Ketamine Helps Patients with Bipolar Disorder and Depression

Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive illness marked by symptoms such as intense emotional episodes, a mixed state of depression and euphoria, and volatile changes in sleep, activity, and energy levels. Although there is no definitive cure for this condition, it can be effectively addressed over a period of time with ketamine infusion treatments.

An experienced physician offering ketamine therapy can help to improve the symptoms of bipolar disorder with safe and controlled application of ketamine. Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles, led by Dr. Steven Mandel, provides ketamine infusion therapies to patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California, and surrounding locations.

New Research on Ketamine Effects

Researchers from the National Mental Health Institute (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been focusing on studies to determine the anti-depressant effects of ketamine. The research on ketamine, popularly known as ‘special k’, has been going on for several years now.  

Although previous studies have established that ketamine can rapidly mitigate disordered symptoms, some of the recent findings from NIMH have further refined these findings to show how ketamine impacts bipolar and depression patients differently. Dr. Carlos Zarate of NIMH recently said in a press statement that the institute’s findings help to deconstruct what has traditionally been lumped together as depression.

Dr. Zarate said: “We break out a component that responds uniquely to a treatment that works through different brain systems than conventional antidepressants — and link that response to different circuitry than other depression symptoms.” Dr. Zarate’s team was able to achieve this after infusing the ketamine drug or a placebo into 36 patients going through the depressive phase of bipolar disorder.

When the patient was put on ketamine and placebo, researchers were able to identify any mood changes and depression. Separating the two help them to determine that ketamine triggers as a strong anti-depressive effect sooner, and independent of, other effects.

Researchers found that levels of mood of the patients improved within 40 minutes of their taking ketamine compared to those who took a placebo, while depressive symptoms improved within two hours.

Ketamine Supports Brain Activity

The positive effects of ketamine against depression boil down to an individual’s brain. Ketamine basically jump starts a part of the brain deep in the right hemisphere. This area is associated with enhanced motivation and expectation of an enjoyable experience. According to Kevin Lally, lead study author, the short onset time of ketamine is one of the most useful aspects of the study.

Ketamine works faster than the current range of anti-depressants, which can take between three and six weeks, and sometimes even longer, says Lally. According to Dr. Mandel, ketamine works most effectively when it is administered as an infusion directly into the bloodstream.

Patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California, and other cities in SoCal have an opportunity to receive innovative and advanced ketamine infusion treatments from Dr. Mandel at the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles. With ongoing research increasingly supporting the effectiveness of ketamine to treat bipolar disorder and depression, Dr. Mandel believes that patients have a hopeful and healthy future.

For more information about treatments for depression, bipolar, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), fibromyalgia, pain syndromes and other conditions contact us at the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles in Southern California (Orange County) by clicking here or calling  310-270-0625