Ketamine Infusion TherapyColumbia, SC
To Find out More and to Schedule Your Appointment
Click Here To Chat with the Doctor

Ketamine Infusion Therapy is an alternative therapy option that can help patients who receive a diagnosis of a mood disorder, i.e. depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. More common options for treating mood disorders include anti-depressants, psychotherapy and family therapy. The reason why someone may receive a mood disorder diagnosis is that they have an imbalance of brain chemicals. The details of the imbalance will determine how mild or severe their mood disorder symptoms are going to be.

According to Hopkins Medicine, early diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders can reduce the severity of symptoms, enhance the person’s normal growth and development, while also improving their quality of life.

IS ESKETAMINE NASAL SPRAY AN OPTION?

FDA approved Esketamine Nasal Spray recently and this will be an option of our facility coming soon. Call us to get more information.

WHAT IS KETAMINE INFUSION THERAPY?

Ketamine is an anesthetic drug that can help correct brain chemistry as well as dull/block any pain someone is currently experiencing. When someone has a mood disorder, it often means that they are lacking certain chemicals in their brain, which is the underlying reason for their actions.

One of the reasons why Ketamine Infusion Therapy is gaining in popularity is because patients start experiencing benefits within a few hours instead of a few weeks or months.

HOW KETAMINE INFUSION THERAPY WORKS

Ketamine Infusion Therapy works when a patient has the approval of the doctor to take a certain dose of ketamine intravenously. This intravenous method is the fastest way for the ketamine to get to the brain. While anti-depressants work by shifting the balance of certain brain chemicals in order to restore stability, Ketamine Infusion Therapy works by changing the way the patient’s brain cells actually communicate with one another.

A patient will receive a certain amount of ketamine over a period of time in which a professional doctor will make the ultimate decision. Ketamine is able to block brain receptors that may play a large part in depression and/or pain.

CONDITIONS KETAMINE INFUSION THERAPY CAN TREAT

Ketamine Infusion Therapy can treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, migraines and more. Since studies are currently in progress to find more conditions that Ketamine Infusion Therapy can treat, there is a chance that it will be a treatment option for more conditions in the future.

BENEFITS OF KETAMINE INFUSION THERAPY

Ketamine Infusion Therapy is able to offer patients the pain relief they need when dealing with various types of chronic pain. Ketamine is also able to help people with depression experience relief by changing their brain chemistry. Another benefit of Ketamine Infusion Therapy is that it is able to work quickly, which is especially advantageous for patients who are suffering from conditions like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

KETAMINE DOCTOR

A ketamine doctor is a general doctor who prescribes their patient’s Ketamine Infusion Therapy treatments. Since general doctors do not normally perform the actual procedure, the doctor will typically refer the patient to a specialty clinic where they will be able to receive their ketamine therapy. When a general doctor decides to prescribe Ketamine Infusion Therapy for one of their patients, they will also often prescribe additional therapy treatments, i.e. professional therapy, a psychiatrist.

DEPRESSION THERAPY

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 17 million adult Americans are suffering from depression during any one-year period. The fact that depression increases a person’s chances of abusing alcohol/drugs and can lead to hospitalization in order to deal with depression, makes depression therapy essential to recovery.

While common depression therapy options include anti-depressants and talk therapies, it is also beneficial to explore alternative depression therapies. These therapies include Ketamine Infusion Therapy and transcranial stimulation therapy.

DEPRESSION TREATMENT

When someone receives a depression diagnosis, he or she will need to understand which depression treatment is going to be most effective for their particular type of depression. Patients can learn about and discuss their depression treatment options with their general doctor, while also seeing a professional therapist or psychiatrist.

It is important for all patients with a depression diagnosis to understand both their traditional and alternative treatment options. This understanding is going to help them make the best decision for treating their depression.

PTSD TREATMENT

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that is diagnosed after someone experiences something so traumatic that it negatively affects them for a month or longer. While many patients suffering from PTSD are prescribed anti-depressants sometimes there are patients who need faster options in order to deal with their post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis.

PTSD treatment is necessary for patient recovery and Ketamine Infusion Therapy is now a viable option that can help treat and accordingly bring relief to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

DEPRESSION RELIEF IN HOURS NOT WEEKS

Ketamine has been approved for the use in anesthesia since the early 70’s. The first reference to ketamine’s possible antidepressant effects was published in 1975. Ketamine is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. This is primarily because it is able to provide general anesthesia but does not interfere with a person’s ability to breath. It is also frequently used in children in the emergency department for to provide anesthesia during painful procedures.

It was not until 2000 with the publication of a small study from Yale that the interest in using ketamine as an antidepressant began. In October of 2012 Time magazine published a story entitled “Ketamine for Depression: The Most Important Advance in Field in 50 Years?” While not FDA approved for the treatment of depression it is being used “off label” for this indication as well as others such as bipolar disorder, addiction, and chronic pain.

The excitement surrounding the use of ketamine in depression is based on the several findings. For one thing, it works through a different mechanism than currently used medications. Twenty to thirty percent of patients with depression do not respond to these traditional antidepressant therapies. However, ketamine has been shown to benefit 70% of these difficult to treat patients. Another remarkable difference between ketamine and other antidepressants is that a single infusion can produce almost immediate, within hours, benefits that can last for weeks to months.

The doses used in the treatment of depression are much lower than the doses given for anesthesia. The typical anti-depressant dose is ½ mg per kilogram which is about 1/10th the dose for used for anesthesia. Ketamine has been shown to be extremely safe as evidenced by the low incidence of fatalities associated with its widespread recreational use. Despite its good safety profile we take every precaution to ensure the well being of our patients.

KETAMINE TREATMENT

Ketamine Procedure

Once you arrive at our office you will be taken to the procedure room and seated in a reclining chair. There you will be given an oral anti-nausea medication. Then electrodes will be placed on your chest to monitor your heart. A pulse oximeter will be placed on your finger to monitor the oxygen level in your blood and a cuff will be placed on your arm to monitor your blood pressure. An intravenous line will be inserted in your arm through which the medication will be administered. Once the infusion begins the lights will be dimmed and relaxing music will be played. You are welcome to bring your own music if you wish.

The infusion itself lasts for about 45 minutes and there is an approximate 30-minute recovery period. Most people find the experience to be pleasant and relaxing. It typically only takes from 1 to 24 hours to notice an improvement in your depressive symptoms. It is recommended that patients undergo 6 infusions over a two-week period in order to maximize the beneficial effects of the drug. It is not recommended to vary from this treatment protocol but we can make some adjustments to fit your personal schedule. After the initial series of infusions further “booster” treatments are determined on a case-by-case basis but are usually needed anywhere from every 2 weeks to 3 months.