No Way Out MEDEVAC to Mental Health: Ketamine – 80 % Suicidal Thoughts Gone in Days | Dr. Grundmann
Dec 1, 2025
Dr. Nico Grundmann, an Emergency physician and cofounder of Ember Health, delves into the transformative power of IV ketamine for treating depression and PTSD. He shares how this rapid therapy can lead to an 80% reduction in suicidal thoughts within days. By explaining the science behind neural regrowth and the significance of the neuroplasticity window, Dr. Grundmann highlights ketamine's efficacy over traditional treatments. He also addresses safety, accessibility, and the stigma surrounding innovative mental health solutions, making a compelling case for its adoption.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From ER Shift To Clinic Network
- Nico Grundmann described launching Ember Health after seeing ketamine's rapid benefits for depressed and suicidal patients in the ER.
- The practice scaled from a corner office to five NYC locations and ~40,000 infusions across ~2,500 patients.
Firefighter Avoids Suicide In Days
- Nico shared a firefighter's story who stood on a bridge suicidal and, after ketamine, found the idea of suicide preposterous within two weeks.
- The speed of change profoundly shifted his ability to re-engage with family and work.
Depression As Stress-Driven Neural Pruning
- Ketamine acts as a neural reset by regrowing synapses pruned by stress and trauma, restoring emotional regulation circuits.
- Success means emotions become appropriate again, not perpetual euphoria.
