"Ketamine is a dissociative class medication that is considered a schedule III controlled substance. It is predominantly used in the emergency department and in the operating room as an anesthetic medication. Ketamine is FDA-approved for anesthesia and for pain relief during procedures. Ketamine is not considered FDA-approved to treat depression, PTSD, acute or chronic pain, or any additional conditions outside of anesthesia and pain relief during procedures.
The use of ketamine to treat the above conditions is considered "off-label" by the FDA. There is nothing wrong with using medication for off-label purposes, as a large percentage of medication prescribed in this country is just for off-label use. Ketamine treatment therapy for psychiatric conditions and acute or chronic pain is considered safe, even though it is considered "off-label." Be aware that ketamine has been used safely over the past 50 years.
Ketamine has been shown to improve the symptoms of various psychiatric conditions and pain in certain populations. Everyone"s response to treatment will be different but individuals usually report improvements in psychiatric symptoms and pain but be aware that symptom relief cannot be guaranteed. You need to be aware that symptom relief can last from days to months, therefore multiple treatments might be recommended or required for long-term symptom relief.
There are no long-term studies to show the safety or effectiveness of repeated ketamine treatments, therefore the potential long-term risks or treatment efficacy cannot be established for the treatment of chronic pain disorders, depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions."
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