In a new study from the University of Exeter, researchers found people with severe alcohol disorder were able to stay off alcohol for longer when they were treated with low doses of ketamine combined with psychological therapy.
The study is the first of its kind to examine whether a low dose of ketamine could help prevent people from quickly returning to heavy drinking after stopping when combined with therapy.
Currently, few effective treatments exist for severe alcoholism, which has a devastating impact on lives.
In the study, the team tested 96 people with alcohol problems who were abstinent at the time of the trial.
They found that people who had ketamine combined with therapy stayed completely sober for 162 of 180 days in the six-month follow-up period, representing 87% abstinence.
This was much higher than any of the other groups, indicating that the therapy may also have promise for preventing relapse.
This group was more than 2.5 times more likely to stay completely abstinent at the end of the trial than those on placebo.
The team also found some evidence that ketamine and therapy may prevent any drinking over six months, though the results were more mixed.
Patients having ketamine also had lower depression after three months, and better liver function than those on placebo, regardless of whether it was combined with therapy or not.
Before the trial, participants were drinking every day, consuming the equivalent of 50 pints of strong beer on average per week (125 units).
Participants given ketamine and therapy drank over the recommended guidelines on just five days in total over the six month trial period on average.
This represents cutting the risk of death from alcohol-related problems from one in eight, to one in 80.
The experiences people describe after taking ketamine infusions suggest the drug gives a new perspective that may be helpful in psychological therapy.
Ketamine induces a sense of being outside of your body that some say can stimulate an ‘observer state’ similar to that described in mindfulness, which may help patients take a step back, and consider thoughts and emotions.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 daily habits to reduce stress & anxiety, and method that could find the best depression treatment.
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The study is published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. One author of the study is Professor Celia Morgan.
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