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The use of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has become increasingly popular. Given that sizable numbers of patients with TRD receive benzodiazepines and that both ketamine and benzodiazepines act on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons, clinicians have wondered whether ketamine–benzodiazepine interactions affect ketamine effectiveness. Investigators conducted a secondary analysis of data from 47 patients with TRD who had received ketamine infusions in clinical studies (average age, 43; 57% women).
At enrollment, all patients were taking concurrent antidepressants; 40% were on concomitant, stably dosed benzodiazepines (mostly clonazepam and alprazolam). Patients regularly taking benzodiazepines from 7 days preinfusion …