U.S. - Trump Orders ‘a Lot’ of Ketamine for Depressed Veterans

S.J.B.

S.J.B.

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Trump Orders ‘a Lot’ of Ketamine for Depressed Veterans
James Hamblin
The Atlantic
August 23rd, 2019
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the government will purchase “a lot” of the drug esketamine, a derivative of ketamine.

Though ketamine is known as a recreational hallucinogen, Trump asserted that a new nasal-spray derivative would be of great benefit to veterans with depression. As he left the White House for a veterans’ conference in Kentucky, he told reporters that he had instructed the Department of Veterans Affairs to make a large purchase—overriding a recent decision by the doctors who manage the hospitals’ formulary of which drugs are to be prescribed.

“There’s a product that’s made right now that just came out by Johnson & Johnson which has a tremendously positive—pretty short-term, but nevertheless positive—effect,” Trump said. But that statement is contrary to the evidence. A review by the Food and Drug Administration of what limited studies have been done with esketamine found mixed results, leaving many scientists unsure if the drug is indeed effective and safe. Just last week, the agency published a report that said the drug was not reliably better than placebo.

The problem, critics say, is that the drug’s manufacturer, Janssen, provided the FDA at best modest evidence it worked and then only in limited trials. It presented no information about the safety of Spravato for long-term use beyond 60 weeks. And three patients who received the drug died by suicide during clinical trials, compared with none in the control group, raising red flags Janssen and the FDA dismissed.

The FDA, under political pressure to rapidly greenlight drugs that treat life-threatening conditions, approved it anyway. And, though Spravato’s appearance on the market was greeted with public applause, some deep misgivings were expressed at its day-long review meeting and in the agency’s own briefing materials, according to public recordings, documents and interviews with participants, KHN found.
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Read the full story here.
 
This actually surprises me, I didn't expect trump to ever support this kind of use of drugs. Whether he means to act on this or not it surprises me that he said it at all.
 
Army veteran here. got out in 2015 but was actually started on antidepressant about 6 months prior to getting out. I was pretty hopeful when i first heard about this medication (Spravato? I think?)because of how quick its suppose to address the suicidal thought or idealizations along with the lingering depression. When I saw this on the news it said this was the presidents response to the high suicide rate in the military, that it was controversial drug that was only going to band-aide deeper underlying symptoms etc. Either way I actually have a psychiatrist appointment this week and will definitely be asking about this,. I've seen video clips of drug trials where people were reporting almost immediate, noticeable, relief to their depression symptoms that have been treated for the last 5 + years with little to no difference.. I have never tried ketamine and have hear different opinions each time. Cutting down on the 4-6 week wait for medication that's suppose to help the way you feel constantly would be game changing in the RX world..I always found it frustrating being told to "give the medication some time to start working" when I am already feeling more than just depressed and wondered at the time if I would be around when they did build up in my system..I hope that it makes a difference and the studies and trials continue
 
Was it as much ket as his hamberders?

Just found this...

I served them massive amounts of ketamine (I paid), over 1000 vials ketamine etc. Within one hour it was all gone. Great guys and big drug users!
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in with the new (ket) out with the old (opioids). Until ketamine explodes in popularity and then we have to arrest everyone and make ketamine therapy totally illegal. The circle of the drug war.
 
RR1989 said:
Army veteran here. got out in 2015 but was actually started on antidepressant about 6 months prior to getting out. I was pretty hopeful when i first heard about this medication (Spravato? I think?)because of how quick its suppose to address the suicidal thought or idealizations along with the lingering depression. When I saw this on the news it said this was the presidents response to the high suicide rate in the military, that it was controversial drug that was only going to band-aide deeper underlying symptoms etc. Either way I actually have a psychiatrist appointment this week and will definitely be asking about this,. I've seen video clips of drug trials where people were reporting almost immediate, noticeable, relief to their depression symptoms that have been treated for the last 5 + years with little to no difference.. I have never tried ketamine and have hear different opinions each time. Cutting down on the 4-6 week wait for medication that's suppose to help the way you feel constantly would be game changing in the RX world..I always found it frustrating being told to "give the medication some time to start working" when I am already feeling more than just depressed and wondered at the time if I would be around when they did build up in my system..I hope that it makes a difference and the studies and trials continue
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THANK You for your service. So yeah, It's said to be really effective from what I have read. There's clinics all over the country that are offering the treatment. I think it's fantastic and I really hope you will be able to try this stuff real soon and get relief.
 
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