Welcome to Virginia Infusion Therapies - Ketamine Treatment Center

This page will give you some information about what to expect when you visit one of the best Ketamine treatment centers, beginning from your consultation and first treatment. Protocols vary depending on whether you are being seen for a depression related condition vs. a pain related condition. There are 4 steps to your ketamine infusion therapy. The first step is a phone consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for ketamine therapy. This is followed by your first treatment. Many patients will see immediate improvement after only one treatment. Initial symptom improvement may only be temporary and requires a full loading dose followed by intermittent maintenance therapy, as with traditional medication.

NO PRESSURE,
NO JUDGMENT,
JUST A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR GOALS.

4 Easy Steps

Consultation

Your initial phone consultation will be with one of our doctors. You will be asked about your clinical history, medications, and appropriateness for ketamine infusion therapy.

First Treatment

Your first treatment will be scheduled, after the phone consultation. The infusion will generally take from one to two hours. You will need a ride home.

Initiation

Research has shown that a loading dose is required. In our experience most patients will need 2 treatments per week ( each takes about 1 hour ) for 2 weeks for a total of 4 treatments. Pain patients will need 3 treatments per week ( each takes about 4 hours ) for 2 weeks for a total of 6 treatments.

Maintenance

Your Infusion specialist will customize a maintenance schedule for you, based on your response to the loading doses. This is generally between 2 weeks and 3 months (75% of patients need maintenance infusion therapy every 4 weeks).

Ketamine Infusions For Depression

$600/ Per Infusion

  • 40 min ketamine infusion for the treatment of major depression.
  • Plan to be at our ketamine clinic for a up to 2-hours.
  • Please come prepared with a friend or family member who can drive you home; refrain from driving, operating heavy machinery or signing documents for 24-hours after ketamine infusion.
  • Ketamine infusion treatment centers are effective in up to 70% of patients suffering from Major Depression

Ketamine Infusions For Pain

$1800/ Per Infusion

  • Each Ketamine Infusion for pain takes about 3-4 hours
  • Plan to be at our ketamine clinic for a up to 5 to 6 hours
  • Please come prepared with a friend or family member who can drive you home; refrain from driving, operating heavy machinery or signing documents for 24-hours after ketamine infusion.
  • Ketamine infusions are effective in up to 70% of patients suffering from a crhonic pain condition
  • Ketamine infusions can provide pain relief for up to 3 months post-infusion.

Vitamin Infusion Therapy

$250/ Per Infusion

  • IV vitamin therapy is the only delivery method where you get 100% bioavailability directly into the bloodstream while bypassing the GI tract for instant benefits.
  • Plan to be at our clinic for a up to 2-hours.
  • Please come prepared with a friend or family member who can drive you home; refrain from driving, operating heavy machinery or signing documents for 24-hours after vitamin infusion.

Free Consultation

 

Your ketamine infusion therapy experience will begin with a complimentary telephone interview. If we agree that you are a good candidate, you will be invited to make a infusion appointment.

You will need to fill out the forms in the “patient portal”

 

Your First Ketamine Infusion For Depression

 

Infusions for major depression, PTSD, postpartum depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety and other disorders will range anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. You will enjoy a comfortable recliner in a quiet environment. We encourage you to bring some soothing music, on your own device with headphones while visiting our ketamine infusion treatment centers. This creates the perfect environment for you to begin your journey to feeling like the happier person you want to be. You will find that we will make every effort to make your experience at Virginia Infusion Therapies safe, soothing, and comfortable.

 

Your First Ketamine Infusion For Pain Conditions

 

Our protocol is to perform three infusions over a one week period. Each of these infusions is approximately 4-hours in length. This allows us to deliver a dose of medication that will help with your pain, while minimizing any adverse side effects. You will find that we make every effort to make your experience at Virginia Infusion Therapies safe, soothing, and comfortable.

If you do not respond significantly after 3 ketamine infusions, you will be considered a non-responder. In this case it is unlikely further doses will be of benefit to you.

 

After Your Infusion

 

Following your treatment, you will need to stay with us until you recover from the infusion, before going home. You will remain in the comfortable reclining chair until it is determined by your doctor that you are safe to leave. You will need a ride home after the infusion (You can not drive until the next day). The process, including infusion and recovery, will take approximately one and half hours (90 minutes) from start to finish. Out of state patients without a car are encouraged to call Uber or other ride to return to their hotel. Many of our out-of-state clients stay at the Lansdowne Resort Hotel and Spa where they can follow up with a soothing massage.

Lansdowne Resort Hotel and Spa, 44050 Woodridge Pkwy, Leesburg, VA 20176 Ph 703-729-8400 (Not affiliated with Virginia Infusion Therapies). 

