In a dimly lit room, sitting in a comfortable armchair and listening to classical music, a patient with severe depression receives intravenous infusions of ketamine. The feeling, according to those who have gone through the experience, is that of talking to your own brain.
Retired Sônia Lisboa, 73, was in such a deep depression that she considered taking her own life. For more than 20 years on antidepressants and therapy, nothing else worked, and in January, she found herself completely hopeless.
“I had already tried several antidepressants. I was never in a thousand wonders, but I had never been so bad either. That’s when my psychiatrist recommended treatment with ketamine infusions,” she says.
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What is it
Ketamine, also known as ketamine, is a drug in the class of anesthetics. It is also used “off label” as a hallucinogen by people at parties and clubs. The same drug, when administered in a controlled manner and in low doses, is being considered one of the main advances once morest depression in recent years.
“It was found that when the psychedelic is administered in low doses, it has potent effects in patients with depression. We generally recommend it for those who do not respond well to two conventional antidepressants or people with a suicidal tendency”, says psychiatrist Rodrigo Delfino, from Clínica Beneva, in São Paulo, one of the first to offer the treatment in Brazil.
In the United States, it is estimated that there are currently more than 100 clinics that administer ketamine infusions. The establishments emerged in the wake of scientific studies that attested to the drug’s effectiveness once morest refractory depression, which does not improve following treatment with conventional antidepressants.
Therapy with ketamine infusions arrived in Brazil recently – Anvisa approved the use of the medicine once morest depression at the end of 2020. The specialized centers are in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná and Santa Catarina.
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Generally, 6 to 8 sessions are indicated per patient, but it all depends on the individual condition. Each infusion costs around R$ 800 to R$ 1 thousand reais.
how is the session
Ketamine infusions last regarding 40 minutes. During this time, the patient remains alone in a relaxing environment, but needs to be continuously monitored by a healthcare team.
During the application, he lives a dissociative experience: he usually has perceptions regarding personal issues that will later feed the work of psychotherapy. It is recommended that the patient undergo a therapy session within 48 hours following the infusion.
Will to live
Sônia says that, when she started the treatment, she had lost her taste for life, she didn’t eat or shower. In an attempt to help the mother at any cost, her son convinced her to try ketamine treatment.
After analyzing the patient’s condition, the psychiatrist recommended 6 sessions of infusions. “During some sessions, I had the feeling that I was talking to my own brain. At other times, it was as if colors danced to the background music. The infusions made me want to live once more”, says the retiree.
Free from depression
Businessman Sérgio Bianchi, 64, also suffered from depression for over 20 years when he started treatment. He was referred to ketamine infusions and says that following the 12th session he felt free of the symptoms of the condition.
“I started to improve following the 3rd session. The only feeling I mightn’t get rid of was anxiety. But today, I feel free of depression and that is a huge relief,” she reports.
Side effects
Ketamine is considered a relatively safe drug, but there are still few specific studies on its side effects in the treatment of depression. In addition to feelings of dissociation, use can cause increased blood pressure, difficulty breathing, vomiting and cystitis.
Another concern concerns the way the drug is applied. The treatment requires medical supervision, monitoring of vital signs and the possibility of assistance for emergency care, such as in case of need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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