Heart attacks and suicide: The dark truth about ketamine - the mental health 'wonder drug' endorsed by Elon Musk
Don Lemon interrogates Elon Musk about his 'prescription' ketamine use The Don Lemon Show beofre it got taken off of X

Heart attacks and suicide: The dark truth about ketamine - the mental health 'wonder drug' endorsed by Elon Musk
Experts warn that much of the research on ketamine could be biased and flawed
Ketamine has been used off label for depression and chronic pain management
READ MORE: Doctors warn ketamine, drug that killed Matthew Perry, 'dangerous'

Experts have sounded the alarm about potentially flawed research touting ketamine as a wonder drug for depression - after X boss Elon Musk admitted to taking it 'every other week'.

Musk, 52, appeared in a heated interview last week with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, where the two butted heads on several topics, including Musk's use ofthe drug - which has psychoactive effects.

Though Musk said it was 'pretty private to ask somebody about a medical prescription,' he has previously hailed the benefits of using it for depression.

He also told Lemon that those that are struggling with depression should 'talk to their doctor about ketamine instead of SSRI's [the most commonly prescribed mental health drug].'

However, experts have cautioned that much of the emerging research painting ketamine as a wonder drug has minimized harmful side effects like bladder damage and suicidal intent.

The drug was also named partly responsible for the tragic death of actor Matthew Perry, who was receiving ketamine therapy for depression at the time.

Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic that is used to stop humans and animals from experiencing pain during operations. It works by blocking the activity of the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA), which controls actions in the nervous system.

Ketamine suppresses NDMA, rapidly diminishing sensations, preventing pain, inducing sleep, and inhibiting memory.

For this reason, it is usually taken in small doses for non-anesthetic purposes, such as to treat depression.

In small quantities, it gives users a feeling of euphoria, out-of-body experiences, and hallucinations.

Musk told Lemon: 'There are times when I have a negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that's not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of a negative frame of mind.'

Musk said that he will take a 'small amount' of ketamine every other week on average, and often 'there will be several weeks go by that I don't use it.

When asked if he has ever 'abused' the tranquilizing drug, he said: 'I don't think so... if you use too much ketamine you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work.

'Putting in 16-hour days, that's normal for me, and it's rare for me to even take off a weekend day, so I don't really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period of time.'

'I can't really get wasted.'