is popular in the city of Hong Kong. And, this city still struggles with illicit ketamine abuse today.

Finally, in 1999 the United States made ketamine a federally controlled substance in an attempt to stop its illicit use.

The 2000s

Ketamine stopped being widely used both medically and illicitly after it became a controlled substance. Morphine became a more popular choice as an anesthetic and other illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin took off on the streets.

However, in the 2000s medical professionals began noticing and studying ketamines ability to rapidly alleviate depression and suicidal thoughts. Studies were done between 2000-2006, which ultimately showed ketamine was a viable alternative treatment for depression. This led to the rise of doctors going off-label and using ketamine to treat depression and other mental disorders. Ketamine clinics began to open more frequently.

Today

Today mental health professionals are using ketamine to treat treatment-resistant depression and other mental conditions such as PTSD. The FDA has also fast-tracked two drugs based on ketamine to treat depression.

Source:  https://www.delraycenter.com/a-brief-history-of-ketamine/

 

[[ba...]]

@[Th...] thats what i meant that in recent years and the new usage for people with major issues but I have also read that it may not help as much for people on high doses of benzodiazipines.

The centre's out here will all say sure give it a try but I don't know what to do.

My anxiety looking forward is going to be a major block in my. Recovery.

I guess I'll ask my doctor since this is a benzo site.

Thanks for your input.

[[Th...]]

Unfortunately there are no shortcuts, tips, tricks, or ways around, under or over Benzo Withdrawal.  There is no "magic bullet" for speeding up healing and recovery that I have found in going on 8 years of being on this forum. The only way out of Benzo WD, is through the healing and recovery process.  I did the Flumazenil treatment at the Coleman institute in Richmond, VA. Dr. Coleman said it would help my recovery my gently "resetting" my GABA receptors???  Not sure how a drug used for the treatment of a Benzo overdose can heal and/or regrow GABA receptors?  I don't know if it helped or not as the results, if any, were certainly not immediate.  It took over 7 months for me to start to get some significant relief after the Flumazenil treatment  It cost a lot of money too that insurance wouldn't pay for.   It may have reduced the length and/or severity of my withdrawal, but there is no way to know that.

There are other ways to treat anxiety besides Rx drugs.  Exercise, diet, meditation, CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy), etc.  Peace!

Edited April 26 by [Th...]

[[or...]]

22 hours ago, [[b...] said:

@[Th...] thats what i meant that in recent years and the new usage for people with major issues but I have also read that it may not help as much for people on high doses of benzodiazipines.

The centre's out here will all say sure give it a try but I don't know what to do.

My anxiety looking forward is going to be a major block in my. Recovery.

I guess I'll ask my doctor since this is a benzo site.

Thanks for your input.

I believe too fast of a taper is a major block to recovery.  Read more of the stories on here about Cold Turkeys, and too fast a tapers, some having to updose because they tapered too fast, some getting in too big of a hurry, but not truly understanding how benzo's affect our CNS (central nervous system).  My anxiety began to lessen in my first few months, and now after a year of small tapers, I am way better.

We all have choices, and there is plenty of stories to read on here to help us not make the same mistakes.

[[ba...]]

@[Th...] agreed. I have a therapist and she does phone call appointments and barely gives much advice. Nothing like this forum. Apparently you therapists can cost 140 a session. She charged 30 a session now agreed to 80. It doesn't help.

Also I read somewhere that high dose benzodiazipine users bight not benefit from these therapies. You went to a more credible one down here in Vancouver the one main place barely asked anything. Yep your a candidate. Idk it costs roughly 5000 and that's a lot. Tough knowing ehat the he'll to do but even if I it it won't be yet.

I'm desperate but not rich. 

@[or...] I agree on the fast tapers for sure. Just that I can't force my doctor just ask him lol. Maybe ask him to stay at this dose maybe tell him I'm traveling to Indiana and that will he harsh staying with family.

Sometimes you have to day things especially when doctors try to rush you.

 

 

 

[[or...]]

So true ben, Ashton was brilliant, loved where she said it's best if the patient can set their own pace.  Some docs just wouldn't trust us enough to do that I guess

 

[[ba...]]

Amen. I think after the appointment I'll be able to breathe. I just haven't talked to him for a while and I just have a myriad of questions etc to discuss. Idk how is will go we only talk by phone which can be good can be bad.