Ketamine is an FDA-approved dissociative anesthetic with a relatively wide safety margin. It is commonly used in anesthesia and has recently shown great benefit in treating patients with chronic pain or treatment-resistant depression.

Depression is thought to involve changes in brain chemistry and disruptions in how nerve cells communicate with one another. These changes can affect mood regulation, stress response, and emotional processing. Traditional antidepressants typically work by targeting serotonin and norepinephrine, but these medications can take weeks to work and are not effective for everyone. Ketamine works through a different pathway in the brain. While its exact mechanism is still being studied, its effects are believed to involve the NMDA and glutamate receptor systems. Research suggests that ketamine may help stimulate the formation of new neural connections and strengthen communication between brain cells in areas that regulate mood and emotional processing. This process, often referred to as increased neuroplasticity, may help the brain shift out of rigid stress and depression patterns. These changes can begin to occur rapidly, sometimes within minutes to hours, and may also help make other treatments, such as psychotherapy, more effective.

Referrals are not required. All patients will receive a one-time consultation with our in-house psychiatric provider for medical and psychiatric clearance before their initial treatment.

No medications need to be held. However, a nurse will contact you prior to the procedure to discuss the specifics.

Each patient may have a slightly different experience, but most are similar. A nurse will administer an IV line in the arm. A physician oversees the infusion. The patient will be monitored throughout the infusion, which typically lasts 40 minutes. Ketamine's immediate effects can vary, but most patients feel pleasure or disconnect from the world. Nausea is sometimes a side effect, but it can be easily treated with anti-nausea medication. Once the procedure is over, the patient may still feel the dissociative or sedating effects for 30 minutes to an hour. You will need to arrange a ride to and from the center for the procedure. Typically, ketamine is done in a series of six treatments over three to four weeks.

Not necessarily. Some patients notice temporary changes in perception or awareness during treatment, while others simply feel relaxed or sleepy. Research shows that the intensity of the experience during the infusion does not reliably predict how much benefit a patient will have afterward. The therapeutic effects of ketamine are believed to come primarily from biological changes in the brain that improve neural communication and flexibility, rather than the experience during the infusion itself.

The patient will need a driver to and from the procedure. It is recommended that the patient takes it easy for the remainder of the day. The following day, the patient can resume regular activities without any restrictions.

Side effects include drowsiness or fatigue, dissociative symptoms (altered feelings and perceptions including auditory and visual disturbances or hallucinations), hypertension, and confusion/agitation. These symptoms appear tolerable and limited to around the time of treatment.

Please refer to our News and Resources page to review the current data on treatment utilizing ketamine for treatment-resistant depression.

The current guidelines recommend that patients initiating treatment undergo two infusions weekly for three weeks. After the initial set of treatments, additional treatments could be needed, including maintenance doses or boosters for symptom recurrence, as recommended by your doctor.