Used in small doses and in addition to psychological monitoring, ketamine is associated with a longer period of abstinence.
- Ketamine belongs to the family of psychotropics.
- It is used in anesthetic, analgesic, sedative but also against chronic pain.
- In France, alcohol is the second leading cause of premature death.
“Alcohol can destroy lives, and we urgently need new ways to help people cut back“, says Celia Morgan, a scientist from the University of Exeter. Together with her team, she has found a potential solution: ketamine. “We found that low, controlled doses of ketamine combined with psychological therapy can help people abstain longer compared to placebo.”she explains. In The American Journal of Psychiatryshe and her team detail how they came to this conclusion.
A longer period of abstinence
96 alcoholics were recruited for this research. Before the trial, the participants drank every day, consuming on average the equivalent of 50 pints of strong beer per week, or 125 units of alcohol. Researchers found that people who received ketamine alongside their counseling remained completely sober for 162 out of 180 days during the six-month follow-up period, representing an abstinence rate of 87%. This group was more than 2.5 times more likely to be completely abstinent at the end of the trial compared to people on placebo. Patients given ketamine also had fewer signs of depression after three months and better liver function than those on placebo. “This is hugely encouraging as we normally see three out of four people return to binge drinking within six months of quitting alcohol.”underlines Celia Morgan.
No risk for the liver
The main objective of this type II clinical trial was to test the safety and feasibility of the treatment. “Previously, the use of ketamine in alcoholics had raised concerns due to liver problems, but this study showed that ketamine is safe and well tolerated under clinical conditions, says Celia Morgan. In fact, we found that liver function improved in the group that received ketamine because they drank significantly less alcohol..” Further research will be needed to confirm these positive effects of the substance.
A way to take a step back
In another scientific article, researchers have published interviews with 12 participants in this study. Lead author Merve Mollaahmetoglu sought to understand the effect of ketamine and therapy on them. “Ketamine (…) may stimulate a “watcher state” similar to that described in mindfulness, which may help patients step back and consider their thoughts and emotionsshe concludes. Participants told us that this experience helped them change their relationship with alcohol.” Thus, one of the interviewees confides to having felt a “sense of unity” and having managed to get away from his “small worry“.”I think I used alcohol as a self-medicating tool and as a blocking and avoidance tool.” she explains. As ketamine is a drug already authorized on the market, new therapies could be offered quickly.
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