95: Ketamine

Ketamine, also known as Special K, is a drug that has only been on Earth for slightly longer than I have, and in that time we've seen an incredible cultural shift in how it's viewed. Where Special K was once a dangerous street drug kids were using to get high, now Ketamine treatment is the frontier of antidepression therapy, the first of what will probably be many glutamate inhibiting drugs. This week I talk about Ketamine, what it is, how it works, where it comes from, and why it appears to outperform every antidepressant ever synthesized in rapidly reducing the symptoms. I also discuss the claims that ketamine reverses opioid tolerance overnight, the way it reduces anxiety and PTSD, and why it has seen a massive destigmatization in recent years.  For the quote I mentioned, see "Ketamine and Calcium Signaling: A Crosstalk for Neuronal Physiology and Pathology." To read more about Ketamine therapy, check out "Ketamine," in The British Journal of Anaesthesia. To read about how Ketamine might reduce cravings or even reduce opioid tolerance, check out this article in Frontiers in Psychology,  "Efficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review."To learn more about the Elijah McClain case, check out the CPR story here. Some music on this episode from PenguinMusic @ Pixabay.com Support the show