News
17 February, 2025
Ketamine may help PTSD treatment
A new University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) study has found that small amounts of liquid ketamine, administered in a clinical setting, can significantly reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with fewer side effects.
Conducted by researchers at the National PTSD Research Centre, the study is the first open-label clinical trial to explore the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of low-dose oral ketamine for PTSD treatment.
Ketamine—a short-acting anaesthetic—is being tested as a fast-acting treatment for PTSD and depression. However, this off-label use is typically delivered via injections or infusions requiring hospital administration.
In the UniSC study, 73% of participants reported that their PTSD symptoms had reduced by more than half one week after completing the oral ketamine treatment, which involved one ketamine drink per week for six weeks. One month after their last dose, 59% of participants, many with lifelong PTSD, said their symptoms remained significantly reduced.
Senior investigator, Professor Dan Hermens, said the findings suggest oral ketamine is a potentially more accessible and affordable option for PTSD patients, with a lower risk of adverse reactions than intravenous (IV) ketamine. “Our study found that oral ketamine—given in small amounts once a week in a clinical setting—is a safe, well-tolerated therapy that could be integrated into PTSD treatment programs,” Prof Hermens said.
