This word means: Ketamine
Billionaire Elon Musk engaged in extensive drug consumption as he became one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, taking ketamine so frequently it caused bladder problems and traveling with a daily supply of approximately 20 pills, according to a report by the New York Times.
Musk had previously said that he was prescribed ketamine for depression, taking it about every two weeks.
Ketamine is an anaesthetic that has been listed as a hallucinogen by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is referred to as a 'dissociative anaesthetic hallucinogen' because it creates a feeling of detachment from pain and the environment.
In the US, ketamine was first used as an anaesthetic for animals in the 1960s. Around a decade later, the US Food and Drug Administration approved it for humans.
The drug's use for treating depression and other mental illnesses is recent. Owing to its powerful effects, ketamine is consumed by those patients who haven't responded to traditional therapies. Ketamine is also used as a recreational drug, popularly known as K or Special K among clubgoers.
Mental illness patients usually take ketamine through an IV, nasal spray or tablet once or twice a week for six to eight weeks (some might need it for longer). When it comes to recreational purposes, it is consumed by snorting a white crystalline powder. Ketamine can also be injected or smoked.
In a recent report, The New York Times talked to 40 ketamine patients, many of whom said the drug was like a reset button for the brain.
'During treatment sessions, they experienced pleasant visualisations, sometimes accompanied by a sense of existing outside themselves and melding with the universe. Afterwards, their daily problems seemed less weighty,' according to the report.
It also noted that ketamine garnered popularity as it affects brain receptors that traditional antidepressants do not target. 'The psychedelic-like trip, many believe, is integral to the drug's therapeutic effect,' the report said.
If taken in high doses, the anaesthetic quality of ketamine becomes more pronounced. Some may find it difficult to move and may feel numb, and can experience more graphic hallucinations. 'This is sometimes called the 'k-hole' by users,' according to The Guardian.
It's hard to say. Some doctors have emphasised that if taken only for medicinal purposes and in the right doses, ketamine is safe to consume and very effective in treating mental illnesses.
However, many patients quoted in the NYT report said the drug can be addictive and, when taken chronically in high doses, can cause severe bladder damage. 'There are indications that abuse may also lead to cognitive impairment,' according to the report.
Moreover, there has not been much research on prolonged ketamine treatment to determine if it's safe or not. There is also a lack of literature on addiction and abuse among medical users.
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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
This word means: Ketamine
Billionaire Elon Musk engaged in extensive drug consumption as he became one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, taking ketamine so frequently it caused bladder problems and traveling with a daily supply of approximately 20 pills, according to a report by the New York Times. Musk had previously said that he was prescribed ketamine for depression, taking it about every two weeks. Ketamine is an anaesthetic that has been listed as a hallucinogen by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is referred to as a 'dissociative anaesthetic hallucinogen' because it creates a feeling of detachment from pain and the environment. In the US, ketamine was first used as an anaesthetic for animals in the 1960s. Around a decade later, the US Food and Drug Administration approved it for humans. The drug's use for treating depression and other mental illnesses is recent. Owing to its powerful effects, ketamine is consumed by those patients who haven't responded to traditional therapies. Ketamine is also used as a recreational drug, popularly known as K or Special K among clubgoers. Mental illness patients usually take ketamine through an IV, nasal spray or tablet once or twice a week for six to eight weeks (some might need it for longer). When it comes to recreational purposes, it is consumed by snorting a white crystalline powder. Ketamine can also be injected or smoked. In a recent report, The New York Times talked to 40 ketamine patients, many of whom said the drug was like a reset button for the brain. 'During treatment sessions, they experienced pleasant visualisations, sometimes accompanied by a sense of existing outside themselves and melding with the universe. Afterwards, their daily problems seemed less weighty,' according to the report. It also noted that ketamine garnered popularity as it affects brain receptors that traditional antidepressants do not target. 'The psychedelic-like trip, many believe, is integral to the drug's therapeutic effect,' the report said. If taken in high doses, the anaesthetic quality of ketamine becomes more pronounced. Some may find it difficult to move and may feel numb, and can experience more graphic hallucinations. 'This is sometimes called the 'k-hole' by users,' according to The Guardian. It's hard to say. Some doctors have emphasised that if taken only for medicinal purposes and in the right doses, ketamine is safe to consume and very effective in treating mental illnesses. However, many patients quoted in the NYT report said the drug can be addictive and, when taken chronically in high doses, can cause severe bladder damage. 'There are indications that abuse may also lead to cognitive impairment,' according to the report. Moreover, there has not been much research on prolonged ketamine treatment to determine if it's safe or not. There is also a lack of literature on addiction and abuse among medical users.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
How do GLP-1 drugs work? This book answers all your questions
