Ketamine use began in the 1960s as a drug used by anesthesiologist to treat post-surgery pain. Seeing its effectiveness, the US Military began using it on the battlefield during the Vietnam war. The military has also been treating PTSD using ketamine with impressive results.
The use of ketamine in treating mood disorders is currently considered “off-label”. Until the FDA approves ketamine as a drug to treat mood disorders, insurance companies will not cover any “off-label” treatments.
Clinical studies have shown that ketamine is effective in treating a wide range of mood disorders including depression, PTSD, neuropathy pains, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and others. Although its not prescribed by doctors and psychiatrists as a primary treatment, it is prescribed when the other therapies fail.1
How does it work?
Ketamine is know as an NMDA receptor antagonist. It binds itself to the NMDA receptors of the brain and activates the AMPA receptors. This chemical bond facilitates the brain to communicate using different pathways. These new pathways for neural transmission affect your thought patterns and your mood. Ketamine plasticizes quickly, forming long lasting neuronal structures.2
Safe. Effective.
Intravenous Infusion is when ketamine is introduced directly into the bloodstream. The patient experiences the drug’s effectiveness almost immediately and the effects can last for days, even weeks. R-ketamine is the medication used in the IV drip. The dosage is prepared by an anesthesiologist, in accordance with your physiology and treatment history. The dosage is much lower than what is used for anesthesia and is considered non-habit forming. When administered in this format it is considered safe and effective.
What is the treatment protocol?
The treatment protocol is divided into two phases, the induction phase and the maintenance phase.
During the induction phase the patient is prescribed weekly infusions for the first two or three weeks. If the patient symptoms show significant improvement, the patient then begins maintenance phase. The patient returns monthly for an infusion treatment but continues to see their primary mental health provider.
Patients with continued treatment experiences prolonged benefits from ketamine as the new neural pathways plasticize
Side Effects
During the treatment patients have reported drowsiness and blurred vision. Patients report a dream-like state and very few reported involuntary muscle twitch, nausea, and loss of appetite.
Patients may experience elevated blood pressure. Our doctors closely monitor the patient's vital signs and may enter the treatment room at times during the treatment to check on the patient.
Some patients describe the feeling of disassociation, an out-of-body experience during the infusion. All the side effects are temporary.
Refereces
- "What You Need to Know About Ketamine’s Effects" WedMD. Sonya Collins https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/what-does-ketamine-do-your-brain
- "Ketamine enhances structural plasticity in human dopaminergic neurons: possible relevance for treatment-resistant depression" Neural Regeneration Research. Ginetta Collo M.D, et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5950671/