Ketamine provides analgesia and antidepressant expected therapeutic effects. Most known side effects include sedation, respiratory depression, tachycardia, altered mental status, anxiety, palpitations, slurred speech, hallucinations, nystagmus, mydriasis, hypertension, and chest pain.
Ketamine at lower doses, such as those used in this lab, might have side effects that are less intense and/or shorter in duration. There has been growing interest in the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine - relief from depression can begin as early as around 40 minutes from a ketamine infusion.
Repeated vs. single infusions are more clinically effective with treatment resistant major depression (TRD). Therefore, our current Ketamine study focuses on repeated infusions.