Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, recently discussed using ketamine as a way to manage chronic pain stemming from a spinal condition that once caused her to develop a “hunchback.” Though surgeries alleviated the condition, Emhoff continues to experience lingering pain. In a social media post, the 25-year-old daughter of Doug Emhoff shared her long-term struggle with “bad chronic back pain.” Harris and Emhoff have been married for ten years.
Emhoff explained in an Instagram story, “I was born with a tethered spine (iykyk), which caused my back to not properly lengthen as I grew and led to kyphosis (hunchback).” The post included a selfie adorned with Hello Kitty stickers. Emhoff described how much of her adolescence was spent “in and out of doctors and physical therapy.” After undergoing lower back surgery, she noted that she “grew a million inches” but continued to battle chronic pain. The New York Post reported on these posts.
Emhoff also shared a link to a Google Sheet titled “Big Pain Management List,” which offers a variety of pain management options, including devices, exercises, therapies, and books. Among the suggestions shared with her 345,000 followers was “ketamine infusions.”
Ketamine, an anesthetic commonly used during surgery, is sometimes referred to as the “chemical cousin” of the recreational drug PCP, according to the Associated Press. While it can cause euphoria and hallucinations when used recreationally, it has also been increasingly utilized for treating depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, despite not being officially approved for these conditions.
The drug has been in the spotlight recently due to its involvement in the overdose death of Friends actor Matthew Perry last October, following his long battle with addiction. Last week, several individuals who supplied and administered ketamine to Perry were arrested in connection with his death.
In addition to ketamine, Emhoff’s pain management list included recommendations such as “not feeling guilty about the pain, sleep 14 hours, complaining, crying, acceptance, hypnosis, eliminating sugar and no alcohol [sic].”
“These are all just recommendations made to me, these should not be taken as medical advice. I am just a girl trying to feel less pain,” Emhoff wrote.