 

While the success rate of ketamine is notably high, it doesn’t work for everyone. Fortunately, in most circumstances, it only takes three infusions to determine whether or not you will benefit from this therapy. If there is not an adequate response after three infusions, we typically recommend discontinuing ketamine therapy.

If you do not respond significantly after 3 ketamine infusions, you will be considered a non-responder. In this case it is unlikely further doses will be of benefit to you.

Initiation Treatments for Depression( 4 treatments total ) 

  • 2 treatments the first week
  • 2 treatments the second week
  • Our Ketamine infusion specialists will monitor your improvement and manage the dose of Ketamine during these sessions, to provide you maximum benefit.

Initiation Treatments for Pain Conditions ( 3 treatments total ) 

  • 3 treatments the first week.  Each treatment is approximately 4-hours in length.
  • Our Ketamine infusion specialists will monitor your improvement and manage the dose of Ketamine during these sessions, to provide you maximum benefit.

Maintenance Evaluation and Treatment for Depression/other Conditions

  • The first maintenance evaluation treatment ( 5th treatment overall ) begins 2 weeks after the last initiation treatment.
  • The second maintenance evaluation treatment ( 6th treatment overall ) is given 3 weeks after that.
  • After this time we will see you solely based on your clinical response to therapy (75% of patients need maintenance infusions every 4 weeks).
  • The interval between future maintenance treatments will depend on how long you feel good, after your maintenance interval evaluation treatments. If you feel good for only one week, then you will need maintenance treatments once a week. If you feel good for 3 weeks, you may need maintenance treatments once every 3 weeks. We can try to extend treatments up to 4 week intervals, or even longer, depending on your response.

Minimizing the costs are very important to us. Multiple touch points are required in the early stages of your treatment to evaluate how the dose, duration, and maintenance intervals for future treatments.

Maintenance Evaluation and Treatment for Pain Conditions

.  Depending on how long you feel good after your initiation treatments, you will require a maintenance infusion.  This typically ranges between 1-3 months and is dependent on the person.  We will stay in communication to help figure out what your particular pain relief duration is.

Minimizing the costs are very important to us. Multiple touch points are required in the early stages of your treatment to evaluate how the dose, duration, and maintenance intervals for future treatments.

 

Absolutely Not. You may find in time, with the help of your psychiatrist or other managing physician, a decreased need for some of your medications, but this is not the norm. We do not encourage you to change any medications for pain until you get on maintenance Ketamine therapy and in direct consultation with your pain management, psychiatrist or other managing physician. Failure to continue your current medication regimen, could compromise your Ketamine response and potentially put you in danger of worsening your condition. We will need to correspond with your provider before you make any medication changes.

 

Yes you should. You may find in time, with the help of your psychiatrist or other managing physician, a decreased need for other depression medications. We do not encourage you to change any medications for depression or anxiety until you get on maintenance Ketamine therapy and in direct consultation with your psychiatrist or managing physician. Failure to continue your current medication regimen, could compromise your Ketamine response and potentially put you in danger of worsening your condition. We will need to correspond with your provider before you make any medication changes.

Ketamine infusion treatment is successful and immediate after only one treatment in about 70% of patients. The relief after the first treatment, however, can be only hours to days. Research has determined that the depression-relief can be extended like many drugs by increasing the number and dose of early treatments before determining a maintenance treatment regimen.

For Pain patients, patients will need three, approximately 4-hour infusions in the first week. Depending on your response after the third infusion, a maintenance plan will be customized individually for you. Maintenance Ketamine infusions for pain syndromes, are every 1-3 months, depending on your response to therapy.   

Data is limited on immediate response and duration across all pain syndromes.  Pain relief rates depends on the pain condition being treated. However about ⅔ of patients have meaningful benefits. Some patients may have significant pain relief and can even be pain free for 6 months or more.

Shortly after you arrive here at Virginia Infusion Therapies, you will be escorted back to our infusion room. You will be with seated in a comfortable reclining chair and soft lighting.  Prior to this, you will be asked to empty your bladder before the infusion starts.  You will not be able to get up and walk to bathroom during the infusion. A bedside commode for women and a bedside urinal for men will be provided if necessary.

The physician will answer all the questions you have. Next, a small IV will be placed for the ketamine infusion.  We will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen, using a state-of-the-art monitor and you will be observed for any signs of adverse side effects. During the infusion you will be able to communicate with the physician and family, but may have difficulty with any conversations. We do not encourage conversations, as your experience will be enhanced in a quiet environment.  You are strongly urged to bring soothing music and your headphones to make the experience even more enjoyable.

