I often wear a shirt displaying my clinic name and logo. I love when someone stops me to ask what ketamine is!! One of the most undereducated statements I hear is “Isn’t that a horse tranquilizer?”. It is so much more. Yes, ketamine is used in vet clinics due to its ability to provide anesthesia and pain control for small procedures when intubation isn’t ideal (who wants to intubate a horse?). However, ketamine is used more in hospitals, ER’s, and OR’s on humans than animals. One of the great things about it is that it doesn’t drop blood pressure or decrease drive to breathe.
Outside of the operating room, ketamine, given in low dose infusions works to decrease symptoms of depression, OCD, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar and chronic pain. It works to increase Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Increasing Glutamate, increases synapses (communication between brain cells), creating new pathways especially those involved in behavior and mood.
For chronic pain, it works directly at the NMDA receptor which is the pain modulator found all along the nervous system. Ketamine works to interrupt the signal, making you feel less pain.
Call today for a free consultation and we will answer all of your questions!
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