Psychedelic-assisted therapy, and the legalization pf psychedelic drugs, is most definitely a thing. We know this, because the psychedelic drug esketamine is already legal for use, with MDMA and psilocybin on the way, and being pushed by the FDA. Is esketamine an effective treatment, here’s what the patients have to say.
Esketamine therapy is a real thing with plenty of patients letting us know what they have to say. If you’re not quite ready for psychedelics, there’s always cannabis, and plenty of different options. Like delta-8 THC, an alternate form of THC which leaves users with more energy, less cloudiness in the head, and no anxiety. There are so many compounds to choose from, that there’s something for everyone. Take a look at our selection of THCV, THC-O, Delta 10 THC and Delta-8 THC deals, and figure out your best option.
What is esketamine?
Before getting into esketamine treatment and what patients say about it, let’s cover what it is. If the name ‘esketamine’ sounds incredibly similar to a popular party drug, that’s because it is. The drug ketamine has been a staple of the party circuit since the 80’s and 90’s, and esketamine is its close cousin. Ketamine was discovered in 1962 by scientists at Parke-Davis. They were in search of a strong anesthetic, and after creating, testing, and ultimately rejecting PCP, and other closely related compounds, ketamine was discovered. It was described as a compound with “cataleptic, analgesic and anesthetic action but without hypnotic properties.”
It became known as a dissociative anesthetic, because of how it seemed to disconnect parts of the brain. This was subsequently described as “electrophysiological and functional dissociation between thalamocortical and limbic systems.” Since that time, ketamine has been used as an anesthetic in both animals and humans, as well as being used as a recreational party drug. Essentially it doe three things, provides pain relief, anesthetic affect, and sedation. The chemical formula for ketamine is C13H16ClNO.
Of course, we’re not talking about ketamine, we’re talking about esketamine. Esketamine hasn’t been around as long, making its first appearances in Germany in 1997 as an anesthetic. While it was being used as an anesthetic, it was noticed that the compound had very fast-acting antidepressant effects, and began being investigated for this purpose. In 2017 the drug finished trials in the US for treatment-resistant depression, and in 2018, Johnson & Johnson filed an application with the FDA for a new medication – Spravato. It was approved on March 5th, 2019.
It was technically approved in conjunction with standard antidepressants for the treatment of depression in adults. In 2020, this was updated to include prescription for suicidal thoughts on account of how fast-acting it works. It is already being prescribed for use in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
She explained how those taking part were not allowed to drive for 24 hours following administration. She says it started with four hours of supervision, but was brought down to between one and two hours over time. This makes sense for shorter acting drugs like ketamine.
By the time a Time article was written about her in 2019, she was going every two weeks for treatment, in which she was administered three nasal doses at five minute intervals, and then watched for an hour or two. She also stated fears of not being able to continue the medication when the trials were over due to insurance not covering it, and not being able to find a therapist. Though she had plenty good to say about the treatment, she highlighted the fact that she had gone from being unemployed for quite some time, to holding a job steadily, and being generally okay. She said she always knows when she’s ready for another dose.
It doesn’t seem like this particular trial included the therapy aspect of it, and was likely more to establish effects of the drug. She did not mention negative side effects, and spoke generally of an improvement in her life.