Doctors found that a terminally ill woman’s lifelong stutter disappeared after she was given ketamine.
The 60-year-old from the USA has suffered from a stutter since childhood. Stuttering can cause people to repeat sounds or syllables and have trouble pronouncing words.
She was prescribed the drug to treat depression while living in hospice care for her stage four kidney disease.
The unexpected and “significant” effect started just one day after he took a low medical degree Dose of the party drug.
Doctors described it as “life-changing” during her final months in hospice care. and revealed that she was “able to speak freely for the first time since early childhood.”
Special K, Ket or Kit Kat (pictured), as it is also known, was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was often taken at late-night raves
Earlier this month, actor Matthew Perry’s autopsy revealed that he accidentally drowned on Oct. 28 under the “acute effects of ketamine,” which may have caused him to become dazed or fall asleep in his hot tub. which could lead to her dying to lead.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, has been undergoing speech therapy since she was at school.
However, this only temporarily improved her speech. Doctors still don’t know what causes stuttering, which can last into adulthood.
However, in some cases it is believed to be a hereditary condition.
Speech and language therapy are the best approaches to treating stuttering, which affects one in twelve babies and one in fifty adults. Around 700,000 people in the UK and 3 million in the US are thought to be affected.
After five months in hospice, the woman, who also suffered from chronic lung disease, was diagnosed with depression and prescribed a low dose of ketamine twice a day.
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Within 24 hours of starting the treatment, her stuttering stopped, doctors write in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.
Family and friends, who previously only knew her because she stuttered, immediately recognized the occasion.
Doctors wrote: “The impact of the unexpected effect of ketamine prescription was significant.”
“For the first time since early childhood, the patient was able to speak freely throughout.
“This effect itself gave her relief from depression because she was able to communicate easily. “For this patient, the prescription of ketamine was life-changing.”
It is impossible to say whether her depression improved because of the ketamine treatment, her new fluency in speech or a combination of both, doctors said.
Sometimes the woman’s stutter would resurface, causing her to repeat words, but never to the point where she was speaking, they said.
The patient died a month later. Doctors have not disclosed her cause of death.
The team that treated the unidentified woman claimed that cases of stuttering cured by ketamine had never been reported in the medical literature.
It is unclear how the medication alleviated her stuttering because the mechanisms behind the condition are not yet fully understood, she added.
However, they suspected that this might be related to the fact that ketamine increased their dopamine levels. Some research has shown that the pleasure hormone can reduce the severity of stuttering, the team noted.
The drug’s effects on stuttering must be further researched, because “it is possible that treatment with the same drug can also benefit other people who stutter,” say experts.
Ketamine is only licensed in the UK as an anesthetic but can also be prescribed as a pain reliever. These versions are medical grade and proven safe.
It acts as an anesthetic by blocking the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA), which controls the function of the nervous system. It quickly reduces sensations, prevents pain, stimulates sleep and inhibits memory.
The Class B drug is increasingly being studied as a therapeutic agent for depression and PTSD.
Special K, Ket or Kit Kat as it is also known, was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was often taken at late night raves.
But its popularity waned in the 2000s when it became a Schedule III drug and concerns arose about side effects, including hallucinations and, in rare cases, seizures.
Earlier this year it was dubbed Britain’s “campus killer” when it was revealed it had caused 41 student deaths since 1999, according to the National Program on Drug Abuse Deaths.
Earlier this month, actor Matthew Perry’s autopsy revealed that he accidentally drowned on Oct. 28 under the “acute effects of ketamine,” which may have caused him to become dazed or fall asleep in his hot tub. which could lead to her dying to lead.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
