Side-effects associated with ketamine use in depression: a systematic review
Fong, J., Galvez, V., Loo, C., Shelker, W., Short, B.
This systematic review (2017) examined the reported side-effects of ketamine treatment for depression across 288 published reports and identified that headache, dizziness, dissociation, elevated blood pressure, and blurred vision were the most common in response to intravenous infusion. The most common acute psychiatric side-effect was anxiety, but there was no conclusive evidence about long-term side effects from the currently available studies.
Abstract
Introduction: This is the first systematic review of the safety of ketamine in the treatment of depression after single and repeated doses. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Databases and identified 288 articles, 60 of which met the inclusion criteria. Results: After acute dosing, psychiatric, psychotomimetic, cardiovascular, neurological, and other side-effects were more frequently reported after ketamine treatment than after placebo in patients with depresssion. Our findings suggest a selective reporting bias with limited assessment of long-term use and safety and after repeated dosing, despite these being reported in other patient groups exposed to ketamine (eg, those with chronic pain) and in recreational users. Discussion: We recommend large-scale clinical trials that include multiple doses of ketamine and long-term follow up to assess the safety of long-term regular use.