Dresses are shrinking. Menus are shifting. Supermarkets are changing. Ozempic, or the 'fat shot' medication, as United States President Donald Trump calls it, is transforming the way America eats, dresses and shops. Alexandra Sowa, who just released 'The Ozempic Revolution: A Doctor's Proven Plan for Success to Help You Reverse Obesity, End Yo-Yo Dieting, and Protect Yourself from Disease'(published by HarperCollins) says that as a doctor specialising in obesity, GLP-1s are the most effective tool she has to treat patients today. She adds that one in eight Americans use the medication at this point, leading to huge cultural shifts in the country. 'It has changed how people buy clothes and how they shop at the grocery store. There is a reduction in the sale of junk food. When you are on it, your tastebuds change, you want healthier food,' she says, over a Zoom call from New York, where she runs SoWell, a clinic and brand tailored to support GLP-1 users. GLP-1s are Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist drugs that include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. There is still a lot of confusion about the medication, which is why Dr. Sowa, who is a dual board-certified physician in internal and obesity medicine with more than 10 years of experience working with GLP-1, says she felt the need to write the book. 'I was one of the first doctors using this in the US, so this is the first comprehensive user guide out in the market. People have so many questions: how does it work, how you eat, how do you think, how do you move… I try to answer all that.' She adds, 'You see people on social media talking about 'Ozempic face' and 'Ozempic hands', but those are headlines wrapped around the fear people have of these medications.' She cautions that the weekly injectables, hailed as a miracle drug by actors and influencers, do not guarantee a cure. 'Medication is not an easy fix… We need to take lifestyle into account,' she says, adding 'We have to make sure we are focussing on protein. We have to strength train.' As she says in her book 'You still need to put in the work. You still have to do the work to change your underlying habits and thought patterns related to food and weight. The drug only provides a window in which making these changes is easier and more effective long-term, because the medication normalises the underlying hormonal dysfunction. GLP-1s will almost guarantee you'll lose weight, but only by using them in partnership with lifestyle changes will you maintain the loss long-term.' Also, contrary to what social media tells you, not everyone can or should take it. 'I still advocate just diet and lifestyle changes for some people,' says Dr. Sowa, adding 'What I fear is with this widespread acceptance there has been abuse. I only prescribe it for someone who has a BMI of 27. For people who have high cholesterol, insulin resistance and significant weight gain on their waistline. This is not about getting skinny.' GLP-1 medication will also evolve. 'We have a lot of new drugs in the pipeline — they are going to become tailor-made for specific needs. Maybe one for fatty liver or one that is very effective with diabetes. We are going to become better at how we make it, and with the pill version, access will become easier,' she says. While this is certainly altering the weight loss industry, she says that it does not make it any less relevant. 'I don't think gyms are going to go away — we need to embrace how people are using these places, welcoming them with open arms and no judgement. I think there is going to be less of that multi-billion industry for 'quick weight loss in 30 days', and instead people will go back to the basics of health.' ('The Ozempic Revolution'is available on and is at a listed price of ₹499)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Matthew Perry died of a ketamine overdose; Elon Musk is reportedly a frequent user - what does ketamine do to the body?
What is ketamine? Live Events How frequently does Elon Musk use ketamine? Is ketamine a remedy for depression? What are the dangers of unsupervised ketamine use? Is ketamine addictive or harmful long term? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The recent death of actor Matthew Perry and reports of Elon Musk's heavy ketamine use have put a sharp spotlight on the drug's risks and rising was once just limited to surgical use now goes beyond it. Ketamine is now used in mental health treatments and sometimes misused recreationally.'Friends' star Matthew Perry died after taking too much ketamine, and tech billionaire Elon Musk is said to use the drug all the are a plethora of bad things that can happen if you use drugs without being watched. Many have questioned the safety of the psychedelic and anesthetic drug and how doctors and those with depression use a powerful anesthetic, has been used since the 1960s. Due to its safety, speed, and short duration, emergency responders sometimes use Pat Fehling, a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist at the UCHealth Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation (CeDAR), stated, 'If you break your leg skiing, ski patrol responders will likely give you ketamine. Ketamine makes people loopy but relieves pain and protects breathing,Over the past decade, ketamine has become popular as a recreational drug and for treating depression and PTSD, as per a report by UC to reports, Elon Musk claims that his excessive use of ketamine is causing problems with his New York Times claims that during his turbulent time as the de facto head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, his abuse of the potent tranquilizer ketamine escalated to the point where it began to affect his bladder, a known adverse effect of frequent use of the Musk had been experimenting for a while and had previously claimed to use ketamine to treat depression, his habit was reportedly causing him to have bladder problems by the time he publicly endorsed Trump in used in safe, supervised settings under the guidance of medical professionals, ketamine, a medication used to treat depression, has been shown to help some people with treatment-resistant depression. While it does work for some, for other users, it can also result in frightening to the NYT, Musk has been taking a lot of ketamine lately, sometimes every day, and even combining it with other bizarre behavior is consistent with the known negative effects of long-term ketamine use, which include physical dependence, delusional thinking, being "distinctly dissociated in their day-to-day existence," and short- and long-term memory to the American Addiction Centers, prolonged use can result in withdrawal when abruptly stopped, physical dependence, and a certain level of have previously connected extended use to changes in the structure and function of the brain, emotional fluctuations, and declines in executive functioning, though studies have not yet proven any clear causal links. Ketamine bladder syndrome ," which includes a small, extremely painful bladder, frequent incontinence, blood in the urine, upper tract obstruction, and papillary necrosis, a kidney condition, can result from recreational ketamine use, a sper a report by professionals noticed a concerning rise in bladder problems among young people in the UK as a result of long-term drug can raise blood pressure, which can cause cardiac arrest, and it has been linked to some well-known deaths, such as Perry and McClain' can be addictive, particularly for people who have a history of substance abuse and high blood pressure or heart issues. Given that substance use disorders have some addictive qualities, it is critical to closely monitor a person's history of substance use but only with strict medical supervision. Unmonitored use is it has addictive properties, particularly for those with a history of substance abuse.