Shortly after the infusion starts, you may start feeling strange and possibly have an “out of body” experience. You may also experience some blurred vision, double vision, decreased coordination, and mild dizziness. You can still talk and communicate your needs. These effects are the normal and expected response to the dissociative effect of ketamine. Having the music helps you stay connected to reality and decreases any fears you may have. During the infusion, the physician or nurse will try to minimize stimuli in the room and give you your space, but will be immediately available for any questions or concerns.

Ketamine will heighten your senses and make you feel like you are in a dreamlike or illusionary state. Please note that during the infusion you will not process information in the usual way. Therefore, you may patient feel anxious. Medication is available to help during the infusion, if it is necessary.

Near the end of the infusion you may feel nauseous, due to the blurry and double vision associated with the infusion. Closing your eyes may help stop or diminish the nausea feeling. Medication is available if this occurs. Remember, you are being treated by Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physicians and we are trained to deal with any complications that may occur.

After the infusion we will monitor you for approximately 1 to 1.5 hours or until we feel you are safe to be able to get up and walk around safely. Even though the majority of the side effects of ketamine resolve at the end of the treatment, some studies have shown minimal effects lasting up to 4 hours after infusions.

We ask that  you don’t eat any solids or non clear liquids for 4 hoursor drink clear liquids for 2 hoursbefore appointment as you are getting a sedative medication.  Failure to comply with this requirement could potentially require us to cancel you infusion for the day and reschedule you for another day. There will be a $100 cancelation fee if this happens. Please setup a ride back home or to your hotel room. You may not drive or use heavy machinery for 24 hours after the infusion. 

Meet Your Doctors

Dr. Jay Kugler

JAY KUGLER, DO, FACOEP, FACEP

Dr. Jay Kugler board certified in both Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. He has worked as an Emergency Physician in Northern Virginia since 2002. Dr. Kugler completed his undergraduate degree at San Diego State University, Osteopathic medical school at the University of North Texas HSC, and residency in Pontiac, Michigan. Dr. Kugler states that his training in Osteopathic and family medicine has reinforced his belief in finding natural and effective treatments for patients suffering from depression, anxiety as well as chronic pain. His leadership position has led him and his co-founders to research the holistic benefits of Ketamine Infusion Therapy. This research reinforced the finding that up to 70% of patients with severe depression and anxiety and chronic pain show improvement in their symptoms after Ketamine infusion therapy. His passions outside of work include reading science fiction novels, basketball, and racquetball. Dr. Kugler lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and children.

Dr. Marwan Jaber

MARWAN JABER, MD, FACEP

Dr. Marwan Jaber is a board certified Emergency Medicine physician in Northern Virginia since 2007. He earned his medical degree at SUNY Downstate in New York; and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. It has been his dream since he was a child, when he was “saved” by a physician, to become a doctor where he could return this gift and help others in need. Dr. Jaber is passionate about promoting physical and mental health by combining a holistic and natural balance and traditional medicine. Some of these passions include cross-fit and healthy diets. Dr. Jaber lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and children.

Dr. Pranav Virmani

PRANAV VIRMANI, MD, FACEP

Dr. Pranav Virmani is a board certified Emergency Medicine physician who has been treating patients in Northern Virginia since 2002. He graduated medical school with Alpha Omega Alpha honors from Howard University Medical School and completed his residency at Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Emergency Medicine in 2002. Dr. Virmani has, over the last decade in the emergency room, developed a passion for understanding and helping patients with mental health emergencies and patients with severe chronic pain. It was during this time, along with his co-founders, he researched the benefits of Ketamine infusion in helping patients with these problems. His passions outside of work include traveling and basketball. Dr. Virmani lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and children.

Virginia Infusion Therapies

The First Ketamine Clinic in Northern Virginia

Virginia Infusion Therapies is one of the the first Ketamine Clinics in Northern Virginia, and the first clinic in Loudoun County to provide Ketamine infusion therapy for the treatment of Major Depression and Pain Conditions.  The clinic was established by four physicians in Loudoun who, through their professional experiences in medicine and their personal family experiences with depression, recognized that there are major problems in the recognition and treatment of depression.  They recognized that Major Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and some pain conditions are often medical emergencies that requires treatments that are more effective…  and more effective IMMEDIATELY.  

Highly Experienced

Emergency Medicine led care before during and after your ketamine treatment

Compassionate

State-of-the-art vital sign monitoring–continuous blood pressure, heart rhythm and blood oxygen level assessments.

24/7 Care

24/7 vital sign monitoring–continuous blood pressure, heart rhythm and blood oxygen level assessments.

Affordable

Commitment to provide the highest and most compassionate level of care.

Are you ready to schedule your free consultation?

Request your free 15 minute phone consultation and speak with a clinician about ketamine infusions and how we can help you live your happiest, healthiest life.