Ketamine can be a "life-saving" treatment for depression but also a major risk to patients with a history of addiction, Canadian psychiatrists say after U.S. authorities charged several people in connection with actor Matthew Perry’s overdose death.
Police and prosecutors in California allege that five people, including two doctors, supplied the former “Friends” star with dangerous amounts of ketamine before his death last October. The Ottawa-raised actor had been receiving legitimate ketamine infusion treatments for depression but turned to an illicit supply to obtain more doses, they said last week.
Dr. Rebecca Carriere, a psychiatrist who assesses patients for treatment at the Toronto Ketamine Clinic, said Perry should have never been offered the drug in the first place, given his struggles with alcohol and opioid abuse over the years.
“It highlights what we already know about ketamine – that there is a potential for addiction – that’s why it’s only administered in a clinical setting,” Carriere said in an interview.
At the Toronto Ketamine Clinic, "individuals like Matthew Perry typically would not be offered ketamine treatment because of his medical history with addiction," she said. Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories
“The other side of the conversation certainly has to be around benefits for individuals who have struggled very intensely for a long period of time with depression, trying multiple treatments and not getting any kind of benefit.”
Ketamine is an approved anesthetic for surgeries, but it’s also known as a party drug with hallucinogenic effects.
Its use in treatments for depression and anxiety has increased in recent years as more doctors and researchers explore the drug’s psychotherapeutic effects. While still an active area of research, ketamine appears to increase glutamate levels, which help regulate mood and cognition.
A ketamine-derived nasal spray called Spravato has been approved in both Canada and the U.S. for use in combination with an oral antidepressant to treat major depressive disorder in patients who did not respond well to other treatments.However, Health Canada says on its website that it has not assessed the risks and benefits of off-label use of […]
Ketamine therapy can help people with depression, but also poses risks: experts
