Therapeutic uses

The FDA has approved ketamine for general anesthesia only, but the drug has some off-label uses. Details are below.

Inducing general anesthesia

Doctors use ketamine to induce general anesthesia alone or with other general anesthetics, such as nitrous oxide. They use it in the emergency department setting to produce short-term sedation whenTrusted Source:

• reducing fractures
• treating joint dislocations
• repairing wounds in uncooperative individuals, such as children

Treating pain

Practitioners use low doses that do not produce dissociation to relieve severe pain from the followingTrusted Source conditions:

• trauma
• fractures
• abdominal pain
• arm or leg pain
• low back pain

Treating status epilepticus

Status epilepticus is when a person has a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes or has more than one seizure within 5 minutes.

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a form of status epilepticus that does not respond to standard antiseizure drugs. It is a severe disease that can cause brain damage and death.

A 2015 study found that ketamine may effectively treat RSE. However, further research is necessary to verify the study findings and prove the safety of using ketamine to treat this condition.

Treating depression

Research in 2017 trusted Source notes that some studies indicate ketamine can quickly relieve depression in people who do not respond well to other treatment.

Despite these positive results, the authors warn that data on the use of ketamine for this condition are limited, so practitioners should consider the risks of the drug before prescribing it.

A 2016 studyTrusted Source cautions that the inappropriate use of ketamine is a worldwide health problem due to its hallucinogenic properties. With this in mind, they urge doctors to prescribe standard antidepressants before trying ketamine for depression.

Treating anxiety

Research on the use of ketamine for anxiety is scarce. However, one study suggests that it may help people with social anxiety disorder (SAD). This condition involves a marked fear of social situations.

The 2017 clinical trialTrusted Source tested the drug on 18 participants and concluded that it might effectively treat SAD.

Because several other trials indicate ketamine may have significant antianxiety effects, the authors encouraged future studies to explore this possible benefit more fully.