On Wednesday the
Esketamine is to be prescribed for those suffering with severe depression, particularly those with suicidal tendencies. However from what we can see the trials have been very limited and the placebo group in some cases showed little difference in response to the drug.
Only forty-nine patients took part in the latest phase 2 trial, which lasted for a mere four weeks. Depressive thoughts were diminished considerably for the first three days in those taking the new drug.
‘Forty-nine patients completed the four-week trial. Doses were administered twice weekly, and the
But by the end of the four weeks, there was no difference between the test group and the placebo group.
‘In the new trial, the rapid diminishment of symptoms lasted only a short while; at the three-day mark, the initial dramatic improvement had flattened out compared with patients given a placebo spray. And by the end of the trial, at four weeks, there was no difference between the
Ketamine is a commonly used recreational drug, its very popular in the club seen and has many potentially dangerous side effects, including [source]:
- Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
- Extreme Nausea
- Short term memory loss
- Muscle Paralysis
- Can Severely Damage Bladder
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Abdominal Pains
- Flashbacks
- Loss of Concentration
- Addictive
- Hallucinations
- Psychotic episodes
- Worsen existing mental health issues
Now,
With no long term trials and only evidence that this has benefits for the first 72 hours at best, it seems irresponsible for the FDA to approve this new drug at this stage.