STREET DRUG COULD BE THE 'MAGIC' BULLET FOR TREATING DEPRESSION

'K' Reduces Symptoms Quickly

A new antidepressant being tested in Canada appears to do what no
other drug can -- increase connections between brain cells within
hours to improve symptoms.

The finding by Yale researchers may explain how one dose of ketamine
can reduce symptoms of depression within 40 minutes among the
hardest-to-treat cases, and could help spur development of
quick-acting antidepressants.

Prozac-like drugs and other antidepressants take at least two weeks
to produce an effect, and sometimes months for a full effect.

"They start taking the drug, they're still depressed, they start to
get a bit more energy, but their mood doesn't increase," said Dr.
James Kennedy, director of the neuroscience research department at
the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. "The problem
is keeping the patient on the medication and preventing them from
using their new energy in a bad way to kill themselves."

Ketamine is a liquid anesthetic used mainly by veterinarians; it's
also used in human medicine because it doesn't depress breathing.
It's also an illegal club drug, known as "special K," or "vitamin K."
The street version is usually sold in a powder form. It acts like
LSD, causing vivid hallucinations in users.

Earlier studies involving patients with "treatment-resistant"
depression have found those given a dose of ketamine experience rapid
and significant improvement in symptoms. In a small study published
earlier this month on patients with bipolar depression, 71 per cent
of participants responded to ketamine versus six per cent who
responded to placebo.