Nasal ketamine treatment takes the form of a nasal spray. Mental health professionals use this therapy for patient cases that do not respond to conventional medication. Treatment-resistant depression is one such application for ketamine therapy.
Are the effects of nasal ketamine treatment comparable to the IV alternative of the therapy? To find out, keep reading. Learn the similarities, differences, benefits, and drawbacks of the two options.
Treatment-resistant depression is a growing concern for an ever-increasing number of patients. The lack of effective treatment options is directing the field of psychology to use existing drugs in new ways. Ketamine is one of those drugs.
In surgical settings, ketamine complements the action of sedatives by creating a dissociative state. The anesthetic properties of ketamine suggest that the medication is a good fit for chronic pain management. Its ability to create a dissociative state suggests that it can alter brain chemistry. This is the starting point of ketamine’s application in the vast field of mental health.
Ketamine targets the neuroreceptors that control mood and memory. This has the knock-on effect of changing the brain chemistry and lifting the mood. With time ketamine rewires the brain to manage or remove symptoms of depression. The medication boasts demonstrable success in improving the lives of patients with treatment-resistant depression.
It bears mentioning that not all ketamine treatments are created equal. For example:
Ketamine infusions go directly into the bloodstream. In contrast, nasal ketamine treatment needs to make it past the structures of the nose before entering the bloodstream. This, along with a lower concentration, slows the effect of nasal spray ketamine.
Ketamine is a fast-acting drug whose effects linger for days. This holds for the IV version and less true for the nasal spray. The difference informs how doctors craft the treatment regimens for the two treatment options.
Patients who receive nasal ketamine treatment get two treatments per week, for four weeks. After the first four weeks, the dosage changes to one treatment per week, for four weeks. The patient will then undergo an evaluation that tracks the effect of treatment on their mental health.
In contrast, IV ketamine consists of five or six treatments over three weeks. The treatments taper off to one treatment every few months.
Mental health is a goal that everybody aspires to, no matter how easy or hard it is to get there. At our practice, we use every available measure to provide immediate and long-term relief to our patients.
Get in touch with us to find out how we can help you through challenging times. Find out if nasal ketamine treatment is the therapy that will make a difference in your life.
Request an appointment here: https://futurepsychsolutions.com or call Future Psych Solutions at (803) 335-5232 for an appointment in our Columbia office.
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