A new meta-analysis looked at whether ketamine can help people with substance use disorder (SUD) stay away from drugs or alcohol. The analysis combined data from multiple studies involving 798 participants with SUD. Researchers found that ketamine treatment was linked to significantly improved abstinence rates compared to other treatments or no treatment.
The study did not report on side effects, serious adverse events, or how many people dropped out of treatment. Because the full details were not available, it is unclear how safe or well-tolerated ketamine was in these studies. The analysis also did not provide specific numbers or effect sizes, so the strength of the benefit is uncertain.
This is an early finding based on a meta-analysis, which combines results from several studies. The evidence is not strong enough to recommend ketamine as a standard treatment for SUD. More research is needed to confirm these results and to understand the risks and benefits.
For now, people with substance use disorder should talk to their doctor about proven treatments. Ketamine is not currently approved for SUD, and using it outside of a clinical trial could be unsafe.
