What is Ketamine?
Do you struggle to get out of your own head? Do you constantly feel weighed down? Ketamine is a fast-acting, dissociative anesthetic and a well-established medication most commonly used for surgery and pain relief. It was approved by the FDA in 1970, and more recently has gained attention as a proven safe, effective and reliable treatment, when provided in small doses, for people suffering from mental health and mood disorders.
Why? Your brain is malleable, and has the ability to change and adapt. The brain uses circuits of interconnections to communicate. In depression and other mental health disorders, the number and strength of these interconnections decreases. Ketamine helps stimulate parts of your brain, by regrowing the number of synapses, which are connections between nerve cells. Think of it as opening up new communication channels. This may help you respond or adapt differently to life than before.
If you struggle with any of the following mental health or pain disorders, keep reading, Ketamine IV Therapy may be able to help you.
Anxiety (including severe anxiety)
Depression (including postpartum)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
PTSD
Panic Disorder
Bipolar
Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Fibromyalgia
Suicidal Ideation
Migraines
What does Ketamine Do Exactly?
Simply put, Ketamine infusions provided by a licensed provider, enhance neuroplasticity. This refers to the brain’s ability to change and reorganize its neural networks, including some of the areas impacted by various mental health conditions. According to Yale Medicine, Ketamine triggers Glutamate production, which prompts the brain to form new neural connections. These new connections help make the brain more adaptable, which provides the ability to create new pathways. These new pathways give patients the opportunity to start developing different thoughts and behaviors.
How does Ketamine help with mental health?
Instead of targeting dopamine and serotonin levels like traditional medications, it focuses on changing neural pathways and developing new, healthy neuron connections.
It may help some patients break free from rumination – a repetitive thought cycle many people get trapped in when facing mental health issues. It is beyond frustrating and exhausting to try different forms of medication and therapy, yet continue to come up empty handed. This type of treatment has been successful with patients who have experienced resistance to medications, or for those who struggle with taking daily medications.
Why is Ketamine different from traditional medications?
Instead of targeting dopamine and serotonin levels like traditional medications, it focuses on changing neural passageways and developing healthy neuron connections. Ketamine infusion therapy can often change the way the brain responds to medications, increasing the effectiveness of already prescribed drugs. Many people who haven’t found adequate improvement through traditional treatments are now finding life-changing relief. There are several kinds of traditional antidepressants, finding the right type and dose may take months of trial and error. This can be exhausting, especially for those who struggle to find one that is effective. Ketamine IV Therapy provides quick relief and for most patients, long-lasting results.
What are some of the benefits of Ketamine Infusion Therapy?
Ketamine helps increase activity in certain areas of the brain
Fast-acting symptom relief – some of our patients experience improvements within days, unlike other medications that may take several weeks to start helping
Ketamine can stimulate brain changes, those changes can have a long-lasting and positive impact on your mental well-being
You do not have to stop taking your regular medications, Ketamine Therapy treatment plans take into consideration your current medications and therapy treatment
What does a Ketamine Therapy treatment plan look like ?
A series is 6-8 infusions is necessary for it to be fully effective. Unfortunately, Ketamine infusions are not covered by insurance at this time. Please call for pricing. We also offer VA Ketamine services for veterans, scroll down further for more information about this service.
To be effective, each patient needs a total of 6-8 treatment infusions. Treatment plans are tailored to each patient’s specific needs.
It is important to complete at least six infusions, minimum.
Pain treatment may take up to 10 infusions, it varies by patient.
Preferably three treatment infusions per week, for two consecutive weeks.
After your series of infusions, you switch to a maintenance booster (one time infusion). The frequency of your boosters depends on the patient. Normally, this happens about four months after the initial series.
Maintenance infusions are patient dependent. A plan will be developed for each patient, based on their needs and how their body responds.
The initial appointment is approximately two hours, everything after that is about 1.5 hours.
You are required to pay for 3 treatments upfront; then you can pay day of for remaning infusions.
If you need it, many of our patients use Care Credit to help them pay for treatments.
You do not need a doctor referral at this time. During the consultation process, our clinic physician will determine if you are a good candidate for this treatment.
Our experienced staff will assess each patient after the 6th treatment to see if they are a responder to the Ketamine infusions. If the patient is a non-responder, no additional infusions will be administered. A very low percentage of people are non-responders.
