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Can ketamine ease pain and depression after C-Section? early trial shows promise

NCT ID NCT05907213

Symptom relief Sponsor: Grace Lim, MD, MS Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This early study tested different doses of ketamine given through an IV to 12 women after cesarean delivery. The goal was to find a dose that is well-tolerated without serious side effects like dangerous changes in blood pressure or heart rate. The highest safe dose was found to be 0.18 mg/kg for one hour, followed by a lower dose for 11 hours. This sets the stage for future studies to see if ketamine can actually reduce postpartum depression and pain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Ketamine (Ketalar)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a safe, short-term treatment to reduce pain and depression after C-section without strong side effects.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small phase 1 trial with only 12 participants. It only tested tolerability, not effectiveness, so it may not lead to a proven treatment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

12 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2023

Finished

Sep 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults 18 years and older * Cesarean Delivery * American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status of 2 or 3 * Neuraxial anesthesia with neuraxial morphine * Term delivery ≥37 weeks gestation * Either planning not to breastfeed, OR receiving ketamine as part of routine clinical care Exclusion Criteria: * General anesthesia * Allergy to study medications * ASA PS 4 or higher * Contraindications to neuraxial anesthesia * Preterm delivery (\<37 weeks gestation) * Anticipated fetal-neonatal complex care plan * Participating in another pain intervention trial * Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy * Pre-eclampsia with severe features * Hemodynamic instability * Medical History exclusions: ketamine or PCP (phencyclidine) abuse, schizophrenia or psychosis, liver or renal insufficiency, uncontrolled hypertension, chest pain, arrhythmia, head trauma, or intracranial hypertension, uncontrolled thyroid disease, or other contraindications to ketamine

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative postpartum depression

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression, postpartum Pain, postoperative

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

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