In recent news, stories about Elon Musk’s use of drugs have brought new focus to ketamine, a strong anesthetic that is now often used to help people with severe depression and other mental health conditions.
While he has admitted to using ketamine in the past for his depression, he has rejected claims that he currently uses it or any other drugs.
“Also, to be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.” he posted on X last week after an article claimed he used drugs while campaigning last year. The drugs mentioned included ketamine and other psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin mushrooms and Ecstasy.
Musk left the White House last week, and since then, his bromance-to-breakup with Donald Trump, which has resulted in their unleashing a flurry of raging threats on social media and within the Oval Office, signals just how much and how quickly the relationship between the two have broken down. But more importantly, a report from The Times indicates that Trump, who was informed about the article, has been sharing with his associates his belief that Musk’s “crazy” behavior is linked to his drug use.
JUST NOW: Elon Musk lashes out at The NY Times for reporting he did ecstasy, mushrooms, adderall, and so much ketamine his bladder was malfunctioning pic.twitter.com/LQwUFJX3n4
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 30, 2025
The cat fight between Trump and Musk has also drawn negative attention to ketamine, even though it is becoming increasingly accessible at clinics across the country.
It is also used for recreation and can be dangerous if misused.
Here’s everything you need to know about ketamine and its effects, according to the experts.
What is Ketamine? Is it Legal?
Ketamine hydrochloride is a fast-acting, injectable medication used as an anesthetic. It is given to humans to help them relax and animals to calm them down. When taken in large amounts, it causes intoxication and hallucinations similar to the effects of LSD. It alters how users see and hear things, and makes them feel disconnected from pain and their environment.
Ketamine was created as an anesthetic for use in combat during the 1960s. It has been legal for both human and animal use since 1970 and is often used to help anesthetize children, particularly in developing countries.
What is Ketamine Therapy?
Per the National Institutes of Health, the use of ketamine for mental health challenges is mostly not regulated, and it is often used in ways that are not officially approved to help with depression, thoughts of self-harm and chronic pain. While it can be misused and people may develop a moderate or low physical dependence or a strong psychological dependence on it, medical professionals generally view it as a safe medication.
This is where ketamine therapy comes in. It involves using small amounts of the drug to help with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Some women who suffer from postpartum depression may receive a single infusion of ketamine to help when other treatments, like therapy and antidepressants, don’t help with their feelings of deep hopelessness.
In the U.S., ketamine therapy for mental health has been offered in private clinics since around 2010, and it is also available in some private clinics in the UK.
The Oxford Health NHS Trust provides a self-pay ketamine service for those whose depression hasn’t improved with other treatments. The process involves an assessment, after which a dose of ketamine is determined based on your weight. A needle is then inserted into a vein on the back of your hand.
A pump slowly delivers a low dose of ketamine over 40 minutes. Patients are encouraged to bring noise-canceling headphones and listen to nonverbal music during the session to avoid strong emotions.
The effects of ketamine last about 10 days, so after the initial IV infusions, you might be given ketamine tablets to take at home once a week to help maintain the positive effects.
Elon Musk who claims he doesn’t do drugs admitting he has a prescription for Ketamine.
— 𝗗𝗼𝘁.𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗻 🏴☠️ (@DotFren) June 5, 2025
But it’s private tho so you can’t accuse him😉 pic.twitter.com/1ZZ6QMSPiI
Is Ketamine Therapy Safe?
Ketamine therapy has been studied in clinical trials in both the U.S. and Europe. A study from the National Library of Medicine in 2018 found that a single intravenous dose of ketamine quickly helped reduce symptoms of depression.
Between 2009 and 2014, doctors in the UK conducted a small study to explore the use of ketamine in treating depression as well. Dr. Rupert McShane, a consultant psychiatrist and associate professor at Oxford University who led a ketamine trial in the city, shared with Glamour UK, “Since then, we’ve treated about 400 patients, and some of them have continued the treatment for 10 years. About half of these patients believe it’s worth the cost.”
In 2019, the FDA approved a nasal spray version of ketamine called esketamine, which is used for patients with depression that is resistant to other treatments.
“It’s a drug that I’m convinced has saved people’s lives, undoubtedly,” Dr. Gerard Sanacora, the director of the Yale Depression Research Program, told The Times in an interview. “But it has real danger if it’s not used with caution.”
Sanacora also added that those who use the esketamine nasal spray typically follow F.D.A. guidelines and use it in medical clinics, not at home.
“It should very, very, very rarely ever be considered a drug that can be used outside of a health care setting,” he said.
Can Ketamine be Lethal?
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, ketamine isn’t often deadly, but taking too much can lead to unconsciousness, dangerously slow breathing, high blood pressure and paranoia.
“A huge amount of data shows that it changes your cognition,” Sanacora said. “Your ability to calculate things, your ability to think clearly, is altered while you’re on the medicine.”
Additionally, the F.D.A. has raised concerns about the dangers associated with compounded versions of ketamine. Compounded drugs are medications made by pharmacists or doctors who mix, combine, or modify various ingredients to create a personalized treatment for an individual patient. This process enables the customization of dosages, forms, flavors and other features of the medication to better meet a patient’s unique needs.
The agency has also issued warnings that using compounded ketamine without medical supervision can lead to serious mental health issues and physical complications, such as increased blood pressure, problems with breathing, and urinary tract issues that may result in incontinence.
According to reporting by The Times, individuals who misuse ketamine often inhale it as a powder or use it as a nasal spray. The dangers linked to this drug became apparent following the death of actor Matthew Perry in 2023. An autopsy performed the next year indicated that he died from the “acute effects of ketamine.”
What We Know About Musk’s Drug Use
In an interview with journalist Don Lemon last year, Musk mentioned that he uses a small amount of ketamine, prescribed for depression, about every two weeks. “If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done, and I have a lot of work,” he said.
However, according to sources close to him, Musk reportedly used ketamine frequently during the campaign, at times even daily, and combined it with other substances, as reported by The Times.
It’s unclear if Musk, 53, was on drugs during his time at the White House this year, but he has shown erratic behavior, such as making offensive comments about cabinet members and using Nazi-like gestures.
Long-term use of ketamine is also linked to bladder issues. The Times article mentioned that Musk told others that his heavy use of ketamine was impacting his bladder health.
The Final Takeaway
Could ketamine therapy emerge as a revolutionary treatment for mental health, particularly for certain types of depression?
Medical professionals believe this is a possibility. However, they stress that if you haven’t experienced relief from depression after trying multiple antidepressants, or if you still struggle with significant anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain despite conventional treatments, or if you’re facing unpleasant side effects from your current medications, it is crucial to consult a licensed healthcare provider and carefully follow their guidance.
