{"id":1532,"date":"2020-02-18T15:30:05","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T20:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2025-12-10T22:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T03:05:11","slug":"ketamine-depression-drug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ketamine-depression-drug\/","title":{"rendered":"Is ketamine the \u2018miracle depression drug\u2019?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems unlikely that ketamine, an anesthetic and recreational party drug also known as Special K, would be used as a depression treatment\u2014but a derivative of the drug, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-84-mg-dose\">esketamine<\/a>, has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression. And research shows that ketamine can be an effective treatment for severe and prolonged depression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in this country, affecting some <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17.3 million<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> American adults, says the National Institute of Mental Health. Symptoms of depression may include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness and emptiness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decreased energy, or fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restlessness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulty concentrating<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appetite and sleep changes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-approves-new-nasal-spray-medication-treatment-resistant-depression-available-only-certified\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">treatment-resistant depression<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a type of depression that persists despite using at least two different standard antidepressants at an adequate dosage for an adequate time. In addition to helping with treatment-resistant depression, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ketamine<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is being hailed by those in the psychiatric community as revolutionary in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/anxiety-treatment-and-medications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anxiety<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/ocd-treatment-and-medications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/bipolar-disorder-treatment-and-medications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bipolar disorder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/ptsd-treatment-and-medications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<div id=\"coupon-cta\" class=\"coupon-cta master-template\">\n\t\t\t<p id=\"headline\">Save up to 80% on Spravato with SingleCare<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p id=\"subheadline\">Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"details-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"details\">\n\t\t\t\t\tSpravato 56 Mg (2 Nasal spray)\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"address\">\n\t\t\t\t\t23666 - Hampton, VA\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"api-response\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"coupon\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"logo\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.singlecare.com\/content\/images\/pharmacy\/logo-color-kroger.svg\" alt=\"Kroger Pharmacy\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"price\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"price-number\">\n\t\t\t\t\t$761.06<br\/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"price-signup\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"info-icon\">i<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose#blog-cta\">signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"couponbtn\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose#blog-cta\">Get free coupon<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"coupon\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"logo\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.singlecare.com\/content\/images\/pharmacy\/logo-color-harristeeter.svg\" alt=\"Harris Teeter Pharmacy\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"price\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"price-number\">\n\t\t\t\t\t$761.06<br\/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"price-signup\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"info-icon\">i<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose#blog-cta\">signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"couponbtn\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose#blog-cta\">Get free coupon<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose#blog-cta\" class=\"coupon-see-all-btn\">See Spravato prices at all pharmacies<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<h2 id=\"what-is-ketamine\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is ketamine?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that is sometimes used off label as a pain reliever in low doses. It\u2019s also abused as a tranquilizer and psychedelic club drug. A \u201cdissociative\u201d drug makes you feel disconnected from your body and your thoughts. Ketamine is in the same class of drugs as phencyclidine (PCP) and can have similar effects. It\u2019s commonly used as an anesthetic in veterinary clinics and, sometimes, in hospital settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/archives.drugabuse.gov\/publications\/nida-community-drug-alert-bulletin-club-drugs\/ketamine\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Institute on Drug Abuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in high doses, ketamine produces dream-like states and hallucinations. In lower doses, it can impair your memory, attention, and your ability to function. Other side effects include high blood pressure and breathing problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When used medically, ketamine is generally injected into a muscle or given intravenously. It blocks NMDA receptors to induce loss of consciousness, which is why it\u2019s often used during surgical procedures. When used recreationally, it\u2019s usually snorted, smoked, or swallowed and generally makes a person feel \u201chigh,\u201d happy, relaxed, and sometimes removed from their own bodies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-is-ketamine-used-for-depression\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How is ketamine used for depression?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies have found that ketamine treatment is effective against cases of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/depression-treatment-and-medications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">depression<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that have otherwise been resistant to traditional oral antidepressants, talk therapy, and even electroconvulsive therapy. According to recent research in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jmcp.org\/doi\/10.18553\/jmcp.2020.26.1.16\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journal of Managed Care &amp; Specialty Pharmacy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, one in three people with major depressive disorder (MDD), a severe depressive condition marked by unrelenting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation, have treatment-resistant depression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When used to treat depression, very low doses of ketamine (lower than doses used for anesthesia) are generally delivered in one of two forms: by infusion or through a nasal spray. Both can only be administered at health clinics or doctor\u2019s offices and both provide fast-acting relief from severe depression, although repeated treatments are needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"ketamine-infusions\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ketamine infusions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Racemic ketamine is most often used in infusions. Infused ketamine has been used <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/off-label-prescription-drugs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">off-label<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for persistent depression for a number of years. It\u2019s given at a clinic via an IV in the arm. Some clinics have mental health professionals on staff; others don\u2019t but will work in tandem with your doctor. Patients often start with three infusions per week and gradually decrease the number until they are down to one infusion per month. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6007654\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small clinical trials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have shown that infused ketamine can improve depression symptoms within two to four hours, with peak relief achieved in 24 hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"esketamine-nasal-sprays\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esketamine nasal sprays<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In March 2019, the FDA approved the drug esketamine (a chemical found in ketamine) for treatment-resistant depression in adults. The drug, marketed under the name <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spravato.com\/what-is-spravato\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spravato<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is given through the nose via a spray and is used along with a daily oral antidepressant. