source:
https://www.lonestarinfusion.com/blog/ketamine-infusion-therapies-forHow to avoid the fear of death - I can personally vouch for the ability of Ketamine to do this as I always experience thoughts of perpetuity when on Ketamine.
Doses over 80 mg are enough to usually put you into this mindset.
The end. How do you wish to go out ? That is the biggest question of them all. Let's look at this a little deeper ...
For a terminal illness ketamine may be a really great treatment option. Psychedelic drugs and their derivatives, such as ketamine, help patients cope with existential concerns, and can reduce anxiety leading up to death. Ketamine infusion therapies can offer end-of-life patients peace of mind.
Patients who have access to psychedelic medications as part of treatment for their terminal illness have found that they weren’t scared of death anymore. They frequently say that the treatment was one of the most meaningful experiences they’ve had, ever. They talk about gaining a sense of peace with the universe, and having a sense of universal oneness and serenity. Their anxiety typically decreases significantly.
Palliative and hospice care professionals, as well as all of the individuals who care for their loved ones, do an exceptional job caring for those in the various stages of dying. But often the depression, anxiety, and melancholy that come with having a terminal diagnosis go untreated. Ketamine infusions may be one good option for addressing this part of end-of-life care. In most cases, ketamine works instantly and helps to treat those often-overlooked symptoms in a way that few if any treatments beyond psychedelics can.
An appropriate treatment regime may involve a series of outpatient infusion therapies followed by maintenance treatments from time to time as needed by the patient.
The opportunity to provide some relief from depression, anxiety and fear may be a great gift for many facing death. And for those who are particularly struggling it may be especially welcome.
Post Merged: January 18, 2024, 05:11:53 AM
source:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/palliative-and-supportive-care/article/abs/effect-of-a-single-dose-of-intravenous-ketamine-on-the-wish-to-hasten-death-in-palliative-care-a-case-report-in-advanced-cancer/CE1B57BF2F2F5FE10CD2E0DE2D705384
Effect of a single dose of intravenous ketamine on the wish to hasten death in palliative care: A case report in advanced cancerAbstractObjectivesThe suffering experienced by some patients at the end of their lives can lead to a wish to hasten death (WTHD). It is sometimes an existential suffering, refractory to palliative care even if well conducted, which leads to this desire. Since several years, in psychiatry, the rapid anti-suicidal effects of a single injection of ketamine have been proven. WTHD and suicidal ideation have similarities. The injection of a single dose of ketamine could have an efficiency on the desire to hasten death.
MethodsWe report the case of a woman with advanced breast cancer expressing a WTHD, treated by ketamine.
ResultsA 78-year-old woman expressed a WTHD (request for euthanasia) because of existential suffering following a loss of autonomy related to cancer. The suicide item was 4 on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). She had no associated pain or depression. A single dose of intravenous ketamine 1 mg/kg over 40 min plus 1 mg of midazolam was injected. She had no adverse effects. From D1 post-injection to D3, the WTHD disappeared completely with a MADRS suicide item at 0. At D5, the WTHD started to reappear, and at D6, the previous speech was completely back.
Significance of the resultsThese results suggest an effect of ketamine on WTHD. This opens up the possibility of treating existential suffering at the end of life. The optimal dosage of this treatment would have to be determined as well as a maintenance of efficacy scheme.