Patients using ketamine have shared with our pharmacy that they were formerly suffering from depression and chronic pain and now have found themselves doing jumping jacks in the living room, hauling heavy garden hoses, and with a renewed interest in reading, which they hadn’t had for years.
Katmine Background and Current Compounding Practices
Ketamine is a drug used most commonly as an intravenous anesthetic for human and veterinary surgery. It was developed in 1962 and was first used for American soldiers injured in Vietnam. At high doses, it puts people into a dreamlike, semi-conscious state where they can undergo surgery without feeling any pain. The dose usually prescribed for chronic pain is about 2% of the dose used for anesthesia.
Oral, Nasal, or Sublingual Use of Ketamine
While intravenous ketamine can only be given to patients in the hospital under the direction of an anesthesiologist, the drug can be used safely by patients either in or out of the hospital when swallowed, nasally, or placed under the tongue. It has to be specially prepared by a compounding pharmacy, as it is currently not made by drug companies in a form for oral or sublingual use.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask!
If you believe you or a loved one could benefit from a custom compounded solution, start a conversation with your prescriber. Together you and your prescribing clinician can address the options and decide the best course for you. If you need a referral to a prescriber, please contact us, we are here to assist in advocating for your health.
Learn More
Explore the benefits of compounded medications with the studies and information provided below.
*Patient education information coming soon!