Ketamine Use
Ketamine is a non-narcotic non-addictive neuropathic pain reliever that was synthesized by Parke-Davis in the early 1960s. It was first administered to human patients in 1965.
During the Vietnam War, it was used by the US military as a field anesthetic. It gradually became popular as an induction as well as a maintenance agent for the general anesthesia required during brief surgical procedures.
In the past, ketamine use has been restricted mainly to IV administration in hospitalized patients. But very recently, multiple published reports have highlighted the use of low-dose ketamine for pain relief, refractory depression, and anxiety in patients with or without cancer.
As chronic pain, anxiety, and depression usually develops in hospice patients with or without cancer and in palliative care patients who are ineligible for hospice, the discovery of new and effective uses of an established medication to treat those issues has elicited interest in the palliative care community.
American Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), led by Dr. Neema Yazdanpanah, provides safe and proven compounding medications to patients in Long Beach, Torrance, Los Angeles, South Bay Orange County, Southern California areas, and online nationwide.
Case Report About the Efficacy of Ketamine
A research case report describes the experience in treating a 44-year-old male hospice patient suffering from severe constant anxiety, fear, and depression along with various near-terminal comorbid physical conditions that cause chronic pain.
Before treatments prescribed to resolve the patient’s anxiety, pain, and depression had been ineffective. But a single low-dose (0.5 mg/kg) subcutaneous test injection of ketamine offered significant relief from the symptoms for 80 hours. But the anesthetic effects of ketamine are not of extended duration.
This favorable outcome has been sustained by daily treatment with a compounded flavored oral ketamine solution (40 mg/5 mL) that is not available commercially. By flavoring the solution, the bitter taste of ketamine is masked, and the treatment is palatable.
Researchers reported that ketamine is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for severe anxiety, severe depression, and chronic pain in a hospice patient experiencing multiple comorbid conditions. This research report documents the first use of compounding pharmacy oral ketamine for hospice care or home-based palliative care.
Conditions where Ketamine can Help
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Chronic anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In general, the medical treatment for such conditions is restrictive because of their side-effects, slow onset of action, or lack of efficacy. Ketamine has been an agent for anesthesia for over 40 years. However, the use of this drug as a supplement to psychotherapy and other medications is relatively new.
Research-based evidence indicates that psychotherapy complemented by Ketamine therapy can quickly and effectively reduce the symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions, including cases that are “treatment-resistant.”
The use of ketamine in medicine and psychiatry aligns with a wider movement to re-introduce psychedelic drugs into medicine. However, it may be many years before these research studies develop a viable treatment for people in need.
But ketamine oral therapy is currently available and provides patients with many of the same potential benefits without the associated adverse effects. AIP provides advanced compounding solutions, including online prescription refills to patients in Long Beach, Torrance, Los Angeles, South Bay Orange County, Southern California areas, and online nationwide.
For more information on compound pharmacy medications available or to make an online prescription purchase, please click here or call Toll Free 1-855-247-7948.
American Integrative Pharmacy is located in Lomita, CA serving residents in and around Orange County, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Torrance and surrounding areas. Online prescription sales are available across the US.
