Harnessing the Power of Oral Ketamine for Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a severe mental health issue that can cause significant disruption to one’s daily life. Many people have tried traditional treatments such as talk therapy and medications but are still looking for more effective solutions. Fortunately, there is a potential new option: oral ketamine. Let’s take a look at how oral ketamine could be used to treat borderline personality disorder.

What Is Oral Ketamine?

Oral ketamine is an off-label drug used for decades as an anesthetic in medical settings. It has also been used to help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety in recent years and has recently become available in an intranasal form called Spravato®. This medication contains Esketamine, a slightly altered version of the original ketamine molecule, and it can be taken intranasally without the need for intramuscular or intravenous injections.

How Could Oral Ketamine Help with BPD?

Research suggests that ketamine may help reduce symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder by altering neural pathways associated with fear, aggression, and impulsivity. It targets glutamate receptors in the brain, which are involved in processing emotions and regulating behavior. In addition to its potential benefits for BPD, oral ketamine may also help improve mood and reduce suicidal thoughts in individuals who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). In this way, oral ketamine could relieve both disorders at once.

Potential Side Effects of Oral Ketamine

Despite its potential benefits for those suffering from BPD and MDD, there are some side effects associated with oral ketamine use that should be taken into consideration before starting treatment. These include dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, confusion, fatigue, dissociation (feeling disconnected from one’s body), and increased blood pressure or heart rate. It is important to note that these side effects are typically mild and tend to diminish over time as your body adjusts to the medication.

Oral ketamine has shown promise when treating borderline personality disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). It targets glutamate receptors in the brain that process emotions and regulate behavior. While there are some potential side effects associated with taking oral ketamine, including dizziness and nausea, these tend to be mild and usually disappear after your body adjusts to the medication over time. If you think you might benefit from taking oral ketamine for BPD or MDD, book a ketamine consultation with Safe Haven health here.