FDA Warns Against Misuse of Ketamine for Psychiatric Treatment

The use of ketamine in psychiatric treatment is generally unapproved and unregulated, with the exception of esketamine, an FDA-approved ketamine nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. According to a recent New York Times article, the FDA has raised concerns about the misuse of ketamine in treating psychiatric disorder.  The warning stems from reported adverse incidents, stressing that unsupervised use of ketamine elevates the risk of negative psychiatric reactions, heightened blood pressure, respiratory depression, and urinary tract problems, potentially leading to incontinence.