 |
| Generic form of ketamine, called Ketaset |
advancements. Almost all the knowledge we have regarding depression came from research done during the 60s and 70s; research that is not even widely agreed upon to be the “correct” answer in regards to the cause of depression. The medication currently on the market is based on this outdated research and is still being prescribed today for patients suffering from depression. This needs to change. Traditional antidepressants tend to be less effective and more harmful when compared with depression treatment using ketamine. New research, needed because due to the stagnation of research on antidepressants since the 80s, shows that ketamine acts faster and works differently in comparison with antidepressant medication; major pharmaceutical companies are already producing their own patentable versions of the medication that has shown to work very effectively, which is what needs to happen in the field of depression medication.
Traditional antidepressants work much differently when compared with the way ketamine fights depression. There are few different types of conventional antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most common prescribed because they seem to have the most success combating the depression symptoms while having a short list made up of potential side effects. The actual scientific explanation for how SSRIs work is very complex; in short, they allow more serotonin to be present in the gap between brain synapses. There is still a lot of debate concerning how, or even if, having more serotonin present can actually alleviate depression symptoms. There are many other depression medications that can be prescribed if SSRIs do not help. They all work similarly; they allow more of a certain chemical to stay between brain synapses. These medications have varying levels of efficacy and reported side effects, including, but not limited to, decreased libido, worsened depression, and suicidal behavior. The laundry list of side effects for these medications
Ketamine, however, does not work like antidepressants. It is an NMDA receptor antagonist in the brain, which block the function of the NMDA receptor. Basically, the NMDA receptor is a part of the brain that responds to certain chemicals (mainly a substance called glutamate), which can have a variety of effects on the body. Recent research has shown that the NMDA receptor has been link to depression. In the US ketamine is classified as a Schedule III drug, which means “The drug or other substance has a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in schedules I and II.” and “The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” The drug is widely used as a general anesthetic in a medical setting. Recently, however, ketamine has been found to treat symptoms of depression. In various studies, it has been found that ketamine can be used to stop suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients in as little as one hour. This is much needed, as mental health drug research breakthroughs have somewhat stagnated since the 1980s, this article states. However, the same article does offer promising new potential drug options for depression patients, and ketamine is at the top of list.
A lot of questions must be asked when determining if a drug can be safe for long term, continued use. Can it permanently damage neurons in the brain? Can it cause a physical or psychological dependence? There have not been many studies regarding the danger of ketamine to destroy brain neurons, called neurotoxicity, but it has a half life of only 3 hours in the body, which means it is only active in the body for a very short time relative to other drugs. Because of this, a viable treatment option would be continued low dosage over a period of time, akin to a diabetic person taking insulin shots. This could provide a long term treatment for patients. The short half life makes it a viable option for consecutive low dosage treatment, as neurotoxic drugs typically have much longer half lives. As far as dependency goes, ketamine has been shown to cause a psychological dependence in some chronic recreational users, even though no data exists regarding the users' frequency and amount per dosage. Any medical application of ketamine uses a much lower dose, therefore lowering the already low risk of dependence.
Ketamine acts a lot faster than traditional antidepressant medication. SSRI medications take about 2 to 3 days for a patient to feel its effects, while patients who take ketamine can feel a mood change in about a day, sometimes even as fast as 1 hour. This is very helpful for patients who may need emergency medication because of imminent suicidal behavior. This is life-saving for patients who suffer from severe depressive mood swings.
Major pharmaceutical companies are already recognizing ketamine as a viable depression treatment. Certain companies are already making their own ketamine derivatives, which have very similar chemical structure and provide the same effects. Johnson & Johnson has created a nasal spray that contains a chemical called esketamine, which is structurally the same as ketamine, although patients only need a fraction of the dosage to feel the effects. Because the spray is technically not ketamine, it is not subject to the same testing and protocol as the original drug. There are many other ketamine derivatives being made by other companies that fall outside the protocol of the parent drug as well.
Ketamine works differently than traditional antidepressant medication, as it targets a completely different part of the brain. It is this difference that makes ketamine the future of antidepressant medication. It has been shown to work better and faster in some patients suffering from depression and suicidal behavior, along with having fewer side effects than traditional antidepressant medication. Current depression medication research is outdated, but many companies are already making their own patentable version of ketamine that is being given to depression patients. The research is still in early its early stages, but the data collected so far has shown that ketamine needs to be used to treat depression, as it has been shown successful in doing so.
Work Cited
Reardon, Sara. "Rave Drug Holds Promise for Treating Depression Fast." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 07 Jan. 2015. Web. 05 Feb. 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment