14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists in the US say that, although it is mainly used in anesthesia, ketamine could also prove surprisingly effective in terms of treating depression.
The researchers argue that, after carrying out several experiments with the help of 73 volunteers, they found that said drug needs very little time to relieve symptoms associated with depression.
Thus, 64% of the volunteers who were treated with ketamine reported feeling better merely 24 hours after they had been administered the drug, Daily Mail reports.
The only downside was that side effects such as feelings of floating, feelings of altered sense of time, blurred vision and the like were also reported.
The drug's effect lasted for about a week, after which it started to fade away.
Commenting on the outcome of this study, researcher Dr. Sanjay Mathew pointed out that, “Through this study, we’ve now confirmed in an optimised trial design that ketamine does have robust and rapid antidepressant effects.”