Famosos defendem o uso da substância cetamina: argumentos e alertas da comunidade científica

Famous people come to the defense of the use of the substance ketamine, a drug that caused the death of actor and Friends star Matthew Perry in October 2023. The confirmation was given by the autopsy released on The New York Times website.

Among the celebrities who defended the use of the substance in the United States is presenter Sharon Osbourne. She praised the use of the drug during an interview with The Times in 2022, saying that the substance helps people who repress emotions by relaxing them, but that there should be no abuse of use. She reported that she used ketamine after strong emotional crises, and that the medication helped with depression. According to the scientific journal New England Journal of Medicine, the anesthetic is used in severe cases of depression.

Another personality who admitted to using ketamine was former basketball player Lamar Odom. According to him, the use of the substance was essential during his treatment for cocaine addiction. In an interview on the television show Good Morning America, the former basketball star said he tried a rehabilitation clinic before using the drug. However, there is no scientific evidence that the substance actually works for this purpose.

Comedian Pete Davidson is also on the list of celebrities who have used the drug at some point, however, in his case, the use was recreational, meaning on his own. He reportedly admitted to using ketamine during a comedy show. The recreational use of ketamine is not recommended by the scientific community.

Chrissy Teigen, wife of singer John Legend, publicly admitted to using ketamine in a post on Instagram. “I saw space, time, baby Jack, some strange penguins, and then I cried, cried, and cried,” she wrote in the caption of the post. The photo was posted in December 2023 after a treatment session with the substance.

In his book titled “Friends, Loves, and That Terrible Thing,” Matthew Perry described how he felt using the substance. According to him, the feeling was like death, but he couldn’t stop using the drug. The actor was found dead in his new home in Los Angeles, United States, in October 2023.

The anesthetic began to be used as an alternative treatment for anxiety and depression, according to The New York Times. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report pointing out red flags about the treatment, with the risk of the drug causing psychiatric disorders.

Experts argue that ketamine should be used by anesthetists in hospitals, and never at home without medical supervision. When used in low doses, ketamine can produce effects similar to alcohol, causing difficulties in speaking or walking. The euphoric states induced by the drug last about 15 minutes to 3 hours, according to experts.

If combined with alcohol, the substance can cause respiratory depression and cardiac arrest. The risk of mortality is high when the drug is used on its own, especially because the medication should not be used for long periods.