Elon Musk Revealed He Uses Ketamine For Depression; Know Health Risks Of The Drug

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has recently revealed that he uses ketamine every other week to manage depression. Ketamine has gained attention in recent years for its potential in treating depression, specifically after FRIENDS actor Matthew Perry's death in 2023 due to the acute dose of this drug.

"There are times when I have sort of a ... negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that's not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind," Musk told journalist Don Lemon in an interview.

The billionaire entrepreneur further clarified that he uses only "a small amount once every other week or something like that" under medical supervision and has a prescription from "an actual, real doctor."

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine hydrochloride was originally developed as an anaesthetic. In recent years, it has gained attention for its potential use in a wide variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.

Over the years, researchers increasingly investigated ketamine for its potential use in treating mental health conditions. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved esketamine (Spravato), a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression.

Research indicates that ketamine therapy helps individuals who did not respond to traditional antidepressants.

Musk firmly denied any overuse of the drug. "If you use too much ketamine, you can't really get work done. I have a lot of work, I'm typically putting in 16-hour days ... so I don't really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period of time," he explained.

Health risks of Ketamine

Ketamine is generally safe when used under medical supervision. However, overdosing on ketamine can result in unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing.

There are several short-term and long-term health risks associated with Ketamine use.

Individuals may experience hallucinations, sedation, nausea, disorientation and may feel drunk immediately after taking the drug. In the long term, ketamine use can lead to urinary and bladder problems, abuse and misuse, increased blood pressure and even psychiatric events.

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