Understanding the differences between these two types of drugs
Ketamine is not an opioid.
Like opioids, ketamine does cause sedation (a relaxed and sleepy state).
Still, these are not the main sources of effects.
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Is Ketamine a Controlled Substance?
Ketamine is a Schedule III (3) controlled substance.
Schedule I drugs carry the highest risk of abuse and dependence and are not approved for any medical use.
An example of a Schedule I drug is heroin.
The drug does get abused and sold illegally as a street drug.
This list of drugs may include ketamine.
Pharmacies in almost every state also use PDMP, or prescription drug monitoring programs.
These programs prevent people from filling controlled substances at different pharmacies repeatedly in a short period.
However, it is often used off-label for this purpose.
NMDA receptor antagonism results in analgesia, or pain relief.
Other mechanisms of action exerted by ketamine may also contribute to this pain control.
For this reason, ketamine has a high potential for pain management as an alternative to opioids.
Off-label use for treating chronic pain is not unusual either.
What Does “Off-Label” Use Mean?
This happens when a healthcare provider deems the drug medically appropriate for a particular individual and their condition.
Some indications that these committees included in their recommendations includespinal cordinjury pain andcomplex regional pain syndrome(CRPS).
Improvement in these conditions is supported by weak or moderate evidence.
Like opioids, it is also a controlled substance.
Based on existing but limited research data, ketamine holds some promise as an alternative pain management treatment.
Still, more thorough and consistent research is needed.
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