Antidepressants not working for you? Psychotherapy a drag? Supplements no better than a sugar pill?
You might want to check out a drug more popularly known among the club scene and all-night dance parties than for the treatment of depression.
As we reported last month, researchers are taking a second look at ketamine — also known as Special K in the club scene — to help with depression. ((We also noted nearly 2 years ago that ketamine also provides relief to bipolar patients.)) It appears it has the potential to be faster-acting than traditional antidepressants, which may make it a new treatment option for people who are depressed and are suicidal or in crisis.
Ketamine is already approved for certain medical uses, such as a human anesthetic, but its use is tightly controlled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration because of its potential for abuse. Now a number of pharmaceutical companies are investigating its use in the treatment of depression with active research trials around the world.