Ketamine is a unique medication with psychedelic properties. For nearly 50 years it has been used as a surgical anesthetic. More recently Ketamine has emerged as an excellent treatment for depression. When used at sub-anesthetic doses (doses lower than required to put you to sleep), it produces effects in the brain that decrease the symptoms of many different psychiatric ailments. Most profoundly, it has been shown to have excellent effect on depressive symptoms. Ketamine is thought to improve neural plasticity through inhibition of NMDA receptors thereby increasing availability of glutamate. In more simple terms, it allows for new neural pathways to be created. These new pathways allow for more flexibility of our minds and improved mood overall. Ketamine is very effective as a standalone therapy, but treatment is greatly augmented by Counseling treatments such as CBT.

Many people report a light and airy feeling during treatment. Others describe a transcendent and enlightening experience.

• The most common side effect is a raise in blood pressure during treatment, if you have high blood pressure and are being treated for it, this is more likely. If your blood pressure gets too high, we may stop your infusion temporarily and give you medication to lower the blood pressure before proceeding. If your high blood pressure is poorly controlled to begin with, we do not recommend Ketamine therapy.
• Some patients do experience a bit of nausea, for which we can easily treat with nausea medication through your IV line.  
• Anxiety is an occasional finding. If you are prone to anxiety, we may elect to pre-treat with an anxiolytic medication for you to have the best experience.

We will do our absolute best to ensure you have a safe and comfortable experience.

Ketamine has been successfully used as a treatment for:

• Depression
• PTSD
• OCD
• Anxiety
• Suicidal Ideation
• Bipolar Disorder
• Addiction
• Chronic pain syndromes.

While many patients report improved symptoms after just one infusion, research shows that most patients get the best and longest lasting benefit from 6 total infusions given 1-2 days apart over a period of 2-3 weeks, with occasional booster treatments as needed.

While there are Intramuscular, nasal, and oral versions available, the most effective, predictable, and safest route of administration is intravenous. An IV treatment can be closely monitored and discontinued immediately if a patient experiences negative side effects. Other routes of administration do not offer this aspect of safety because you get a full and unreversible dose all at once. We recommend IV treatment for this reason.

Most insurers are not covering ketamine therapy currently. This is something that we hope changes as it becomes more and more recognized as a treatment modality. Some patients have had good luck with submitting a Superbill to their insurance company for reimbursement. We are happy to provide you with a Superbill for this purpose, but we do not offer any type of prior authorization services.

Ketamine is one of the safest anesthetics available. Unlike many anesthetics, it does not affect the airway which allows a patient to breathe independently. At subanesthetic doses, it is extremely safe. Nonetheless, we still monitor our patients very closely, before, during and after treatment and are ready to respond if the need arises. You can expect to be monitored for EKG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and sometimes C02 level depending on dosage. We do this because safety is our number one priority.

While Ketamine is certainly an abusable drug when used inappropriately, patients who are treated in a controlled environment do not experience addictive symptoms or cravings for the drug.

Yes, companies such as CareCredit and Med loan finance can often be used to pay for your treatment. We do not offer in-house financing at this time, but we may be able to offer a discount if you want to finance the entirety your treatments at once through a third party. Please discuss this with us if you are concerned. We want you to be able to have this potentially lifechanging treatment.

We always encourage patients to do plenty of their own research, but the best way to know if you are a candidate for therapy is to have a consultation with our provider. The provider will carefully review your medical history, medications, and symptoms to help you determine if this is a viable option for you.

Yes, this is required. You must have someone to drive you home and preferably be with you for the 12 hours following treatment. It is recommended that you do not drive or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours after treatment as the medication could potentially cloud your judgement. Your safety is our primary concern.