New study will put ketamine against electroshock therapy in severely depressed patients

Depression affects approximately one in five Americans and while most people respond to antidepressant medications, 1/3 will not. However, emerging research and countless case studies have shown that intravenous (IV) Ketamine is an effective depression treatment.  This is a major medical breakthrough, especially when considering the high incidence of suicidal ideation that comes with many cases of severe depression.

Another important consideration for this depression treatment is that the effects happen rapidly, unlike SSRI therapy which takes 2 weeks of daily dosing for patients to began feeling better–for those that respond to SSRI therapy.  Psychiatrists often struggle to find an SSRI that is suitable for a patient, which often extends the time to relieve depression by more than a month.  More than a month!  Those with severe depression should not have to wait more than a month for relief.

One problem with IV ketamine therapy is with insurance companies.  Because ketamine is still considered an experimental therapeutic for depression, payers will often not cover the treatment.  A new study is hoping to change that. Ketamine will go head to head with another treatment that is used for treating severe depression: electroshock therapy (ECV).  Should this study yield positive results, perhaps large efficacy studies will commence so that Ketamine may be an approved therapy for depression.

Research for depression treatment is ongoing and Dr. Ashraf Hanna will continue to pursue new and innovative treatments for his patients.

Dr. Ashraf Hanna has treated numerous patients with depression using an intravenous ketamine infusion regimen that he developed. The outcomes have been remarkable. If you or someone you know has severe depression and is not responding to conventional SSRI therapy, please make an appointment with Dr. Hanna to find out if IV ketamine is appropriate.  No one should suffer through severe depression.  Make an appointment today.