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A Case Report of Ketamine-induced Hypoglycemia in Treatment Resistance Depression.

Juthawadee Lortrakul, Keerati Pattanaseri

Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology August 31, 2024 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.23.1155 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 1
Population A 36-year-old man with type 1 diabetes mellitus and treatment-resistant depression
Intervention Ketamine infusion
Topics Depression Ketamine Esketamine
Keywords Adverse drug event Hypoglycemia Ketamine therapy Adverse drug reactions Depression treatment Diabetes complications
Citations 1
Key findings Ketamine infusion was associated with recurrent hypoglycemia episodes in a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Ketamine therapy can reduce the risk of suicide and depression in the treatment resistant patient. Adverse effects of ketamine infusion include blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, hepatotoxicity, headache, and cystitis. However, the effect of ketamine infusion on blood glucose remains unclear. This report describes several episodes of hypoglycemia in a 36-year-old man with type 1 diabetes mellitus after ketamine infusion for treatment-resistance depression. He has been receiving subcutaneous insulin injection and denied any severe hypoglycemia events in the prior 20 years. He had unsuccessful treatment for depression. His depressive conditions were subsequently improved due to ketamine therapy, however, he had recurrent hypoglycemia episodes. Clinicians should be aware of this potential adverse effect on initiating ketamine infusion with patients who had type 1 diabetes.

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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