Brief report: Ketamine-assisted "bridge therapy" for opioid tapering in complex cases

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents significant challenges, particularly when co-occurring with chronic pain and psychiatric conditions.
• A case study involving a 25-year-old female patient with OUD, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder is presented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous ketamine infusions as an adjunct to opioid tapering in a patient with complex comorbidities.
• To assess the impact of ketamine-assisted therapy on OUD, chronic pain, and depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• An 8-week protocol of weekly intravenous ketamine infusions at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg was administered.
• The ketamine treatment was integrated with a supervised opioid tapering regimen.

Main Results:

• Methadone dosage was successfully reduced by 50%.
• Significant improvements were observed in pain control and reduction of cravings.
• Withdrawal symptoms were reduced, and engagement in psychotherapy increased.

Conclusions:

• Ketamine-assisted "bridge therapy" shows potential as a supportive treatment for opioid tapering in complex patient cases.
• This report highlights a novel, multifaceted improvement in a specific cluster of comorbidities, including OUD, chronic pain, and depression.