From Club To Medication: Party Drug 'Ketamine' Is Said To Effectively Cure Migraines

Ketamine is commonly used as a club drug, which is commonly classified as a dissociative agent. It is commonly known as "K" which place its users in a state of trance. It is also used by veterinarians to sedate the animals. Though it may be deemed hazardous for recreational use, researchers reveal that it can actually be helpful for those who are suffering from migraine.

How Does Ketamine Work As An Aid For Migraine?

Duren Michael Ready, MD,from Baylor, Scott & White Health in Temple, TX, came up with a research wherein they mentioned that Ketamine can potentially alleviate chronic pain caused by migraine. WebMd mentioned that Ready and his team suggest that 25 mg of ketamine that is used as a nasal spray can relieve migraines.

It was then mentioned that 10 to 50 mg of ketamine is still beneficial and safe. It is ideally used for patients who does not respond to medical treatments.

"It's not something you want to pull out for everyone, but it might it be useful for someone not getting better with typical treatments,"Ready mentioned on his research. "You want to kind of limit how often patients use it. These are not doses at a level that will produce sedation, but at levels that can help block the pain."

Are There Any Side Effects

Ketamine may be deemed as an effective solution to chronic migraines, but it was mentioned that there are potential side effects that can negatively impact the user. Ready noted that using it as a nasal spray can potentially lead to hallucinations, which makes it important to monitor its effectiveness.

Does Ketamine Have Other Medical Uses?

Lastly, it was explained that ketamine is not limited to migraine as it can also be used to treat PTSD, depression and chronic pain. Robert Bonakdar, MD, is the director of pain management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine noted that health care professionals are still digging deeper into the medical benefits of the club drug, aside from migraine treatment.

"Many doctors have transitioned from saying 'that's a really powerful anesthetic' to saying 'if we use it in the right dose and in the right arena, it can be very helpful'."