Rethinking Ketamine: Evidence, Hope, Hype

Let's cut through the hype and stigma and learn what ketamine is, how it works, and who it may help. For someone who has lived with depression for a long time, hope can begin to feel very far away, especially when the usual treatments haven't helped. Ketamine may offer some people better results and hope. For people living with persistent depression, ketamine has become a source of intense interest and debate. Is it a meaningful clinical option or an overhyped promise? My podcast guest is Nico Grundmann, MD, a board-certified emergency medicine physician who left the ER to focus on a different kind of crisis: the emotional pain that seems hard to treat. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ember Health, a leading physician-led IV ketamine practice that has delivered more than 40,000 infusions across five New York City locations since 2018. In this episode, we move beyond the headlines: What is ketamine? How is it being used in mental health care? Who might be considered for treatment, and who might not? What can patients expect? What risks and unanswered questions matter? How can someone identify responsible medical care? This is not an endorsement or a miracle-cure story. It is a fact-based conversation about evidence, safety, uncertainty, and what treatment hope can look like when familiar options have fallen short. *Disclaimer. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical or mental health advice and should not replace care from a qualified professional. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please speak with your doctor or mental health provider.* TIMELINE: 3:22 — What is ketamine? 3:42 — Ketamine as a battlefield anesthetic 5:30 — From ER doctor to depression treatment 7:50 — Clinic’s early outcomes 9:05 — Depression's hidden prevalence and healthcare gaps 12:41 — Measurement-based care and collaborative model 17:06 — How ketamine works: three distinct effects 23:00 — Who benefits from ketamine treatment 28:27 — What patients experience during a ketamine infusion 38:00 — Ketamine safety, misuse, and Matthew Perry’s public case CONTACT NICO GRUNDMANN: Ember Health: https://emberhealth.co/ LinkedIn:   / nicogrundmann   CONTACT DR. ARDESHIR MEHRAN Dr. Mehran Studio: https://ardeshirmehran.com/ LinkedIn: dr-ardeshir-mehran-a3457 Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... podcast/id1896879195 Blogs: https://ardeshirmehran.com/blog YouTube: @ardeshirmehranphd Bestselling Book: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-De...