Ketamine Self-Medication in a Patient with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Comorbid Therapy-Resistant Depression

Abstract

In this case report, we present an adult male patient with autism spectrum disorder and a comorbid (treatment-resistant) mood disorder with suicidality. He has been treated with numerous psychopharmaceuticals, most recently risperidone and valproic acid. He has been hospitalized several times and has attempted suicide. He displayed limited social functioning, repetitive behaviors, sensory hypersensitivity, anxiety, depressed mood, anhedonia, low energy, and chronic suicidality. Despite intensive treatment, he remained highly symptomatic and unable to work. After repeatedly self-medicating with ketamine, the patient reported that his depression and suicidality disappeared and that his autism spectrum disorder symptoms were reduced. This case study – along with previous clinical studies – suggests that ketamine is likely to be effective against depression and suicidality and potentially effective against (certain) autism spectrum disorder symptoms. However, increasing public awareness of the beneficial effects of ketamine may lead to more unsupervised and thus risky use of ketamine for self-medication.