Got a family member with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Duloxetine and desipramine have not helped much, but have made a dent in it. How would it be possible to obtain treatment with ketamine? Would this person have to be enrolled in a clinical trial somewhere? How would we go about doing this?
I know two people who weren’t responding to medication, and were really desperate, who had electro-convulsive therapy, and swear it saved their lives. I know it seems like a pretty radical treatment, but if you are thinking about ketamine, you’re in the neighborhood already. Maybe you should look into ECT.
One person had one session of ECT 10 years ago, and has never needed another. The other has needed to have it repeated about every 3-4 years. Insurance paid in both cases.
This might be a helpful place to start.
From the link:
Quoted what seems like the relevant info.
If unsuccessful either starting treatment with Ketamine, or if it isn’t beneficial, ECT, as barbaric as it seems, does work sometimes.
ECT is no longer the “barbaric” frankinsteinesque treatment that it was in the 50s. There are many people who are very happy with the results.
I can’t really go into it, because of confidentiality, but in addition to people I just happen to know who spoke to me freely about it, I once had the occasion to transport someone for it, and witness part of it. The person is comfortable the whole time.
There is nothing barbaric about it, and in fact, I don’t know that it ever was as barbaric as it’s portrayed in films. Also, no one gets it without consent-- very much informed consent.
Right, they only do one hemisphere at a time now. The patient rarely convulses, and if they do it’s just a mild jump. The technique is far more sophisticated than it was in the past.