Ketamine for ADHD?

Ketamine was first synthesized in the early 1960’s and shortly thereafter became widespread as an anesthetic for both human and animal surgery. Because of its ability to cause both dissociative experiences and hallucinations, ketamine became a popular party drug. In the last twenty years, ketamine was found to have rapid antidepressant effects, and ketamine infusion clinics spread across the country.
Now many clinics are advertising ketamine infusions to treat ADHD, despite not a single published study that it can effectively treat the condition. However, a handful of anecdotal reports of dramatic benefits for ADHD, along with a smattering of rodent studies suggesting ketamine can help with animal models of ADHD, have provided encouragement to some to experiment with ketamine. In addition, a substantial body of basic neuroscience implicates glutamate for having a role in impulsivity, so a glutamate blocking drug like ketamine may plausibly be helpful.
Like all medications, ketamine can produce side effects. In addition to acute effects on blood pressure, and the unpleasant possibility of bad trips, ketamine use can result in addiction in some people. Bladder and urinary tract problems are common with chronic use.
References:
Ketamine: 50 Years of Modulating the Mind (2016)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Focus upon Aberrant N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors Systems
link.springer.com/chapter/10....
Subanesthetic Ketamine with an AMPAkine Attenuates Motor Impulsivity in Rats (2021)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
S-ketamine administration in pregnant mice induces ADHD- and depression-like behaviors in offspring mice (2022)
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Ketamine normalizes brain activity during emotionally valenced attentional processing in depression
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
General:
Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions. Subscribe if you're curious about how neuro-atypical brains can optimize their functioning in our shared, and somewhat strange, world.
Dr. Kruse has posted talks in both the "live" and the "video" sections of this channel. Thumbnails on ADHD topics have a pink background, and those on more general mental health topics have a purple background. A small collection of ADHD-Trump videos have an orange background.
You're welcome to email him with topics you want discussed, people you think he should interview, or if you would prefer a time for the weekly KZbin Live option other than Tuesdays at 3:00 pm Hawaii Time.

[@blackheart909]

Very interesting

[@kamrunnesalucky4863]

Well played

[@yourhealthfitnessassistant]

I tried used ketamine as an adhd person with small doses and changed all my perception make me another person. And felt great affected me positively then I quit because i scared to be an addict and might have some downside negative effects. But rather than concerta ketamine doesnt make me feel bad after it ends. Sorry for bad english, im from different nation..

[@dr.johnkruse6708]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with ketamine.

[@yourhealthfitnessassistant]

@@dr.johnkruse6708sir, do you have adhd?

[@Gokusaiyan.]

Where can I buy

[@yourhealthfitnessassistant]

@@Gokusaiyan. It is illegal to buy in US plus it is highly addictive and dangerous substance to use. I do not recommend it for your health. I dont live in US

[@yourhealthfitnessassistant]

@@Gokusaiyan. but it is FUN lol

[@kasterchoi7952]

I’m pretty sure I have adhd. My child has adhd and is on ritalin. I was never diagnosed… but have used ketamine as a party drug in the past… I feel it can actually help due to the outer body experience… it causes you to look at yourself from a third person perspective and rewires your brain in a way…idk.. am I off base?

[@dr.johnkruse6708]

That's one reasonable way to look at the effects that ketamine might have on someone with ADHD.

[@kasterchoi7952]

@@dr.johnkruse6708 could it be an option for a child?

[@kimberlee440]

I was diagnosed with Bioplar II a few years ago and did not experience significant symptom improvement for more than a decade until I started IV Ketamine therapy. Recently, I began doing some research on ADHD and believe I may have either been misdiagnosed or have both issues concurrently. Is it possible that Ketamine could have had a positive impact on my ADHD symptoms, or am I simply noticing the positive impacts on my bipolar symptoms? Any chance ketamine could have an adverse impact on ADHD symptoms?

[@dr.johnkruse6708]

ADHD and bipolar disorders commonly co-occur; many individuals have both, and they also can be confused with each other. An individual can have almost any response to a medication, so ketamine could be helping your ADHD symptoms, or the benefit could be specific to your bipolar symptoms. If ketamine was worsening your ADHD you likely would have already noticed. Because one individual can have almost any response, we conduct studies so that we can let people know whether a certain reaction (good or bad) is particularly likely or not. And I still haven't seen a single controlled study of ketamine for ADHD.

[@TVindustries5000]

when I was in Highschool I could tell something was wrong with me but i kept a lot of it internal. I looked up possible things. this was in 2011/12 (I was 17), so not tons of info that i could find at the time. from what I saw i thought I also had Bipolar II. No one really knew what i was talking about saying i didnt seem bipolar and was shamed for it. my dad then informed that he knew I had ADHD since I was diagnosed at 2. I was wondering what the hell that meant and didnt really know how to process it or if it was a misdiagnosis. got diagnosed at 2 and my parents just seperatately figured it would work itself out and disregarded it and im still alone with dealing with it. they possibly both have it too, my mom im very sure. im considering seeking ketamine because I have no hope in the traditional health system or therapy even tho I know it could be helpful, because it would take people who would care which its hard for me to believe that I'll find someone to truly help

[@dr.johnkruse6708]

@@TVindustries5000 I hope that you find caring and intelligent mental health care workers to address what has been going on with you; it seems likely that there will be benefit, and I know that such individuals exist. So far there is no real research indicating that ketamine is a good match for ADHD, so anybody recommending it at this time could be putting their interests ahead of yours in offering such treatment.

[@thomashaakonsen2936]

ADHD/ADD symptoms can be much like symptoms of trauma. I know many can be diagnosed wrong. Do you think the ketamine treatment help to prosess the trauma, and since the patient have been diagnosed with adhd they're making that conclusion that ketamine have positive effect on adhd?

[@dr.johnkruse6708]

That's certainly possible for some individuals. But I see the reverse much more often - ADHD being mistaken for PTSD rather than PTSD being mistaken for ADHD. Here is my video on ADHD and PTSD kzbin.info/www/bejne/b37dqIVtn7ibgK8