Psychonaught [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsSeveral small clinical trials have shown that low doses of ketamine, an anesthetic drug, can act rapidly as an antidepressant. The quickness of its action meant that ketamine, or compounds that share its mechanism of action, could be a much-needed alternative to current antidepressant therapies, many of which require several weeks to take effect. Fast-acting antidepressant therapies are especially valuable for treating people with depression who may be at risk of suicide.
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