Ketamine Therapy Works Quickly compared to Antidepressants

A psychiatrist will often prescribe an antidepressant to a patient who has depression. However, antidepressants take a while to work, and sometimes this can be months. Ketamine therapy involves a low dose of the medication ketamine, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Association as an anesthetic. One benefit of ketamine therapy when compared to antidepressants is that it works much faster. Sometimes patients notice symptom reduction within hours of a treatment session.

Ketamine therapy vs antidepressants

Both ketamine therapy and antidepressants can be effective treatments against depression. However, there are some significant differences.

How they work

Both target neurotransmitters and chemicals in the brain. However, antidepressants work to increase the levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, since they help increase feelings of well-being and mood.

Studies are still being conducted on how ketamine therapy specifically works in the brain. However, it is known that it focuses on the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate helps to activate other connections and pathways in the brain, which improves mood, cognition, and thought patterns. Ketamine therapy may also reduce brain inflammation, and inflammation has been known to cause mood disorders. 

Good candidates

A psychiatrist prescribes antidepressants when a patient first presents with depression, as it is a first-line treatment. Depression symptoms may include sadness for no reason, sleep issues, weight gain or loss, disinterest in normal activities, withdrawal from people and situations, and thoughts of suicide.

Ketamine therapy is usually not the first thing a medical professional would prescribe. It is recommended for patients with treatment-resistant depression. A good candidate for this treatment method is someone who has tried multiple antidepressants and has not noticed much of an improvement in symptoms. 

Potency

Ketamine therapy is more potent than antidepressants. It is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily than antidepressants can, which is why it works faster and more effectively for depression.

Administration

Antidepressants are normally in pill form. A patient is given a prescribed amount and takes them on his or her own time, out of the presence of a healthcare provider.

Ketamine therapy is an intravenous infusion. A psychiatrist or other trained professional administers the IV in a clinic setting. The provider also observes the patient for 90 minutes after the infusion to monitor side effects. This therapy is done five to six times over the course of three weeks and then only when needed.

Side effects

Both depression treatments have potential side effects. Common side effects of antidepressants include insomnia, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, nausea, headaches, and restlessness. Many of these remain as long as the patient continues to take the medication.

There are fewer side effects associated with ketamine therapy. Common ones include dizziness, dissociation, increased blood pressure, and confusion. Unlike antidepressant side effects, however, these only last briefly and then go away.