THE INCREASING BURDEN OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDALITY OUTPATIENT KETAMINE infusions offer new hope
When Dr Alan Howard, consultant in Emergency Medicine and founder of Ketamine Clinics of South Africa first heard of the tragic and untimely suicide of Lance Weyer (former Mr Gay SA, DA Counsellor and psychologist) in late November this year, he was shocked, saddened, but not surprised.
“Tragedies like this galvanise me and provide added incentive and urgency to get the word out to vulnerable folk and communities that, where other treatments have failed, outpatient ketamine infusion can make a meaningful difference, particularly to suicidal thinking.” Ketamine, a synthetic dissociative anaesthetic drug is also known on the street as ‘Special K’ but Dr Howard cautions against its use recreationally.
“Self-medicating with ketamine is definitely not advisable. Street drugs are often adulterated, and correct dosing is critical. At KCSA clinics, ketamine is precisely administered by a doctor or anaesthetist using a finely calibrated syringe driver. Patients are properly monitored throughout the infusion.”
Ketamine was first synthesised way back in the early ‘60s and for over five decades has been a very safe, tried and tested anaesthetic used more than any other for procedural sedation worldwide. It wasn’t until 2006 that the effect of ketamine on mood disorders like depression and, particularly, suicidality was realised and properly investigated.
While working as a consultant in a busy Emergency Department in Ireland and using ketamine frequently as an anaesthetic, Dr
