Reflections on Psychiatry & Psychology

Does naltrexone block ketamine’s antidepressant effects? Stanford research shows opioid receptor blockade dampens ketamine’s mood and antisuicidal benefits. Point Loma Clinic in San Diego explains what this means for your treatment plan.

In 2019, Elijah McClain died after EMTs injected him with 500 mg ketamine during a police arrest. The text argues ketamine is not a sedative but a dissociative anesthetic that inhibits GABA indirectly and can raise heart rate and blood pressure. In a stressful arrest, this may worsen agitation and cardiac strain. It concludes ketamine should not be used to “sedate” detainees.