Is it Safe to Use Ketamine During Pregnancy?

Is it Safe to Use Ketamine During Pregnancy?

Ketamine is a prescription medication used for starting and maintaining general anesthesia in both humans and animals. It is also used to treat certain cases of chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression.^1,2 Ketamine is also a popular recreational party drug due to its powerful dissociative and psychedelic effects. Although ketamine is seeing increased use both recreationally and as an antidepressant therapeutic, there are still risks associated with the use of this drug. For pregnant people who use ketamine, there are risks to the expectant mother and the unborn child.

Ketamine is typically not recommended for use during pregnancy due to a lack of data from controlled studies in humans. For this same reason, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not assigned a pregnancy risk category to ketamine. Because it currently remains unclassified, it is best to avoid ketamine use while pregnant unless you are directed to do so by your doctor.

How Does Ketamine Affect a Fetus?

It has been known for decades that ketamine can pass from human mothers to fetus through the blood-placental barrier.³ In addition, several recent animal studies suggest that prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ketamine can be neurotoxic to the developing brain.

A study published in 2016, found that exposure to ketamine during pregnancy in rats resulted in reduced neuronal development of certain brain regions in the offspring.⁴ Several studies conducted at the Northeast Agricultural University College of Veterinary Medicine in China found that the offspring of pregnant rats treated with ketamine had long-term neurocognitive abnormalities, including impaired learning and memory abilities.^5,6 Another study showed that prenatal exposure to ketamine caused damage to the prefrontal cortex of the brain that is associated with abnormal behavior in offspring, including depression and anxiety.^7,8

To better indicate the potential effects of ketamine in unborn humans, studies have also been performed using non-human primates. Studies conducted in Rhesus macaques, a species of monkeys, have shown that ketamine use during pregnancy causes neurodegeneration in the fetal brain.⁹ Another study showed Rhesus monkeys that had undergone a single administration of intravenous ketamine anesthesia during the first week of life exhibited long-lasting significant cognitive deficits.¹⁰

Although the FDA has not assigned ketamine to a pregnancy risk category, Spravato the pharmaceutical provider of the ketamine nasal spray approved for treating depression, has recently warned of the potential risk of fetal toxicity if the drug is administered to pregnant women.¹¹ Ketamine use should therefore be avoided in pregnant women.

Ketamine Abuse Treatment Options

If you currently use ketamine and are pregnant or considering getting pregnant you should beware of the potential risks to your unborn baby. Consult your prenatal care doctor or primary care physician, especially if you were prescribed ketamine or if you’ve become dependent on the drug, meaning your brain and body have become so used to having ketamine present that suddenly stopping use or significantly reducing use causes withdrawal symptoms to surface. Your doctor can assess your needs and help create an individualized treatment plan for ketamine addiction and pregnancy.

Treatment for ketamine addiction may take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting and include multiple levels of care, including medical detox, which helps your body safely rid itself of substances under the supervision of medical professionals.

It’s never too late to stop ketamine use, whether you’re pregnant or not, and American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. AAC operates treatment centers throughout the country. Reach out to connect with an admissions navigator, who will answer your questions, explain your options, and help you find an appropriate treatment program.