AUTHOR=Hassan Kazi , Struthers William M. , Sankarabhotla Aditya , Davis Patrick TITLE=Safety, effectiveness and tolerability of sublingual ketamine in depression and anxiety: A retrospective study of off-label, at-home use JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.992624 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.992624 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=

Intravenous and intranasal ketamine have been shown to be effective therapeutic options in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The use of sublingual (SL), rapid dissolve ketamine tablets (RDT) offers a novel approach for delivery for mental health indications. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of self-administration of off-label, SL, rapid dissolve ketamine tablets (RDT) at-home for depression and anxiety. Intake scores on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were compared to scores after treatments of three doses of ketamine RDT, and after six doses of ketamine RDT. After three doses of SL ketamine, 47.6% of patients showed a significant decrease in PHQ-9 scores, and 47.6% of patients showed a significant reduction in GAD-7 scores. Reduction rates were higher in those patients who completed a clinically recommended six doses of RDT ketamine. This study demonstrates that SL ketamine is a novel, safe, and effective treatment for TRD and treatment-resistant anxiety. SL ketamine offers an alternative therapeutic approach to IV ketamine when treating those with TRD.