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Ketamine Cystitis in a Female Patient Ketamine Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression – Case Report

Minna Chang

Research Square preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3138649/v1 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report
Sample size 1
Population 28-year-old female receiving ketamine for depression
Intervention Ketamine
Topics Depression Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings This is the first reported case of ketamine-induced cystitis in a patient receiving treatment-dose ketamine for antidepressant therapy.

Abstract

Abstract Ketamine has been shown to be a novel and exciting antidepressant medication in patients with treatment-resistant depression. A complication commonly seen in frequent and heavy recreational use of ketamine is ulcerative cystitis, which presents with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and upper renal tract damage, seen in over 25% of regular users (3, 4). Although KIC is a recognised complication in recreational use of ketamine, its occurrence in therapeutic use for depression has so far not been reported. The exact pathogenesis of ketamine induced cystitis is currently unknown, making treatment and prevention much more difficult. Early diagnosis of ketamine induced cystitis and immediate cessation of ketamine use has been shown to improve adverse urinary tract symptoms and prevent further damage. We present a case of a 28-year-old female who was started on ketamine treatment for depression, who developed symptoms of cystitis, which was confirmed by urine microscopy, culture and analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ketamine-induced cystitis in a patient receiving treatment-dose ketamine for antidepressant therapy.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ketamine for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Ketamine, and Esketamine in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder and Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report over 10-year Treatment from Adolescence to Adulthood. A patient with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid generalized anxiety... 2025 Case report n = 1
A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression 2021 Case series n = 4
Effects of intranasal (S)-ketamine on Veterans with co-morbid treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: A retrospective case series Veterans with co-morbid depression and PTSD 2022 Retrospective case series n = 35
Case report: Intramuscular ketamine or intranasal esketamine as a treatment in four patients with major depressive disorder and comorbid anorexia nervosa Patients with anorexia nervosa and a comorbid depressive disorder treated at a private... 2023 Case report n = 4
Repeated oral esketamine in patients with treatment resistant depression and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder Patients with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid PTSD 2023 Case series n = 5

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