In a groundbreaking move, the FDA recently approved a new medication for major depression. Meet esketamine, a nasal spray derived from ketamine—an anesthetic that has proven astonishingly effective in treating depression. This approval was expedited because esketamine has shown promise in helping patients with treatment-resistant depression. In fact, one study found that 70 percent of patients who received esketamine alongside an oral antidepressant saw improvement, compared to just over half in the placebo group.According to Dr. John Krystal, a pioneer in ketamine research, this nasal spray is a game changer. Unlike traditional medications, which only provide temporary relief while they're in the system, ketamine triggers reactions in the brain that enable the regrowth of brain connections. It's the reaction to ketamine that produces its antidepressant effects, not the presence of the drug itself. This unique mechanism sets ketamine apart as an antidepressant.
ow that this nasal spray is available via prescription, patients are naturally curious about how it works and whether it's safe. Keep reading for answers to these questions.
But first, let's dive into the history of antidepressant research. In the 1990s, Dr. Krystal and his colleagues were among the first to explore ketamine's potential as an antidepressant. At the time, depression was largely a mysterious condition with an unknown cause. One theory, known as the serotonin hypothesis, suggested that low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, were to blame. This theory led to the development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac for treating depression.
