Ketamine, which has been used as an anesthetic for years, has amazing effects on the brain when used in low doses. It can actually help to rapidly improve symptoms of depression in some patients!
Where other treatments work in a matter of weeks or months, ketamine has the potential to bring about positive results in a matter of hours or days. If you or a loved one have tried other treatment avenues without success, this could be a game-changer. But what does the experience look like?
Ketamine infusion therapy involves the administration of a controlled dose of ketamine through an IV. The ketamine is administered slowly over a period of time between 40 minutes and a couple of hours – the quantity of time is determined based on each patient’s needs.
As a treatment method, ketamine infusions are effective for certain mental health conditions. These include major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and some chronic pain syndromes.
Before the treatment, we will conduct a thorough evaluation of your medical history, mental health condition, and overall health status to ensure that ketamine infusion therapy is safe and appropriate. During the treatment, you’ll be seated or lying down in a comfortable position. Your vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels, will be closely monitored throughout the infusion.
Patients are typically awake during the procedure, but may feel a sense of disconnection from their surroundings, altered perception, or other changes in consciousness due to the psychoactive properties of ketamine.
The exact mechanism of how ketamine works for these conditions is not fully understood, but it’s believed to be related to its effects on the glutamate system in the brain. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which work on the brain’s serotonin and norepinephrine systems, ketamine acts on the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors. This dynamic enhances your brain’s ability to create new neural connections.
It is thought that ketamine “resets” neural pathways impaired by conditions like depression and chronic pain. It’s also been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, which may contribute to its pain-relieving properties.
Infusion therapy can offer rapid relief of symptoms, often within hours or days, which is significantly faster than most other antidepressants, some of which have been known to take weeks to start working.
What Conditions Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Address?
Ketamine infusion therapy is currently used to treat several conditions, mainly related to mental health and chronic pain. Some of the conditions we can ameliorate through ketamine treatments include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and some chronic pain syndromes.
Ketamine has shown promising results in treating severe or treatment-resistant depression where other treatments haven’t been effective. It can provide rapid relief of clinical depression symptoms, often within hours or a few days, although multiple treatments are typically needed for sustained relief.
In treating PTSD, some studies have illustrated ketamine’s ability to improve symptoms. Its ability to help form new, healthier neural pathways contributes to its effectiveness in this area.
In addition to these neural effects, ketamine’s rapid-acting nature makes it useful in treating patients struggling with suicidal ideation. Ketamine has been used in emergency psychiatric care to quickly reduce suicidal thoughts in individuals experiencing a crisis.
Ketamine infusions can also be used to treat certain types of chronic pain, including complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. It is believed that ketamine works by blocking the NMDA receptors, which play a role in pain signaling.
It’s important to note that, while ketamine therapy can be very effective for some patients, it’s not suitable for everyone. It should be administered under the supervision of a trained healthcare professional, and we carefully monitor patients during therapy to ensure that the potential for side effects or dependency are minimized.
A First-Hand Account of Ketamine Infusion Therapy Experience
Upon arrival at the clinic, you will be escorted into a quiet, comfortable room. The environment is made to be calming, with comfortable seating and a relaxed atmosphere. After you get comfortable, we’ll insert a small IV into your arm. Once the IV is secured, the ketamine treatment begins!
As the drug starts to enter the bloodstream, you may begin to feel a bit strange. There’s often a feeling of disconnection from the body, which some patients describe as floating. Perception of time might also be altered, and some patients report heightened sensitivity to light and sound. These sensations can be unsettling for some, but we will be present to provide reassurance every step of the way!
During the infusion, which typically lasts around 40 minutes to a few hours, we will closely monitor your vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels.
After the infusion, there’s usually a recovery period where you’ll keep resting as the immediate effects of the infusion wear off. It’s important that you have someone else driving them home, as you may still feel a bit disoriented or “out of it” for a few hours after therapy.
In terms of therapeutic effects, patients often report improvements in their mood or pain levels within mere hours or days after their treatment! This is particularly notable in patients with severe depression, who might start feeling a lifting of their depressive symptoms rapidly after the treatment, something they may not have experienced with traditional antidepressants.
Is Ketamine Infusion Therapy Right For You? Key Considerations
Choosing whether a low-dose ketamine treatment therapy is right for you is a decision that should be made with a healthcare provider. However, there are some factors that might indicate you could be a potential candidate for this treatment.
If you have a treatment-resistant mental health condition like treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or OCD that hasn’t responded to traditional treatments such as medications and psychotherapy, ketamine infusion therapy might be your golden ticket into alleviating your symptoms.
It’s crucial to have a comprehensive evaluation and discussion with a healthcare provider who is familiar with your medical history and the specifics of ketamine therapy before starting this treatment. They can provide a thorough assessment and help you understand the potential benefits, risks, and side effects to make an informed decision.
Intrigued by ketamine infusion therapy? Learn more and decide if it’s the right path for you today!
Start Your Ketamine Treatment Today!
With mental health issues increasingly becoming the #1 concern modern health advocates seek to solve, ketamine may just be that solution. But you don’t have to take just our word for it, do your research, then come into Virginia’s premier ketamine infusion clinic in Leesburg. Send us a message through our contact us page or call us at (571) 371-0290 to connect with our friendly staff and learn more about ketamine infusion therapies and their benefits for your health.
If you’re ready for a one-on-one consultation, our office at 19490 Sandridge Way Suite 240, Lansdowne, Virginia 20176, proudly serves Loudoun County and the Ashburn area, so come and let our experts create the best treatment plan for you. We also invite you to keep up with our blog and social media to get answers to many of the frequently asked questions about ketamine infusion therapies!
References
- Depression Related Conditions | Virginia Infusion Therapies — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Does Ketamine Cure Depression? | Virginia Infusion Therapies — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Frequently Asked Questions | Ketamine Health Centers — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Frequently Asked Questions About Ketamine Infusions | Ketamine Infusion Solutions — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Works | Verywell Mind — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Works to Help Chronic Pain and Depression | Pain Specialty Group — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine as treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder: a review | PubMed Central® — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine decreases neuronally released glutamate via retrograde stimulation of presynaptic adenosine A1 receptors | Molecular Psychiatry — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine for Chronic Pain | Virginia Infusion Therapies — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine for Depression: What to Know | WebMD — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine for major depression: New tool, new questions | Harvard Health Publishing — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine Reduces Suicidal Thoughts – New Study | Virginia Infusion Therapies — Accessed 12 April 2023.
- Ketamine Treatment for PTSD | Virginia Infusion Therapies — Accessed 12 April 2023.
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