Ketamine has become increasingly popular for treating mental health disorders.
But some doctors and clinics have taken it to the next level by delivering the injectable doses to patients — who can then administer the drug unsupervised.
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel, who is also a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center , spoke on "Fox & Friends" on Monday about the dangers of handing out ketamine.
KETAMINE THERAPY SHOWN EFFECTIVE IN TREATING SEVERE DEPRESSION IN VETERANS, STUDY FINDS
Ketamine was initially approved for use as an anesthetic in the U.S. in the 1970s, Siegel said.
It was only indicated for treating depression within the last decade.
"It works for really severe depression by altering brain chemicals, but under the observation of a highly trained psychiatrist or anesthesiologist," he said.
"The idea that it is now available with a little tele-visit, and then they mail it to you with a self-monitoring blood pressure kit, is extremely dangerous." "It can make you really, really sick — and without observation, you could end up in the hospital." The physician warned that ketamine can "knock you out, give you hallucinations, raise your blood pressure [or] lower your blood pressure."
5 MYTHS ABOUT KETAMINE, THE DRUG TIED TO MATTHEW PERRY’S DEATH, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS "[It can] make you really, really sick — and without observation, you could end up in the hospital," he said.In terms of "breaking a cycle of severe depression," Siegel confirmed that ketamine is effective, "but not this way."Earlier this year, the University of Michigan released a study on the effects of ketamine in cases of severe or treatment-resistant depression among veterans .Nearly half of all patients saw a "meaningful drop" in depression scores after six weeks of infusions, according to the analysis by the University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS).About 25% of those in the study saw their depression score drop by half within six weeks of treatment, while 15% went into full remission. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER In response to the study, Dr. Justin Gerstner, psychiatrist and chief […]
Mail-order ketamine injections can be ‘extremely dangerous,’ warns Dr. Marc Siegel