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/spravato-56-mg-dose\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spravato<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is given twice weekly for the first four weeks, then once a week for the next month, then once a week or once every two weeks. Because of the addictive nature of ketamine and its potential for abuse\u2014plus the sedation the drug causes\u2014the medication is only used in a medical setting under a healthcare professional\u2019s supervision. It\u2019s not available for take-home use. Patients self-administer the nasal spray after instruction from a healthcare professional and then are monitored for at least two hours before leaving the clinic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t\t<div class=\"singlecare-dynamic-newsletter-wrapper sin-newsletter-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"heading\">Get our mental health newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t<form class=\"form-wrapper\" data-newsletter-form=\"1\" data-subsource=\"Mental Health Newsletter\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"dynamic-email\">Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"dynamic-email\" class=\"email\" required>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"submit-form-btn\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Click to sign up\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"success-message\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Spravato uses low doses of esketamine, it\u2019s still a powerful drug. It comes with a \u201cBoxed Warning\u201d noting side effects like impaired judgment and difficulty concentrating after administration. Patients and their prescribers are required to sign what is known as a \u201cPatient Enrollment Form,\u201d stating that all parties recognize the drug causes sedation and patients should not drive or operate heavy machinery on the day they receive treatment. In fact, patients must have a ride home from the clinic where the drug is given. Several short-term clinical trials have found the drug to be safe, yet it is not recommended for anyone with uncontrolled high blood pressure or vascular disorders, as these patients could be at higher risk for adverse events like heart attack and stroke. It should also not be used by children, people with a history of psychosis, pregnant women, women wanting to become pregnant, or women who are breastfeeding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides being effective, Spravato, like infused ketamine, has proven to be fast-acting. Whereas traditional antidepressants, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/fluoxetine-hcl\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prozac<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/lexapro\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lexapro<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, can take weeks to work, Spravato works to relieve depression in a matter of hours to days. That\u2019s a huge boon to anyone experiencing severe depression, but especially to those who may be experiencing suicidality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cApproximately two thirds of patients with major depressive disorder experience a clinically significant improvement in symptoms within three hours,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.uiowa.edu\/psychiatry\/profile\/william-coryell\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">William Coryell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MD, an author for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Merck Manuals<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa\u2019s Carver College of Medicine. \u201cFor most, however, these effects decrease considerably over the following several days. For this reason, a series of treatments is often used and this yields sustained benefit for many patients.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Corywell cautions against trying recreational ketamine for depression relief. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The antidepressant effects appear to operate only within a certain, sub-anesthetic dose range,\u201d he notes. \u201cRecreational use is likely to exceed this range and there is considerable risk for abuse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-makes-ketamine-effective\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes ketamine effective?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depression is a mood disorder influenced by neurotransmitters\u2014chemical messengers in the brain that can regulate mood, sleep, and other functions. Experts aren\u2019t entirely sure how ketamine or the esketamine in Spravato works to improve severe depression, but they suspect it may have something to do with how they block the neurotransmitter glutamate from attaching to a particular receptor (called<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the nerves. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before esketamine became available, drugs approved for use as antidepressants had their effects through changes in the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine,\u201d explains Dr. Coryell. \u201cEsketamine, in contrast, appears to work chiefly through its effects on the neurotransmitter glutamate.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers are taking what they know about ketamine and looking at ways they can develop glutamate inhibitors that don\u2019t have the negative side effects of ketamine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"is-ketamine-safe-to-use-for-depression-and-anxiety\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is ketamine safe to use for depression and anxiety?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long-term use of ketamine hasn\u2019t been well researched, but the general consensus is that it\u2019s safe to use in the short-term. Side effects, which usually last no more than a few hours, include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drowsiness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dizziness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nausea<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dissociation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elevated blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blurred vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Body sensations, such as feeling strange or loopy<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"where-can-i-get-ketamine\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where can I get ketamine?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re experiencing chronic, major depression that isn\u2019t improving with your current medications, talk to your healthcare provider. There are infusion clinics around the country that administer ketamine with a doctor\u2019s order, but this is considered an off-label use. The nasal spray\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spravato is the only FDA-approved ketamine-like drug available for treatment-resistant depression. It\u2019s only available at health clinics and via doctor\u2019s offices, says Dr. Coryell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One last word of caution: Don\u2019t attempt to get ketamine off the street. Ketamine is a controlled substance and a medical professional needs to determine the proper dose and monitor you for side effects, some of which can be very serious. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It seems unlikely that ketamine, an anesthetic and recreational party drug also known as Special K, would be used as a depression treatment\u2014but a derivative of the drug, esketamine, has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression. And research shows that ketamine can be an effective treatment for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":9422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4589],"tags":[451,4141],"coauthors":[10462],"class_list":["post-1532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-info","tag-depression","tag-fda-approvals","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is ketamine a miracle drug for depression? - The Checkup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ketamine is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. The fast-acting drug could be especially beneficial to those experiencing suicidality.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ketamine-depression-drug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is ketamine a miracle drug for depression?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Approved by the FDA, it could be the answer to treatment-resistant depression\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ketamine-depression-drug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Checkup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-18T20:30:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T03:05:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Ketamine_nasal_spray.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Donna Christiano\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Is ketamine the \u2018miracle depression drug\u2019?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Donna Christiano\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SingleCare Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/403ef50a9f402fb9ce49c429659555f5\"},\"headline\":\"Is ketamine the \u2018miracle depression drug\u2019?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-18T20:30:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-11T03:05:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1413,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Ketamine_nasal_spray.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Depression\",\"FDA approvals\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Drug Info\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/\",\"name\":\"Is ketamine a miracle drug for depression? - The Checkup\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ketamine-depression-drug\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Ketamine_nasal_spray.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-18T20:30:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-11T03:05:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Ketamine is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. 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