What is it about?
Suicidal depression treated with ketamine in bipolar disorder.
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Why is it important?
Depression in Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is difficult to manage. Antidepressant medications carry the risk of switch to mania. Mood stabilisers like anticonvulsants and second generation antipsychotics though safer may take time to show their efficacy. ECT is the only recommended treatment in suicidal depression. However stigma, cost and availability restrict it's use. Ketamine is safer, well tolerated, cost effective, easily available, effective and shows rapid resonse in patients with this condition.
Perspectives
Owing to the burden of bipolar depression which is inadequately recognizer and under treated, Psychiatrists are often left with very few options to manage suicidal depression in bipolar mood disorders. The scenario becomes even more challenging in rapid cyclers. Ketamine has been used effectively in suicidal unipolar and bipolar depression. This case report is the first to demonstrate ketamine's immediate antisuicidal and antidepressant efficacy in managing rapid cycling bipolar depression.
Dr Harshavardhan Sampath
Sikkim Manipal University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Treatment of suicidal depression with ketamine in rapid cycling bipolar disorder, Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, February 2016, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/appy.12220.
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