Eating Disorders and ketamine research
Where research on ketamine and related agents sits in the treatment of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
Overview
Eating disorders are serious psychiatric conditions with significant medical risk. Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates in psychiatry. Effective care almost always requires a coordinated medical, nutritional, and psychiatric team.
Conventional treatment
Evidence-based care includes specialized psychotherapy (CBT-E, FBT for adolescents, MANTRA), medical and nutritional rehabilitation, and treatment of co-occurring depression or anxiety. Hospitalization is sometimes necessary.
Where ketamine fits
Small studies have explored ketamine for treatment-resistant depression in eating disorder populations and for binge eating disorder, but evidence is preliminary. Medical fragility — electrolyte abnormalities, cardiac risk — makes safety screening especially important.
What current evidence suggests
Published research is largely case series and small open-label studies. No high-quality randomized trials currently support ketamine as a treatment for eating disorders per se.
Frequently asked questions
Can ketamine treat anorexia directly?+
There is no good evidence that ketamine treats the eating disorder itself. It is sometimes considered for co-occurring TRD or suicidality with appropriate safeguards.
What's first-line?+
Specialized eating disorder care — typically FBT for adolescents and CBT-E for adults — combined with medical and nutritional support.
Educational use only. The content on this page is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Ketamine and related therapies carry risks and are appropriate only under qualified medical supervision. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional about your individual situation. Information may change as research evolves.