DEMING – Special K, Cat Valium, K, Jet, whatever name it is known by on the streets, the drug Ketamine has a new potential and medical purpose that will be used in New Mexico for the first time for treatment in Deming.
Dr. Brian Stanton M.D., an anesthesiologist with over 30 years of experience, has opened a new type of clinic for treating depression in Deming which uses the anesthetic drug Ketamine for his patients. In the past decade, uses of ketamine to treat depression and other mental ailments have risen in numbers across with country with more professionals accepting the practice and the literature behind the drug. Stanton will be opening his clinic in February 2017 and encourages patients who have tried other methods of treatment to consult with him about his services.
“I would call this a middle resort,” said Stanton. “This is a lot more involved than someone handing a prescription for Paxil, if that works for you then wonderful you’ve found your solution. But if it doesn’t work, this introduces a third path, a middle ground.”
In recent years, ketamine has gained a reputation as a party drug in many circles and is used as a hallucinogenic drug in party scenes across the U.S. Stanton suggests that the drug is safe when used in a controlled environment and that users run into issues when they try and self-medicate with the substance. After being discovered as an effective anesthetic in in the 1960’s doctors, such as Stanton, have been using it for anesthetic purposes for many years. Ketamine acts as a psychedelic drug often inducing hallucinations in high doses, however Stanton says the possibility in the dosage he will be using will be low for hallucinations.
Several patients of the new method experience relief from depression after few treatments and the medical community is getting behind the facts of the matter. WebMD, a website made famous for their symptom checker, has published information about the treatments saying the drug works for patients who do not see results with common treatments for depression.
“I don’t know of a known lethal dose for Ketamine, there are not many drugs you can say that about actually,” said Stanton. “We really enjoy the safety aspect of Ketamine, it’s a very safe drug.”
While there have been reported deaths involving the drug, the drug itself was mixed with other substances and Stanton says it is perfectly safe when in pure form and under trained administers. Users can develop a dependency to ketamine if used outside of clinics often.
“If you’re looking for ketamine to abuse, going to a clinic is the last place you would go,” Stanton said. “I don’t think addiction is a worry for any of the patients.”
According to Stanton, the drug has few serious withdrawal symptoms for users unlike alcohol or caffeine and is safe when administered by a physician. Patients seeking treatment will be admitted for a 40-minute session with a computerized pump administering the drug and will need to also plan for a 30-minute recovery session. Patients are required to refrain from driving for some time after their treatment and will be offered a shuttle ride if staying at a hotel in Deming.
The drug has a 65 to 70 percent success rate in treating patients who have tried and failed other forms of combatting depression according to Stanton. The treatment is considered “off-label” and is not covered by most insurance companies.
For more information, visit New Wave Clinic at www.newwaveclinic.com.
Jesse Moya can be reached at 575-546-2611 or at jmoya@demingheadlight.com.
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